MotoGP on MCN
Here at Motor Cycle News we deliver bespoke MotoGP news from expert reporters on the ground at every major event. We get everything that's new in MotoGP before anyone else.
Kato monument unveiled
05 August 2003

Japanese fans of Daijiro Kato have unveiled a monument at his home track, the Autopolis circuit in the Kyusyu district of Japan. Kato, the former 250cc World Champion, began his career at the circuit,...
KTM sacks world champion
05 August 2003

KTM has parted company with reigning 125cc world champion Arnaud Vincent, claiming the Frenchman will be ” released immediately from his contract. ” Finnish rider Mika Kallio will replace Vincent...
American GP postponed until 2005
01 August 2003

The plans to run an American Grand Prix have been postponed until 2005. ” There have been talks about having a GP in the U.S. in 2004, specifically in Birmingham, Alabama, ” says Dorna Sports CEO...
Rossi takes provisional pole
22 July 2003

Valentino Rossi has taken the provisional pole position after the first qualifying session for Sunday’s German GP. The Italian knocked almost a second off his time from the morning’s practice session...
Edwards escapes 160mph fireball
22 July 2003

Colin Edwards survived a 160mph fireball in the first free practice for Sunday’s German Grand Prix, escaping with only minor burns to his left side. The American rider was going through the fastest...
Biaggi steels pole from McWilliams
22 July 2003

Max Biaggi has taken pole position for the German Grand Prix after topping the final qualifying session but Jeremy McWilliams made an outstanding run on his outdated two-stroke Proton KR3 to start in...
Gibernau triumphs over Rossi in Germany
22 July 2003

Sete Gibernau celebrated victory at the Sachsenring circuit in Germany after a race long battle with Valentino Rossi. Rossi and Gibernau both made a clean break from the pack, with the reigning...
Perugini denies Stoner first win
22 July 2003

Australian Casey Stoner took his first ever podium position at the 125cc German GP. But the Aussie had to settle for second after Stefano Perugini slipped past on the penultimate lap. The leading...
Proton KR stays on two-strokes for German GP
22 July 2003

The Proton KR team has announced it will continue to run its two-stroke machines for the German GP at the Sachsenring on July 27. The track may favour the light and nimble strokers, but it is a...
Rolfo gets maiden win in Germany
22 July 2003

Roberto Rolfo claimed his first victory in 80 GP starts in a last lap battle with Fonsi Nieto and Randy De Puniet. His win came at round nine of the 250cc GP championship in Germany. Rolfo defended...
We ride Harris WCM bike
15 July 2003

MCN’s Trevor Franklin was at Rockingham last week getting an exclusive ride on the Harris WCM GP bike The bike has been banned from taking part in the world championship for being too similar to the...
De Angelis fastest in 125cc practice
08 July 2003
Alex De Angelis pipped Australian Casey Stoner to go fastest in the second practice for the British 125cc GP on Sunday. The Italian heads four Aprilias covered by just 0.076 of a second, with Stefano Perugini in third and Hector Barbera in fourth. Andrea Dovizioso has dropped to fifth on his Honda after leading first qualifying on Friday. Daniel Pedrosa is sixth, Pablo Nieto seventh, Finn Mika...
Perugini on pole for 125GP
08 July 2003
Stefano Perugini is on pole for the 125cc British GP at MCN Donington Park. The Italian rider took his Aprilia to a 1:37.984 lap beating all four of the Hondas that were battling for the top spot in the final qualifying session. Daniel Pedrosa came home second fastest while Team Scot team-mates Andrea Dovizioso and Simone Corsi finished the front row of the grid Mika Kallio, Hector Barbera and...
Dovizioso tops 125 practice
08 July 2003
First practice for the 125GP bikes at MCN Donington Park has just finished with Andrea Dovizioso topping the time sheets. Dovizioso took his Team Scot Honda to a fastest time of 1:38.761 on the last of his 22 laps, beating Pablo Nieto to the top spot by just .3 of a second. Nieto was the first of seven Aprilias to follow Dovizioso home with Stefano Perugini, Steve Jenkner, Casey Stoner, Youichi...
Rossi tops practice at Donington
08 July 2003

Valentino Rossi has set a hot pace right from the start of the British Grand Prix at MCN Donington Park just beating Troy Bayliss to the top spot in the first practice session. Rossi put in 29 laps in...
Dovizioso on 125cc provisional pole
08 July 2003
Italian Andrea Dovizioso is on provisional pole for the 125cc race at Sunday’s British GP. Dovizioso posted a time of 1:38.297, just ahead of Spaniard Daniel Pedrosa. Both riders are on Hondas, heading the Aprilia of Stefano Perugini in third. Fourth is Hector Barbera, with Steve Jenkner fifth. Top Brit is Leon Camier in 28th place, three seconds down on Dovizioso. Wildcards Paul Veazey and Kris...
Biaggi on pole for British GP
08 July 2003
Max Biaggi has stormed into pole position for the start of the British GP at MCN Donington Park on Sunday. Telefonica Movistar Honda rider Sete Gibernau was the first rider to better championship leader Valentino Rossi’s already quick time but Biaggi went on to knock over a second off his time from yesterday’s qualifying session to jump in to first place for the start of the race. Rossi only...
Rossi on provisional pole for British GP
08 July 2003

