Catalunya MotoGP 2016

Pink paintjob for Paris Hilton's 125GP squad

17 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Not that Paris Hilton should be worried that her shock foray into Grand Prix racing would go unnoticed, the American socialite and tabloid media darling has made sure of maximum exposure after this...

Cal Crutchlow happy with shoulder recovery

17 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow has told MCN he is making excellent progress in his recovery following major shoulder surgery earlier this month. The former World Supersport champion underwent an operation to repair...

Randy de Puniet delays leg surgery

17 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Randy de Puniet won’t undergo surgery to remove metalwork from his damaged left leg until after the 2011 MotoGP world championship. The French rider had contemplated a winter operation to replace a...

BBC confirms MotoGP bid winner

17 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Century TV has won the contract to produce coverage of the MotoGP world championship for the BBC until the end of 2013 season. Rohan Browning, Managing Director of Century TV, said: “We are delighted...

Motorland Aragon takes ‘Best Grand Prix’ prize

17 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

The impressive new Motorland Aragon track has become the first in history to claim the prestigious IRTA Best Grand Prix prize in its first season on the world championship calendar. The track was only...

Suzuki pressing on with 1000cc project

16 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki has begun ‘fundamental’ testing of its new 1000cc prototype engine for the new MotoGP class in 2012, despite its immediate future remaining shrouded in mystery. Although not understood to be as...

Yamaha made ‘tentative’ bid to break-up Valentino Rossi’s crew

16 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha made a tentative attempt to break up Valentino Rossi’s long serving and loyal crew earlier this year when the Italian star was finalising his big money switch to Ducati. Alex ‘Axel’ Briggs, a...

Engine upgrade vital for Yamaha, says Jerry Burgess

15 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha’s domination of the 800cc MotoGP era could end in 2011 unless major improvements are made to the performance of its factory YZR-M1 engine. Valentino Rossi’s legendary crew chief Jerry Burgess...

Simoncelli in Australia

15 December 2010 by kenneth cronin

Me with Marco Simoncelli in Melbourne airport after this year’s Phillip Island MotoGP round.

Phillip Island warned over 2012 date change

14 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Phillip Island, popular venue for the Australian MotoGP race, will be kicked off the calendar unless organisers agree to stage the race six months earlier than its normal October slot in 2012. Dorna...

Engine issues tarnished Suzuki image

14 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki’s failure to comply with new cost-saving engine restrictions reflected badly on the Japanese factory, according to a senior race boss. In a bid to cut costs by saving engine mileage for 2010,...

Yamaha optimistic new Ben Spies deal is close

13 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha bosses remain optimistic that an extended MotoGP deal for impressive American Ben Spies will be finalised in the near future. Yamaha management and representatives of Spies have been locked in...

Honda fear Jorge Lorenzo in 2011

13 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Honda management fear the biggest threat to the Japanese factory’s bid to win the last 800cc MotoGP title in 2011 will come from Yamaha rival and reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo. The Spaniard...

Ducati ponders seven-bike entry in 2012

08 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Ducati could extend its involvement in the new look 1000cc four-stroke MotoGP world championship to seven bikes in 2012. The Bologna factory will field six bikes in 2011 having agreed to lease a GP11...

New approach crucial to Jorge Lorenzo’s success

07 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

A calmer approach and revised strategy proved crucial in helping Jorge Lorenzo become only the second Spanish rider in history to capture the MotoGP title in 2010. The 23-year-old was a model of...

Alex Criville warns Honda against major changes

07 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Former world champion Alex Criville has warned Honda not to make radical winter changes to its factory RC212V contender to help Dani Pedrosa win the last 800cc MotoGP title in 2011. Criville said...

Niall Mackenzie’s son lands 125GP ride

06 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Kenny Roberts and Kenny Roberts Junior, Graziano and Valentino Rossi and Ron and Leon Haslam are all father and sons to have raced in the Grand Prix world championship. Now Niall and Taylor Mackenzie...

Cal Crutchlow starts rehab after shoulder surgery

06 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow has started the long rehabilitation process after he underwent successful surgery on a long-standing left shoulder injury in Manchester last week. The Coventry rider needed tendon and...

Jerry Burgess expects big Honda challenge

06 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Jerry Burgess reckons Honda could pose the most serious threat to Valentino Rossi’s hopes of winning the MotoGP crown at the first attempt with Ducati in 2011. The Aussie, who is currently in Bologna...

