Japan MotoGP 2016

Ben Spies: “I have high expectations”

30 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies will start the 2012 MotoGP world championship in Qatar next week with expectations of fighting for the title on Yamaha’s impressive new factory YZR-M1 1000cc machine. Spies has been backed...

Scott Redding expected to win in 2012

30 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding’s Marc VDS Racing Moto2 squad believe the British teenager must win races in 2012 to put himself in the shop window for a possible switch to MotoGP next year. The Gloucestershire rider...

Tech 3 halt work on new CRT machine

30 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow’s Tech 3 squad has suspended work on a proposed new CRT 1000cc MotoGP project. The French-based squad planned to have a new prototype chassis ready for track testing by the middle of...

Cal Crutchlow lauds special Jorge Lorenzo

29 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow has praised factory Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo’s silky smooth riding style having been able to observe the Spaniard at close quarters in MotoGP for the last 18 months. The 2010 world...

Colin Edwards: ‘Aprilia gives us hope’

29 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards says the performance of Aprilia’s new CRT MotoGP machine gives other new 1000cc projects hope for the future as he attempts to make the new Suter-BMW package more competitive in...

Casey Stoner: Hard to judge Ducati potential

29 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner says it is difficult to gauge the potential of Ducati’s new factory GP12 ahead of the start of the new 1000cc era in Qatar next week. Ducati has rolled out...

Bradley Smith training with one eye on MotoGP in 2013

29 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith might not have even started the 2012 Moto2 world championship but the British rider is already honing his training regime to be ready for a switch to a more powerful 1000cc MotoGP bike...

Scott Redding picks out 2012 Moto2 title rivals

28 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding believes four riders, including Spanish sensation Marc Marquez, stand between him and capturing the 2012 Moto2 world championship. The Marc VDS Racing rider has impressed during...

BBC to show MotoGP in HD in 2012

28 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

The BBC’s extensive coverage of all 18 rounds of the 2012 MotoGP world championship will be shown in HD for the first time. The BBC today also confirmed its coverage plans for all 18 races, with the...

Casey Stoner: Tight tracks frustrating on new 1000s

27 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner says the extra horsepower on his new 1000cc Honda RC213V machine makes riding short and tight tracks like Jerez a frustrating experience. Many people...

Dorna not at war with factories over radical rule changes

27 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP rights owners Dorna is not at war with Honda, Yamaha and Ducati over a range of cost-cutting rule changes under discussion to ensure the long-term future of the premier class world...

Ben Spies: 1000s easier to ride in rain than 800s

27 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

The new generation 1000cc MotoGP bikes might have a lot more horsepower and are more of a physically demanding challenge to ride in the dry, but factory Yamaha rider Ben Spies says the new YZR-M1 is...

James Ellison searching for Bridgestone confidence

27 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

James Ellison believes learning to get maximum performance out of Bridgestone’s new tyres will be his biggest challenge in the 2012 MotoGP world championship. The Paul Bird Motorsport rider is...

Poll: Will Rossi win again with Ducati?

26 March 2012 by MCN

Ducati’s yoyo fortunes continue, with a disappointing sixth fastest for Rossi at the latest Jerez test, but trust in the Desmosedici’s front end on the grow, according to Rossi. So if you had to bet a...

‘Cheeky’ Casey Stoner boosted by Jerez speed

26 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner denied his late attack to reach the summit of the timesheets in yesterday’s Jerez test was a ploy to score one last psychological blow before he commences the defence of his MotoGP world...

Andrea Dovizioso seeking smoother Yamaha acceleration

26 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso believes the key to being a consistent podium challenger at Yamaha in 2012 will depend on how much he can improve acceleration and rear stability on the new YZR-M1 1000cc...

Qatar podium unlikely admits Valentino Rossi

26 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has conceded his chances of starting the new 1000cc MotoGP era with a rostrum in Qatar next month are remote after he ended pre-season testing in sixth place on the timesheets in...

Ben Spies: Yamaha is ready to race for wins

26 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies is confident Yamaha’s impressive new factory YZR-M1 machine is capable of winning the season’s opening race in Qatar next month after he completed his 2012 preparations by setting the fourth...