Valentino Rossi is on provisional pole at the end of the first qualifying session for the British GP at MCN Donington Park. Honda RCV rider Rossi upped his already quick pace from the morning’s...
Fonsi Nieto tops 250cc practice
08 July 2003
Fonsi Nieto leads 250cc practice from fellow Spaniard Toni Elias, giving the Repsol Telefonica Movistar Aprilia team a 1-2 in free practice. Nieto is the only rider to post a lap below 1:35, with a time of 1:34.584, almost 0.7 seconds ahead of his teammate. Nieto holds the fastest lap of the circuit, set in 2002 at 1:33.558. But the circuit lap record is held by Daijiro Kato at 1:34.096. Aprilias...
Rossi denied win at Donington
08 July 2003

Valentino Rossi celebrated another win at MCN Donington Park today only to have it renounced by race officials when they awarded him a ten second penalty after realising he had passed under a yellow...
Capirossi fastest in second practice
08 July 2003
Loris Capirossi was the fastest man around the Donington track this morning, in preparation for qualifying for Sunday’s British GP. The Italian Ducati rider posted a time of 1:31.218, topping Sete Gibernau and Max Biaggi. Olivier Jacque was fourth fastest on the Yamaha M1, with Colin Edwards fifth on the Aprilia. Reigning champion Valentino Rossi was sixth. Troy Bayliss survived a crash during...
Nieto on provisional pole for 250GP
08 July 2003

Fonsi Nieto is on provisional pole for the 250GP race at MCN Donington Park at the end of the first qualifying session. Repsol Telefonica Movistar rider Nieto knocked 0.8 seconds off his best time...
Nieto on pole for 250GP
08 July 2003

Fonsi Nieto will be starting Sunday’s 250cc British GP in pole position after setting the fastest time in the qualifying sessions at MCN Donington Park. Manuel Poggiali was the fastest rider in...
Crowds pour into Donington
08 July 2003

Sete Gibernau has set the fastest time in an eventful warm up session for this afternoons British GP at MCN Donington Park, while huge crowds pour in to the circuit to catch all the action. Gibernau...
Nieto wins 250GP
08 July 2003
Fonzi Nieto has taken his first win this season in the 250GP at the eighth round of the world championship at MCN Donington Park. Nieto took the win after a long battle with Manuel Poggiali, who was determined to ride well after already suffering three crashes over the weekend, but Nieto pushed hard and crossed the line 0.269 seconds ahead to take the win. Toni Elias and Poggiali were fighting for...
Kagayama to replace Roberts for British GP
01 July 2003

Yukio Kagayama will be on a high this week as it’s been announced he will replace the injured Kenny Roberts Jr for the British MotoGP round this weekend. The news was revealed the day after the...
Rossi top by half-a-second
24 June 2003

Valentino Rossi went straight to the top of free practice times today, posting a time half-a-second clear of Max Biaggi, his nearest rival. Rossi completed 21 laps, with a best time of 2:01.404, with...
Capirossi on pole for Assen GP
24 June 2003

Loris Capirossi has taken pole position for the Dutch MotoGP race on Saturday with a 1:59.770 lap, moving him ahead of countrymen Max Biaggi and Valentino Rossi. Throughout practice and qualifying the...
Final WCM appeal rejected
24 June 2003

The Harris WCM team’s attempt to race in MotoGP has been scuppered once and for all after its final appeal was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) yesterday, June 26. Team Boss Peter...
Rossi ups the pace
24 June 2003

Valentino Rossi has continued to improve his times in the second free practice session at the Dutch round of the MotoGP world championship, in Assen. At the end of the session Rossi was riding nearly...
Assen first qualifying
24 June 2003

Three Italians head the MotoGP first qualifying time sheets, with Valentino Rossi, Max Biaggi and Lori Capirossi all posting two-minute laps. The trio are covered by just 0.2 seconds from Rossi in...
Gibernau takes third win
24 June 2003

Sete Gibernau has taken his third MotoGP win this season at the third round of the world championship in Assen. The race was delayed by rain and the standing water made visibility difficult when it...
Yanagawa to leave hospital at weekend
17 June 2003

Kawasaki wildcard rider Akira Yanagawa is due out of hospital in Spain this weekend following his first lap crash at the Spanish MotoGP round on June 15. Yanagawa has been diagnosed with two...
First MotoGP win for Ducati
10 June 2003

Loris Capirossi has taken the first MotoGP win for Ducati after only six races. The Italian rider started the sixth round of the world championship, in Catalunya, in second place but took the lead...
Middle East to host MotoGP round in 2004
10 June 2003

A deal has been signed that will see a round of the MotoGP World championship going to the Middle East for the first time. The new round will be held on a track currently being built in the Gulf State...
Rossi on pole despite slower time
10 June 2003

Valentino Rossi is once again on pole position after the second qualifying session the sixth round of the MotoGP world championship in Catalunya, Spain, despite not being able to better his time from...