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Nicky Hayden optimistic for 2010

12 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden optimistic for 2010

Nicky Hayden has backed himself to impress on Ducati’s new GP10 machine this season after a tough debut MotoGP campaign for the Bologna factory last year. Hayden scored a solitary podium in 2009 and...

Casey Stoner: ‘Valentino Rossi is the man to beat’

12 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner: ‘Valentino Rossi is the man to beat’

Casey Stoner reckons Italian rival and nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi will be his main adversary as the Aussie sets his sights on regaining the MotoGP crown in 2010. Speaking at the launch...

Casey Stoner confident, fit and raring to go

12 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner confident, fit and raring to go

Factory Ducati rider Casey Stoner is confident he will mount a much stronger challenge for MotoGP glory in 2010 having overcome the health issues that killed off his prospects last season. The Aussie...

Yamaha unveil Jorge Lorenzo’s new team boss

12 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha unveil Jorge Lorenzo’s new team boss

Yamaha has confirmed that Wilco Zeelenberg will be the new boss of Jorge Lorenzo’s factory MotoGP squad in 2010, as was revealed by MCN over three weeks ago. Dutchman Zeelenberg joins the team from...

Ducati 2010 team launch kicks off

12 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden have kicked off Ducati’s spectacular 2010 MotoGP team launch at the annual pre-season event in the Italian ski resort of Madonna di Campiglio. The event officially gets underway today (Tuesday), but before proceedings started with various media engagements, Aussie Stoner took to the slopes to show off his skiing prowess. The 2007 world champion looked relaxed as he...

New Belgian Moto2 team confident in Scott Redding

11 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

New Belgian Moto2 team confident in Scott Redding

The new Belgian Moto2 team that will run Scott Redding in 2010 is confident the British teenager will be a big success in the inaugural 600cc four-stroke world championship. The 17-year-old has penned...

Valentino Rossi eager for MotoGP race in India

11 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi eager for MotoGP race in India

Despite walking out of a special media presentation as Valentino Rossi’s first public appearance in India degenerated into chaos and confusion, the Italian hopes to race in the South Asian country in...

Scott Redding ‘over the moon’ at Moto2 deal

11 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding ‘over the moon’ at Moto2 deal

Scott Redding has spoken of his delight and relief at clinching a top ride in the new Moto2 600cc world championship in 2010. The 17-year-old has signed a deal to join the new Marc VDS Racing Team and...

Tech 3 Moto2 test disrupted by snow in Valencia!

08 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 Moto2 test disrupted by snow in Valencia!

Plans by the French-based Tech 3 squad to get in more crucial development miles on its new Moto2 contender have been badly disrupted by severe weather in Valencia. The team planned a three-day private...

Nicky Hayden focused on big improvement for 2010

08 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden focused on big improvement for 2010

Nicky Hayden has admitted he will need to make a massive improvement in 2010 after a largely frustrating and disappointing debut MotoGP campaign with Ducati’s factory squad. The 2006 world champion...

Engine restrictions ‘daunting’ says Jerry Burgess

08 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

Engine restrictions ‘daunting’ says Jerry Burgess

Valentino Rossi’s legendary crew chief Jerry Burgess has admitted planning to use only six engines for the entire 2010 MotoGP world championship is a ‘daunting task’. Under cost-cutting measures for...

Scott Redding poised for Moto2 deal

04 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding poised for Moto2 deal

Scott Redding’s anxious wait on his world championship future appears to be over, with MCN learning the British teenager is poised to clinch a Moto2 deal for 2010. Redding has been sweating on his...

MotoGP 2009: Best race

01 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP 2009: Best race

It’s already being hailed as the greatest last lap in history and one of the most thrilling MotoGP races witnessed in living memory. And there is no doubt that June’s unforgettable Catalunya race will...

MotoGP 2009: Unluckiest rider

01 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP 2009: Unluckiest rider

Nicky Hayden was taken out at the first corner in three races and Marco Melandri and John Hopkins thought they had rock solid deals with Kawasaki until the Japanese factory quit in early...

MotoGP 2009: Best bike

01 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP 2009: Best bike

At the end of the first year of the 800cc era in 2007, Valentino Rossi was so disgusted by the woeful performance of Yamaha’s YZR-M1 that he threatened to quit unless the in-line four-cylinder was...

MotoGP 2009: Most promising rider

01 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP 2009: Most promising rider

Spies’ record-breaking rookie season in World Superbikes, in which he ended with a 50 per cent winning record, meant he was the hottest property in world racing in 2009.  His outstanding performances...

MotoGP 2009: Biggest disappointment

01 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP 2009: Biggest disappointment

Kawasaki’s withdrawal was a massive disappointment, while Andrea Dovizioso’s failure to capture no other podium apart from his British GP win on a factory Honda rider raised questions about his...

MotoGP 2009: Biggest under-achievers

01 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP 2009: Biggest under-achievers

In 2007, Suzuki had been the major surprise of the first 800cc campaign, yet had struggled to emulate its impressive form in 2008. This year though was to be an even bleaker campaign for the Japanese...

