Austin MotoGP 2016

Jorge Lorenzo home to rapturous reception

22 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Thousands of fans lined the streets in Mallorca earlier this week to welcome home new MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo. The 23-year-old was met by crowds and dignitaries at the airport before...

Ben Spies close to new Yamaha MotoGP deal

21 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies is locked in talks with Yamaha about an extension to his current MotoGP deal. The Texan, who clinched the Rookie of the Year crown in Phillip Island last weekend with fifth place, is...

Randy de Puniet poised for Ducati switch

20 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

At the start of the Phillip Island race weekend earlier this month it looked a certainty that new Moto2 world champion Toni Elias would return to the Pramac Ducati squad and Randy de Puniet would...

Ducati revival boosts Valentino Rossi

20 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi will take great heart from Casey Stoner’s recent Ducati revival, according to the Italian’s legendary crew chief Jerry Burgess. Ducati’s factory GP10 didn’t win for the opening 12...

Buy Scott Redding’s Moto2 bike

20 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding has proven in 2010 why he’s regarded as one of the brightest young talents to emerge out of Britain for decades. And his reputation was further enhanced last weekend in Australia when he...

Rossi's pit bike

19 October 2010 by Matthew Stephenson

Here’s a picture of my boyfriend Matthew Stephenson on Valentino Rossi’s pit bike after the final ever MotoGP race at Donington Park last year. Rossi had just sped through the garages on the pit bike before parking up outside the Yamaha tent, pleasing his mob of fans with autographs and then disappearing into the tent to no doubt watch gruesome replays of his fall during the race. It made...

Yamaha duo blown away by Casey Stoner

18 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo admitted they had little chance of ending Casey Stoner’s domination of his home race in Phillip Island yesterday. Stoner was in majestic form throughout the weekend,...

Ben Spies takes best rookie prize

18 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies secured the coveted Rookie of the Year crown in yesterday’s Australian MotoGP race. The Texan though admitted he’d not been overly concerned with claiming the honour, his fifth place in...

Steering damper issue costs Andrea Dovizioso

18 October 2010

A steering damper issue put a huge dent in Andrea Dovizioso’s quest to beat Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi to third place in the 2010 MotoGP standings. The Repsol Honda rider was an early retirement...

Casey Stoner revels in Phillip Island victory

18 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner was overjoyed after storming to a fourth successive home win at Phillip Island with a commanding performance in his final Ducati appearance on home soil. Red-hot favourite to continue his...

Mika Kallio makes way for Carlos Checa

18 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Mika Kallio has quit the Pramac Ducati squad, paving the way for Carlos Checa to make a shock return to MotoGP later this month. Finn Kallio confirmed his withdrawal from the forthcoming Estoril and...

Scott Redding eyes first Moto2 win

18 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

British rider Scott Redding has set his sights on a first win in the fiercely competitive Moto2 class after he claimed a season best second at Phillip Island yesterday. The Marc VDS Racing rider put...

Valentino Rossi cleared for Ducati debut in Valencia

17 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has confirmed today in Phillip Island that he will make his hugely anticipated Ducati debut in Valencia next month. Rossi told MCN that Yamaha boss Masao Furusawa had given him...

Casey Stoner romps to dominant home win

17 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner continued his outstanding record in his home race at Phillip Island today, the factory Ducati rider producing a masterful display to win the Australian Grand Prix for the fourth year in a...

Scott Redding second in Phillip Island Moto2 race

17 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

British rider Scott Redding produced a stunning performance in today’s Moto2 race at Phillip Island, the British rider claiming second after an engrossing tussle with Alex de Angelis. Starting from...

Bradley Smith fifth, Marc Marquez dominant in Australia

17 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith briefly led today’s Australian 125GP before he eventually had to settle for fifth in breezy conditions at the Phillip Island track. The 23-lap race was once again a Spanish dominated affair, with in-form Marc Marquez romping to a ninth victory of 2010 as he claimed an impressive clean sweep of the flyaway triple header at Twin Ring Motegi, Sepang and Phillip Island. Aspar Aprilia...

Dani Pedrosa withdraws from Australian MotoGP

16 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa has withdrawn from tomorrow’s Australian MotoGP race at Phillip Island. The Spaniard could only qualify in a lowly 15th position, his best lap of 1.33.384 a massive 3.227s off the pace of...

Valentino Rossi slumps to lowly eighth

16 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi couldn’t hide his disappointment or frustration after he qualified in a lowly eighth place for tomorrow’s Australian MotoGP race at Phillip Island. The nine-times world champion...

Scott Redding suffers last gasp pole disappointment again

16 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding must be wondering what he has to do to claim his first Moto2 pole position after the British rider qualified second on the grid for the fourth time in the last five races at Phillip...

Birthday boy Casey Stoner surges to home pole position

16 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner’s bid for a fourth successive home victory at Phillip Island received a massive boost today, the factory Ducati rider storming to only his third pole position of 2010. The Aussie, who...

Bradley Smith just misses front row in Australia

16 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith will start tomorrow’s Australian 125GP from the second row of the grid after he finished fifth fastest in qualifying. The British rider set a best time of 1.39.363 on his tenth lap but...

Valentino Rossi renews call for Phillip Island date change

15 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has renewed calls for the Australian MotoGP race to be moved to earlier in the season, the Italian concerned that cold and wet conditions for the traditional October date make it too...

Scott Redding second at weather-hit Phillip Island

15 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

When Scott Redding finally got on track at Phillip Island this afternoon, the British rider was in stunning form to clock the second fastest time in the opening Moto2 practice session. The Marc VDS...

Jorge Lorenzo on top at cold and wet Phillip Island

15 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Newly crowned world champion Jorge Lorenzo mastered treacherously cold and wet conditions at Phillip Island today to top the timesheets at the end of the opening MotoGP practice session. Delayed by...

Phillip Island GP: Bradley Smith defies treacherous conditions

15 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith won his battle against the elements at a cold and wet Phillip Island today, the British rider coping best with atrocious conditions to clock the fastest time in 125GP practice. The...

Bad weather disrupts Phillip Island practice

15 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Strong winds and heavy rain forced organisers to delay the opening day of practice at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia this afternoon. The spectacular coastal circuit located just over two...

Jorge Lorenzo a worthy champion, says Nicky Hayden

13 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

American Nicky Hayden believes Jorge Lorenzo thoroughly deserved his first MotoGP world title success in 2010. The Spaniard has had to contend with accusations that his title success is a hollow...

Valentino Rossi aims to end Casey Stoner's golden home run

13 October 2010 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi reckons he will have to produce a ride every bit as good as his stunning success in Sepang last weekend to defeat Casey Stoner at Phillip Island this weekend. Rossi came from 11th to...