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February

Camier absent as FIM release final MotoGP entry list

28 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Camier absent as FIM release final MotoGP entry list

Leon Camier’s hopes of becoming a MotoGP rider have been dashed at the eleventh hour, as rumours of sponsorship problems keeping him from taking his Ioda Racing Aprilia seat have come true, with the...

Rossi on top as testing concludes

28 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Rossi on top as testing concludes

Valentino Rossi has left the final official pre-season test of 2014 leading the way, as the Italian confirmed afterwards that he was feeling much more positive than this time last year. Just dipping...

Ducati confirm move from factory to open class

28 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Ducati confirm move from factory to open class

Ducati have finally announced that they will make the move from factory to open class in 2014, with the team ditching their own electronics software in return for extra fuel, tyres and engine...

Will Marquez's broken leg slow him down?

28 February 2014 by MCN

Will Marquez's broken leg slow him down?

Afte a flat track training crash, world champion Marc Marquez is currently sitting out the final Sepang test while he recovers from his broken leg. But the rookie champion has proven time and again...

Pedrosa fastest on day two at Sepang

27 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Pedrosa fastest on day two at Sepang

Dani Pedrosa has finished the second day at the Sepang in his customary position at the Malaysian track, topping the time sheets by 0.2 seconds at the circuit where he is traditionally dominant.  ...

Marquez to miss Phillip Island test

26 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Marquez to miss Phillip Island test

Marc Marquez will sit out next week’s planned Phillip Island tyre test, despite initially aiming for a return just twelve days after breaking his fibula in a training accident. However, a medical...

Valentino Rossi bemoans new Bridgestone tyre direction

26 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi bemoans new Bridgestone tyre direction

Valentino Rossi says he is mystified why a new range of Bridgestone rear tyres will be introduced for the 2014 MotoGP world championship. The Italian spent the majority of the opening day of the...

Jorge Lorenzo disgruntled with new Bridgestone rear tyre

26 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo disgruntled with new Bridgestone rear tyre

Jorge Lorenzo’s frustration with the performance of a new 2014- spec Bridgestone rear tyre continued in Sepang today, with the double MotoGP world champion clearly disgruntled to be down in fifth on...

New shock boost for Sepang pacesetter Alvaro Bautista

26 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

New shock boost for Sepang pacesetter Alvaro Bautista

A new Showa rear shock helped Alvaro Bautista claim a surprise spot at the top of the opening day timesheets at the second Sepang MotoGP test in Malaysia today. The Gresini Honda rider led an unlikely...

Bautista fastest on Sepang day one

26 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Bautista fastest on Sepang day one

The first day of the Sepang 2 MotoGP test has thrown a number of surprise packages to the fore, as Alvaro Bautista and the Espargaro brothers took advantage of unusual track conditions to finish the...

HRC: No plans to test with Casey Stoner at Phillip Island

26 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

HRC: No plans to test with Casey Stoner at Phillip Island

Honda has said it has no plans to draft in Casey Stoner to test at next week’s Bridgestone tyre test in Phillip Island, with Marc Marquez likely to be ruled out with a broken leg. Reigning world...

Movistar return to MotoGP with Yamaha

25 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Movistar return to MotoGP with Yamaha

Yamaha’s 2014 livery, unveiled last month in Indonesia, is set to change before the first race at Qatar, as the team brings onboard Spanish mobile phone operator Movistar as title sponsor. The rumours...

No Brazil MotoGP round in 2014

24 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

No Brazil MotoGP round in 2014

The MotoGP world championship will not be returning to Brazil in 2014 after a planned race in late September at a revamped Autodromo Internacional Nelson Piquet track was dropped off the final...

Pol Espargaro plans style tweaks at Sepang 2

24 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Pol Espargaro plans style tweaks at Sepang 2

Reigning Moto2 world champion Pol Espargaro will focus on riding style tweaks when he makes his third pre-season testing appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad in Sepang later this week. The...

Suzuki: No plans to join Open class in 2015

24 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki: No plans to join Open class in 2015

Suzuki will return to MotoGP in 2015 as a full factory entry, with the Japanese factory rejecting the chance to join the new Open category. It had been rumoured that Suzuki would participate as an...

Ex-Ducati boss understands Open class appeal

24 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Ex-Ducati boss understands Open class appeal

Former factory Ducati boss Livio Suppo says he fully understands why the Bologna factory is seriously considering entering this year’s MotoGP world championship in the new Open class. It has been...

Suzuki planning new parts assessment at Sepang 2

24 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki planning new parts assessment at Sepang 2

Suzuki is expected to try new upgrades on its new 1000cc MotoGP project when the MotoGP winter testing campaign resumes at the Sepang track in Malaysia this week. The recent opening test in Malaysia...

Tech 3 confident Yamaha will supply new gearbox

23 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 confident Yamaha will supply new gearbox

Satellite Yamaha boss Herve Poncharal remains confident that Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith will be racing a new seamless shift gearbox when the 2014 campaign kicks off in Qatar next month. When...

