Australian Grand Prix 2016

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner wins titanic battle

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner wins titanic battle

Casey Stoner has won a decisive head-to-head with his two closest rivals in the championship, Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa at today’s Catalan GP. The three riders spent the entire race glued...

Catalunya GP: Lorenzo extends 250 lead

Catalunya GP: Lorenzo extends 250 lead

Defending World Champion Jorge Lorenzo has tightened his grip of the 250 class with a dominant victory at the Catalan GP. The 20-year-old Spaniard was consistently quickest all weekend and completed a...

Catalunya GP: Slow engine leaves Smith sixth

Catalunya GP: Slow engine leaves Smith sixth

Bradley Smith finished in a disappointing sixth place in today’s Catalunya 125 GP as a lack of engine speed ruined his bid for a second podium in three races. The British teenager had brilliantly...

Catalunya GP: KTM dominate 125 podium

Catalunya GP: KTM dominate 125 podium

KTM’s Tommy Koyama has won the 125 race in Catalunya, his first win after an eight year spell in the championship. The Japanese rider took the victory by a fraction of a second from Gabor Talmasci on...

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner fastest in Warm-up

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner fastest in Warm-up

Casey Stoner has posted the fastest lap of this morning’s Warm-up session at the Catalunya circuit. The young Aussie posted a 1.42.908, just topping Kawasaki’s Randy De Puniet who has been the...

Catalunya MotoGP: Jacque ruled out of Barcelona clash

Catalunya MotoGP: Jacque ruled out of Barcelona clash

French rider Olivier Jacque has been ruled out of tomorrow’s Catalunya GP. The former world 250 champion crashed heavily in this morning’s third free practice session at turn five, suffering neck...

Catalunya MotoGP: Bad luck leaves Capirossi on back row

Catalunya MotoGP: Bad luck leaves Capirossi on back row

Loris Capirossi’s 2007 fortunes nosedived again in Catalunya today when he could only qualify 17th fastest. The veteran Italian, subject of interest from Kawasaki for 2008, could only clock a best...

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi reigns in Spain

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi reigns in Spain

Valentino Rossi will start his quest for a sixth MotoGP victory at the Catalunya circuit from pole position tomorrow. The Fiat Yamaha rider, who could give Yamaha a 150th premier class victory in...

Catalunya GP: Brit Smith claims front row

Catalunya GP: Brit Smith claims front row

British teenager Bradley Smith has claimed a brilliant front row start for tomorrow’s Catalunya 125 GP in Spain. The Repsol Honda rider finished this afternoon’s decisive final qualifying session with...

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi to watch crunch Barcelona game

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi to watch crunch Barcelona game

Valentino Rossi will take a break from his quest to win for a ninth time in Catalunya tomorrow by watching Barcelona’s star-studded football team in action tonight. Barcelona play Espanyol in a crunch...

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner leads Bridgestone charge

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner leads Bridgestone charge

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner led a Bridgestone top three to top the timesheets in this morning’s third free practice session in Catalunya. The 21-year-old logged the first sub 1.43...

Catalunya MotoGP: Suzuki delay third bike decision

Catalunya MotoGP: Suzuki delay third bike decision

Suzuki has delayed a decision on whether it will supply a third GSV-R 800cc machine in the 2008 MotoGP world championship until the British GP at Donington Park later this month. The Japanese factory...

Catalunya GP: Smith third on second morning

Catalunya GP: Smith third on second morning

British teenager Bradley Smith has continued his impressive Catalunya GP form after clocking the third fastest time in this morning’s 125 free practice session. Smith, who was second fastest in...

Catalunya MotoGP: Melandri voices front tyre concerns

Catalunya MotoGP: Melandri voices front tyre concerns

Italian Marco Melandri has revealed major concerns about front tyre durability ahead of Sunday’s Catalunta GP near Barcelona. The former world 250 champion told MCN that he has been struggling with a...

Catalunyan MotoGP: Last eight laps Key for Hopkins

Catalunyan MotoGP: Last eight laps Key for Hopkins

Factory Suzuki rider John Hopkins believes tyre management will be even more critical than normal in Sunday’s Catalunya GP. The American finished this afternoon’s second free practice session with the...

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi denies Pedrosa

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi denies Pedrosa

Valentino Rossi produced a masterful late charge to claim the fastest time in this afternoon’s second free MotoGP practice session at the Catalunya circuit. Rossi clocked his best time of 1.43.313...

Catalunya GP: Bradley Smith seventh quickest

Catalunya GP: Bradley Smith seventh quickest

After finishing a brilliant second fastest this morning, British teenager Bradley Smith had to settle for seventh place on the provisional grid for Sunday’s Catalunya 125 GP. The Oxfordshire rider...

Catalunya MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa fastest

Catalunya MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa fastest

Home favourite Dani Pedrosa made the perfect start to his quest for a first 800cc MotoGP victory this morning when he set the fastest time in opening free practice at the Catalunya circuit. Boosted by...