MotoGP 2009: Best ride

01 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP 2009: Best ride

Marco Melandri’s brilliant second on the unfancied Hayate (a re-branded factory Kawasaki ZX-RR) in a rain-hit Le Mans clash struck a blow for the underdog, as did Dovizioso’s maiden win at Donington...

MotoGP 2009: Best rider

01 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP 2009: Best rider

Valentino Rossi might have won the least number of races ever in a season in which he won a world title, and uncharacteristically the Italian legend crashed in three races to prove he is human after...

MotoGP 2009: Best Brit

01 January 2010 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP 2009: Best Brit

Not since the heady days of late legend Barry Sheene have British fans witnessed home talent enjoying as much success in Grand Prix racing as Bradley Smith did in 2009. It was a year in which the...

Engineer defection no concern to Valentino Rossi

28 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Engineer defection no concern to Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi has brushed off the impact of two key Yamaha engineers defecting to Honda in 2010. Christian Battagglia and Andrea Zugna will move to HRC with intimate knowledge of the YZR-M1 that...

Valentino Rossi expects big threat from Ben Spies

28 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi expects big threat from Ben Spies

Reigning world champion Valentino Rossi has told MCN he expects new Yamaha recruit Ben Spies to pose a major threat in the 2010 MotoGP series. The Italian was impressed with Spies’ eye-catching...

Marco Melandri looking for stable future

28 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Marco Melandri looking for stable future

Marco Melandri is hoping he can impress in 2010 to secure a long-term future with the Gresini Honda squad. The Italian has endured a torrid time in MotoGP recently having been released from a factory...

Jorge Lorenzo satisfied with single tyre rule

28 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo satisfied with single tyre rule

MotoGP runner-up Jorge Lorenzo reckons the single tyre rule was a big benefit for world championship racing in 2009. Lorenzo, who won four races on board the factory Fiat Yamaha YZR-M1 last season,...

Ben Spies looking forward to Colin Edwards partnership

28 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies looking forward to Colin Edwards partnership

Ben Spies reckons Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards will be an invaluable ally in helping the reigning World Superbike champion be an instant success in MotoGP next season. Spies and Edwards will form an...

Hiroshi Aoyama beats Marco Simoncelli in Sepang

23 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Hiroshi Aoyama beats Marco Simoncelli in Sepang

Reigning 250GP world champion Hiroshi Aoyama has finished close to a second faster than highly-rated Italian Marco Simoncelli during a special rookies test in Sepang. Aoyama, who beat Simoncelli in a...

Young guns threaten Valentino Rossi’s record bid

23 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Young guns threaten Valentino Rossi’s record bid

Valentino Rossi believes the emergence of a new wave of hot young MotoGP talent will make it harder for him to beat Giacomo Agostini’s all-time winning record. Italian legend Agostini won 122 races in...

Red Bull Rookies top two clinch 125GP switch

23 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

The rivalry that blazed all the way to the final lap of the last Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race of 2009 will be repeated in 2010 after Jakub Kornfeil and Sturla Fagerhaug signed 125GP deals. Kornfeil, the 16-year-old Czech rider who won the Rookies Cup by just 2 points, has signed for Racing Team Germany, cementing a relationship with team owner/manager Dirk Heidolf that started back in June. “I...

Jerry Burgess expects Casey Stoner backlash

22 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Jerry Burgess expects Casey Stoner backlash

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess says he is anticipating a backlash from Aussie Casey Stoner in 2010. Stoner, who won the first ever 800cc title in 2007, had a torrid last season and a major...

No more money to transform Honda’s fortunes

22 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

No more money to transform Honda’s fortunes

Honda will not spend more money to try and claim a rare MotoGP world championship victory in 2010. Severely affected by the impact of the global economic crisis, Honda will have no budget increase to...

Cal Crutchlow’s World Supersport boss to Fiat Yamaha?

21 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow’s World Supersport boss to Fiat Yamaha?

Wilco Zeelenberg, boss of Cal Crutchlow’s 2009 World Supersport championship-winning squad, is poised to run Jorge Lorenzo’s factory Yamaha MotoGP squad next season, MCN understands. Fiat Yamaha has...

Casey Stoner targets title challenge in 2010

21 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner targets title challenge in 2010

Free from the mystery illness that wrecked his 2009 MotoGP world title bid, Casey Stoner is determined to mount a stronger challenge for premier class glory next season. Stoner’s title challenge last...

Nicky Hayden opens new Ducati showroom in India

21 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden opens new Ducati showroom in India

Nicky Hayden took time out from his winter training schedule and 2010 preparations last week to open Ducati’s second showroom in India. The Kentucky rider opened the new store in Guragon and is the...

Yamaha confirm 2011 talks with Valentino Rossi

18 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha confirm 2011 talks with Valentino Rossi

Yamaha has confirmed talks have started to keep nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi beyond the 2010 MotoGP world championship. With endless speculation linking the 30-year-old with a big money...

Nicky Hayden excited about 1000cc MotoGP switch

18 December 2009 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden excited about 1000cc MotoGP switch

Nicky Hayden is ecstatic that MotoGP will revert back to a 1000cc format from the start of the 2012 world championship campaign. The American believes the new rule, which will allow prototype 1000cc...