Bradley Smith destroys Moto2 bike in test crash

03 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith escaped unhurt but destroyed a Tech 3 Racing Moto2 machine as he took part in a freezing cold and wet testing double-header in Spain earlier this week. The 20-year-old braved chilly...

Casey Stoner backs four-rider Honda assault

03 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner has dismissed concerns that Honda might struggle to give equal support to its quartet of factory riders in 2011. Stoner will ride with Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso in the factory HRC...

Jorge Lorenzo expects strong challenge from Ben Spies

02 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo is expecting new factory Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies to pose a major threat in the 2011 premier class series. Spies will join the 23-year-old next year after the...

Antonio Banderas team quits Moto2

02 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

The Moto2 team supported by Hollywood star Antonio Banderas has collapsed, leaving former 125GP world champion Gabor Talmacsi and American Kenny Noyes without a ride for 2011. Title sponsor Jack &...

Danny Webb secures 125GP ride with new Indian manufacturer

01 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Danny Webb will contest the last 125GP world championship next season and first ever Moto3 four-stroke series in 2012 for the Indian-based Mahindra and Mahindra squad. The British rider has agreed a a...

Cal Crutchlow to undergo shoulder surgery

01 December 2010 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow is facing a race to be fit for the opening MotoGP test of 2011 having been due to undergo identical shoulder surgery to Valentino Rossi in Manchester today (Wednesday). The British rider...

Loris Capirossi expects Suzuki development to suffer in 2011

30 November 2010 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi reckons Suzuki will slip even further behind successful rivals Honda, Yamaha and Ducati by cutting its involvement in MotoGP next season to just one bike. The Japanese factory will...

Ben Spies closing in on new Yamaha contract

29 November 2010 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies is closing in on an extension to his current factory Yamaha MotoGP contract. Talks about extending the Texan’s current deal have been in progress for a number of weeks with Spies and Yamaha...

Bradley Smith set for second Moto2 test

27 November 2010 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith will fly to Spain on his 20th birthday tomorrow (Sunday) for a two-day test session on the Tech 3 Moto2 machine. The Oxfordshire rider, who made his Tech 3 Moto2 debut in Valencia...

British Eurosport confirms 2011 MotoGP deal

26 November 2010 by Matthew Birt

Popular commentary duo Julian Ryder and Toby Moody will be back on screens again in 2011 after British Eurosport confirmed it had signed a new one-year agreement to show the MotoGP world championship...

Rain ends Scott Redding’s MotoGP debut hopes

26 November 2010 by Matthew Birt

Rain has disrupted the final day of testing at the Jerez circuit in Spain today, ending Scott Redding’s hopes of making his first appearance on the Suter 1000cc MotoGP bike. Despite a heavy crash on...

Scott Redding hospitalised after Jerez test crash

26 November 2010 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding has spent the night in a Jerez hospital as a precaution after he suffered bleeding on his left lung following a big crash during Moto2 testing yesterday. The 17-year-old high-sided his...

Marc Marquez makes Moto2 debut

26 November 2010 by Matthew Birt

Marc Marquez got his first taste of Moto2 action in Jerez yesterday, the Spaniard familiarising himself with the more powerful and heavier 600cc Suter MMX machine he will campaign in 2011. The...

Yamaha deny Valentino Rossi ultimatum

25 November 2010 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha has denied Valentino Rossi’s decision to join rivals Ducati was the result of its failure to axe Spanish rival Jorge Lorenzo. For months it has been rumoured that Rossi issued Yamaha with an...

Michelin planning MotoGP return in 2012?

24 November 2010 by Matthew Birt

Michelin is plotting a shock return to the MotoGP world championship, MCN has learned. The French factory hasn’t raced in MotoGP since the end of 2008 when the premier class switched to a...

Scott Redding catches attention of Ducati

23 November 2010 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding is already being closely monitored by Ducati management after his stunning debut Moto2 campaign in 2010. Ducati boss Vittoriano Guareschi spoke of his admiration for the 17-year-old...

Casey Stoner: Winning harder for Rossi at Ducati

23 November 2010 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner reckons competition in MotoGP is now so fierce that Valentino Rossi won’t be a consistent winner at Ducati. When Rossi quit Honda to join Yamaha at the end of 2003, the Italian was...