Ilmor deny Catalunya MotoGP test

Ilmor deny Catalunya MotoGP test

The cash-strapped Ilmor MotoGP team has denied Andrew Pitt will return to track action in a test session at the Catalunya circuit on Monday. The entire MotoGP grid will test after Sunday’s race and it...

Smith second fastest in Barcelona opener

Smith second fastest in Barcelona opener

British teenager Bradley Smith has made a brilliant start to this weekend’s Catalunya GP by claiming the second fastest time in this morning’s opening free 125 practice. The Repsol Honda rider clocked...

Rossi wary of Catalunya first corner

Rossi wary of Catalunya first corner

Valentino Rossi is confident the new MotoGP practice start rule should help take away part of the danger posed by Catalunya’s perilous first corner. The first corner of last year’s race saw one of the...

Suzuki not rushing to sign Hopkins and Vermeulen

Suzuki not rushing to sign Hopkins and Vermeulen

Suzuki’s factory MotoGP team boss Paul Denning has told MCN he is in no rush to secure the services of John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen for the 2008 MotoGP world championship. Hopkins and French GP...

Hayden excused from Suzuka Eight Hour

Hayden excused from Suzuka Eight Hour

Reigning MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden has confirmed he will not be contesting the prestigious Suzuka Eight-hour endurance at the end of next month. The Repsol Honda rider was scheduled to fly to...

Edwards not interested in World Superbike return

Edwards not interested in World Superbike return

Valentino Rossi’s factory Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards had told MCN he isn’t contemplating a return to the World Superbike championship, even if he fails to secure his MotoGP future for...

Life exists elsewhere

Shock news just in… a new exciting branch of motorsport has just been discovered – it’s called 250GP. Hitherto unknown to the motorcycling cognoscenti due to a bizarre and sinister wall of silence, this new branch of the sport shows none of the signs of the killer disease ‘F1 Canker’ known to have infected many sports from its roots in Formula One car racing and international football. Discovered...

Tech 3 confirm Vermeulen interest

Tech 3 confirm Vermeulen interest

Yamaha’s satellite MotoGP team has confirmed its interest in talking to Aussie Chris Vermeulen about a 2008 ride. Having recently penned a deal to lease two YZR-M1 800 machines from Yamaha in 2008,...

Suzuki close to third bike MotoGP decision

Suzuki close to third bike MotoGP decision

Suzuki bosses have confirmed to MCN the decision on running a third GSV-R machine in 2008 is likely to be made at this weekend’s Catalunya GP in Spain. Lengthy negotiations with Spaniard Jorge...

Kawasaki ponders three-rider factory MotoGP team

Kawasaki ponders three-rider factory MotoGP team

Kawasaki is investigating the possibility of running a three-rider factory team in the 2008 MotoGP world championship, MCN can reveal. In a bid to bolster dwindling grid numbers, Dorna boss Carmelo...

Fan invasion sparks fresh Mugello concerns

Fan invasion sparks fresh Mugello concerns

MotoGP Race Director Paul Butler has confirmed to MCN he came close to red flagging last Sunday’s Italian GP to avoid a potentially disastrous track invasion before the end of the 23-lap race. Butler...

Rossi and Capirossi test at Misano

Rossi and Capirossi test at Misano

Valentino Rossi and Loris Capirossi have completed a brief test at the Misano circuit to alleviate track surface concerns before the return of MotoGP at the San Marino venue in September. MCN can...

Roberts plays down World Superbike switch

Roberts plays down World Superbike switch

Kenny Roberts has played down rumours his British-based MotoGP squad could compete in next year’s World Superbike series. An appearance by team manager Chuck Aksland at the recent rain-lashed...

Hopkins eyes podium return in Barcelona

Hopkins eyes podium return in Barcelona

American John Hopkins is confident he can make a return to the podium in this weekend’s Catalunya GP in Spain. The track near Barcelona is one of the favourites for the factory Suzuki rider and...

Burgess backs new tyre rule

Burgess backs new tyre rule

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess has backed the 2007 tyre restrictions, despite recent calls from the Italian to modify the current format. Riders can now only pick from 17 rear and 14 front...

Rea lands Roberts ride for British GP

Rea lands Roberts ride for British GP

Emerging British superbike star Jonathan Rea has landed a dream wild card ride in the British GP with Kenny’s Roberts’ Honda-powered squad. The 20-year-old will join 2000 world champion Kenny Roberts...

Rossi wins home GP at Mugello

Rossi wins home GP at Mugello

Italian Valentino Rossi has wowed the crowds by storming to victory at his home Grand Prix. Thousands of fans flocked on to the 3.250mile track to congratulate their hero as he secured just his second...

Bautista and De Angelis make it one-two for Aspar

Bautista and De Angelis make it one-two for Aspar

Alvaro Bautista and Alex De Angelis have made it a Master Mapfre Aspar one-two in the 250 Grand Prix at Mugello. The teammates had a few hairy moments with each other in the final stages but common...