Japan MotoGP 2016

Ducati working on new gearbox for GP11

04 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ducati is working on a new gearbox to try and emulate Honda’s impressive seamless shift system that the Japanese factory rolled out in 2011. The gearbox development is part of an on-going major...

Yamaha needs more rear grip, says Colin Edwards

04 May 2011

Colin Edwards reckons Yamaha’s YZR-M1 machine needs more rear traction than the horsepower boost that reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo is repeatedly asking the Japanese factory for. The...

Rossi and Aaron

03 May 2011 by mreasyrider99

My son Aaron at Qatar with Rossi. He was chuffed.

Revised Ducati GP11 impresses Valentino Rossi

03 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi is confident Ducati’s factory MotoGP machine will continue to get faster and easier to ride after he enjoyed a successful test on a heavily-revamped GP11 in Estoril yesterday. The...

Cal Crutchlow fourth in Estoril test

03 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow’s brilliant rookie season in the MotoGP world championship continued yesterday when the British rider clocked the fourth fastest time during a one-day test at the Estoril circuit. The...

Marco Simoncelli bounces back to top Estoril test

03 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Marco Simoncelli shrugged off the bitter disappointment of crashing out on the first lap of Sunday’s Portuguese MotoGP race to top the timesheets at the end of yesterday’s Estoril test session. The...

Estoril MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa elated with victory

02 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa could barely contain his relief and delight after he claimed his first ever victory at the Estoril circuit to narrow Jorge Lorenzo’s MotoGP world championship lead to just...

Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo praises Dani Pedrosa

02 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo praised Spanish rival Dani Pedrosa after the reigning world champion saw his 100 per cent MotoGP victory record in Estoril broken yesterday. The factory Yamaha rider led for 25-laps...

Estoril MotoGP: Fuel clamp blunder costs Ben Spies

02 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies’ bid to get his 2011 MotoGP season back on track ended in disastrous and embarrassing fashion after a fuel clamp was left on his factory Yamaha YZR-M1 for the start of the Estoril race...

Estoril MotoGP: Back issue costs Casey Stoner

02 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner’s hopes of returning to winning ways in Estoril were ended in painful fashion during yesterday’s Estoril MotoGP race in Portugal. Looking to bounce back from the crushing disappointment...

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi claims best Ducati result

02 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi claimed his best result for Ducati in Estoril yesterday but was denied fourth place by fellow Italian Andrea Dovizioso right at the end of the 28-lap Portuguese MotoGP race. The...

Estoril MotoGP: Marco Simoncelli rues early mistake

02 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Marco Simoncelli blew yet another chance to break his MotoGP victory duck in Estoril yesterday after he crashed out in spectacular fashion on the opening lap. Four weeks after he tumbled out of the...

Estoril MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow battles to eighth

02 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow looked like he was going to claim his best ever MotoGP result in Estoril yesterday, only to be denied by a determined Hiroshi Aoyama on the last lap. Crutchlow and San Carlo Gresini...

Estoril MotoGP: Luck deserts British Moto2 duo

02 May 2011 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding and Bradley Smith were both frustrated and left pondering what might have been after they suffered a miserable Moto2 race in Portugal. Having failed to score a single point in a...

Estoril MotoGP: Nicolas Terol takes third victory of season

01 May 2011

Nicolas Terol made it three wins out of three today, with yet another win at the Estoril circuit in Portugal. Terol’s team-mate Hector Faubel crashed out of third place while fighting for second with...

Estoril MotoGP: Pedrosa takes first win of 2011

01 May 2011 by Liam Marsden

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has taken his first race win of 2011 at the Estoril circuit in Portugal today. Pedrosa and current champion Jorge Lorenzo pulled away from the rest of the field with...

Estoril MotoGP: Stefan Bradl takes Moto2 win

01 May 2011 by MCN

German rider Stefan Bradl has won the Portugese Moto2 race at Estoril after two riders who led the race crashed. Thomas Luthi passed Bradl on the fourth lap to take the lead, but crashed out at the...

Estoril MotoGP: Turning issue slows Casey Stoner

30 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner’s perfect qualifying record for Honda ended in Estoril today as the Australian was left off the front row in fourth position on the grid. Having been on pole position in Qatar and Jerez,...