Cal Crutchlow: FTR-Yamaha speed won’t influence Ducati strategy

23 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow: FTR-Yamaha speed won’t influence Ducati strategy

British rider Cal Crutchlow doesn’t believe Ducati will be influenced to adopt Open class status in MotoGP this year following Aleix Espargaro’s brilliant display in Sepang testing earlier this...

Colin Edwards pushing for FTR chassis test

23 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards pushing for FTR chassis test

Colin Edwards is pushing to test a new British-built FTR frame on his new Yamaha-powered Forward Racing MotoGP machine after a tough start to winter testing in Malaysia recently. The experienced Texan...

Breaking news: Marquez breaks leg

20 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Breaking news: Marquez breaks leg

MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez has suffered a broken fibula in a training crash just weeks before the start of the 2014 season. The 21 year old was flat tracking in in Lleida, west of Barcelona,...

Rea sits out Jerez test with broken foot

19 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Rea sits out Jerez test with broken foot

British rider Gino Rea has been forced to sit out this week’s three-day official Moto2 test at Jerez, after breaking a bone in his foot at last week’s Valencia test.   The former Moto2 podium finisher...

BT Sport team break cover

13 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

BT Sport team break cover

After months of speculation, BT Sport has finally announced the team that will head their 2014 MotoGP coverage.   The team will be led by one of the most famous commentary teams in biking history,...

Casey Stoner unlikely to take up HRC test role again

13 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner unlikely to take up HRC test role again

Double MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner is looking increasingly unlikely to continue as test and development rider for Honda in 2014. HRC had intended to keep the Australian developing its factory...

Colin Edwards impressed by Aleix Espargaro’s Sepang speed

13 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards impressed by Aleix Espargaro’s Sepang speed

Veteran American Colin Edwards heaped praise of new Forward Racing teammate Aleix Espargaro after the Spaniard’s brilliant start to the 2014 MotoGP testing campaign in Malaysia last week. Making his...

No corner speed gain for factory Honda

13 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

No corner speed gain for factory Honda

Honda has so far failed in its bid to make its factory RC213V machine a match for Yamaha’s YZR-M1 on corner speed. Improved corner speed has been a key target for Honda’s technical staff during the...

Is it too late for Valentino Rossi?

07 February 2014 by MCN

Is it too late for Valentino Rossi?

After three days of testing at Sepang Valentino Rossi managed to finish second fastest. The nine time champion says he’s changed his riding style to suit the new bike, but after an unimpressive 2013...

Colin Edwards not stressed by gap to Aleix Espargaro

07 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards not stressed by gap to Aleix Espargaro

Colin Edwards played down the big gap between himself and new Forward Racing teammate Aleix Espargaro after a tough start to winter testing in Malaysia. The experienced Texan was 14th fastest on the...

Bradley Smith focuses on race pace in Sepang

07 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith focuses on race pace in Sepang

Eighth position on the timesheets and outpaced by Aleix Espargaro’s new Open class FTR-Yamaha suggests this week’s Sepang MotoGP test was a tough affair for British rider Bradley Smith. Nothing could...

HRC unveil full rider line-up in Japan

07 February 2014 by Michael Guy

HRC unveil full rider line-up in Japan

MotoGP, Dakar, MX and Trials get HRC status – but no support for WSB. Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) is the most prestigious name in motor racing with unprecedented success in their chosen fields of...

Honda plan Jorge Lorenzo talks for 2015

07 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Honda plan Jorge Lorenzo talks for 2015

Honda will approach Jorge Lorenzo about forming a Spanish super team with new MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez in 2015. With all top riders out of contract at the end of this year, speculation on...

Rossi optimistic after first test

06 February 2014 by Matthew Birt & Simon Patterson

Rossi optimistic after first test

Valentino Rossi has finished the first test of 2014 pleased with his pace after ending up second in the timesheets, but the Italian says that there are still problems to fix on his Yamaha. “Today is...

Marquez ends Sepang test on top

06 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Marquez ends Sepang test on top

Marc Marquez has left the first test of 2014 on top of the time sheets, but is chased by a trio of Yamahas after a blisteringly fast third day of riding in tropical temperatures at the Malaysian...

Marquez 'surprised' by fast times on day two

05 February 2014 by Matthew Birt & Simon Patterson

Marquez 'surprised' by fast times on day two

Marc Marquez has said that he has been ‘surprised’ by the fast times being set at Sepang, not only by himself but by other riders. The reigning champion says that excellent track conditions has meant...

Rossi positive after second day at Sepang

05 February 2014 by Matthew Birt & Simon Patterson

Rossi positive after second day at Sepang

Valentino Rossi has remained positive after the second day of testing in Sepang despite slipping from second to fourth in the timing sheets, saying that there’s still more speed to be found from his...

Marquez remains on top in Sepang

05 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Marquez remains on top in Sepang

Honda have continued their hold at the top of the Sepang timing sheets, with Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Stefan Bradl putting their RCV214 machines one-two-three. However, reigning world champion...