Cal Crutchlow ends pre-season in style with fantastic fifth

26 March 2012

Cal Crutchlow will head to the first race of the new 1000cc MotoGP era in Qatar next month brimming with confidence after he ended the pre-season testing schedule with the fifth fastest time in...

Jerez test: Casey Stoner ends pre-season testing on top

25 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Casey Stoner’s domination of winter testing was complete today when he topped the timesheets at the end of the final pre-season session in Jerez A lap of 1.38.780 in the final...

Jerez test: Nicky Hayden quickest during rain-hit second day

24 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden took advantage of the best conditions on a rain-hit second day of MotoGP testing at Jerez to set the fastest time on board the new factory Ducati GP12. After heavy rain and gusting winds...

Cal Crutchlow continues dazzling winter form

23 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow’s brilliant winter testing campaign continued today (Friday) when the British rider clocked the fifth quickest time at the start of the final pre-season test in Jerez. The Monster Yamaha...

Front-end woes continue to haunt Valentino Rossi

23 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

The front-end problems that turned Valentino Rossi’s debut season with Ducati into a disaster show no sign of improving after the Italian finished the opening day of testing in Jerez in a lowly ninth...

James Ellison’s 2012 MotoGP livery revealed

23 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

The Paul Bird Motorsport squad, which will run James Ellison in the 2012 MotoGP world championship, has shown off a patriotic red, white and blue livery in Jerez. Bird is determined to make his new...

Cal Crutchlow shows off new Tech 3 Yamaha livery

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow has shown off the new Monster Yamaha Tech 3 livery he will race in the 2012 MotoGP world championship at the Jerez circuit in Spain today. The former World Supersport...

Yamaha unveils 2012 factory YZR-M1 bike

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

This is the new factory YZR-M1 1000cc machine that Yamaha hopes will claim back the MotoGP world title from rivals Honda in 2012. Unveiled during a special presentation on the eve of the final winter...

Ben Spies targets consistent victory challenge in 2012

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies is confident he can challenge for more podiums and victories in 2012 after a series of impressive winter testing performances on Yamaha’s new factory 1000cc YZR-M1 machine. The Texan has...

Jorge Lorenzo expects title challenge from Ben Spies in 2012

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo believes factory Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies will pose a serious title threat in the inaugural 1000cc MotoGP world championship in 2012. The Texan has won only one race in MotoGP but...

James Ellison: “I need to be thrown in at deep end”

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

James Ellison says he’s ready to be thrown in at the deep end in Jerez this weekend when he takes to the track with the likes of Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi for the first time...

Danny Webb aggravates old shoulder injury in Jerez spill

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

A disastrous Moto3 test in Jerez ended in painful fashion for British rider Danny Webb after he aggravated an old right shoulder injury in a crash on the final day of winter testing. Webb, who turns...

Danny Kent storms to superb second after big crash

21 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent bounced back superbly from a high-speed crash on the final day of Moto3 testing in Jerez to finish second quickest on the overall timesheets. Kent was three-quarters into a planned...

Gino Rea delighted with set-up progress in Jerez

21 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Gino Rea declared himself delighted with progress made with the set-up of the Gresini Moriwaki Moto2 machine he will campaign in 2012 at the end of a three-day test at the Jerez circuit in Spain. The...

Bradley Smith escapes injury in 120mph Jerez crash

21 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith was fortunate to walk away with just bumps and bruises after his winter testing schedule ended with a 120mph crash at the Jerez circuit in Spain today. The Tech 3 Racing rider had just...

Tech 3 surprised by Andrea Dovizioso’s early Yamaha pace

21 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso’s fast and encouraging start to his Yamaha career has surprised his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal and Japanese factory engineers. The Italian finished third quickest in...

Colin Edwards unveils 2012 Forward Racing livery

21 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards unveiled the new Forward Racing MotoGP livery in Jerez last night ahead of the final winter test session at the Spanish circuit this weekend. The American might have been nearly two...

Scott Redding and Bradley Smith make big progress in Jerez

20 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding and Bradley Smith made big moves up the Moto2 timesheets in Jerez today. Redding climbed up from 11th yesterday to fourth fastest this afternoon, despite a late crash at Turn 10 that he...