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi upset with ninth

30 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi didn’t hide his frustration after the Italian could only qualify his factory Ducati in ninth position for tomorrow’s Portuguese MotoGP race. Bouyed by his fourth position in...

Estoril MotoGP: Simoncelli and Lorenzo in public bust-up

30 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

Reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo became embroiled in an incredible war of words with Italian rival Marco Simoncelli earlier today during the post qualifying press conference in...

Estoril MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow narrowly misses top six

30 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow was less than two-tenths-of-a-second away from claiming a stunning maiden top six grid position for tomorrow’s Portuguese MotoGP race at the Estoril circuit. A lap of 1.38.190 elevated...

Estoril MotoGP: Stefan Bradl snatches Moto2 pole

30 April 2011 by Tom Cambio

German rider Stefan Bradl (Viessman Kiefer Racing) snatched his third pole in a row in the last lap of qualifying at Estoril from Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2) who was 0.163s behind.

Estoril MotoGP: Lorenzo takes pole position

30 April 2011 by Tom Cambio

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo took his first pole position of the season in the last five minutes of qualifying at Estoril, ahead of Marco Simoncelli who had been consistently fast...

Estoril MotoGP: Terol takes 125GP pole

30 April 2011 by Tom Cambio

Spaniard Nicolas Terol (Bankia Aspar Team) will start from pole position for tomorrow’s 125GP race at Estoril after beating Sandro Cortese who qualified second and Portugese rider Miguel Oliveira who...

Estoril MotoGP: Capirossi on top in FP3

30 April 2011 by Tom Cambio

Loris Capirossi (Pramac Racing Team) set the fastest time in the final practice session this morning on the drying track at Estoril. The Italian finished ahead of Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge...

Estoril MotoGP: Rossi and Stoner clash again

29 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

The on-going intense rivalry between Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner continued on and off the track today in Portugal. Back on track for the first time since Rossi caused a controversial collision...

Rossi/Stoner marshals acted correctly in Jerez

29 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

The action of marshals in the immediate aftermath of Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner’s collision in the recent Jerez MotoGP race has been deemed safe and appropriate after a review in Estoril...

Estoril MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow baffled by arm issue

29 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow told MCN he is struggling to understand why he was struck by a chronic arm pump issue during his first appearance at the Estoril circuit in Portugal today. Crutchlow underwent surgery to...

Estoril MotoGP: Simoncelli consistently fastest in FP2

29 April 2011 by Tom Cambio

San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli was consistently fastest in the second practice session at Estoril, despite finding the limit of the front end of his Honda and crashing at turn...

Estoril MotoGP: HRC modify clutch after Jerez controversy

28 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner has confirmed that Honda has modified the clutch on its factory Honda RC212V machine after he was unable to re-join the recent Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez. Stoner battled in vain to...

Rossi and Hayden boosted by Ducati GP12 shakedown

28 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden have both spoken of their excitement and anticipation for 2012 having recently completed a shakedown test on Ducati’s new 1000cc machine in Jerez. Rossi and Hayden...

Estoril MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa anxious to check shoulder recovery

28 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa says he’s anxious to understand whether surgery on his left shoulder during the recent MotoGP break has completely cured a numbness issue that plagued him in the opening two races of the...

Ducati unlikely to show true potential until mid-season

28 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess believes it is unrealistic to expect the Italian legend to be consistently challenging for MotoGP race wins until the second half of the season. A chronic...

Alvaro Bautista passes medical in Estoril

28 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

Factory Suzuki rider Alvaro Bautista has passed a medical examination this morning giving him the all-clear to ride in this weekend’s Estoril MotoGP race. The Spaniard will be back on board his...

MotoGP needs wider global appeal, says Yamaha boss

26 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP needs a wider global appeal to help attract vital new sponsorship and investment to safeguard the future of the sport. The premier class is now too heavily biased towards Spain and Italy,...

Suzuki: John Hopkins not considered for Estoril

26 April 2011 by Matthew Birt

John Hopkins was never considered as possible injury cover for Alvaro Bautista at this weekend’s Portuguese MotoGP race in Estoril. Bautista plans to race his factory Suzuki GSV-R machine in Estoril...