2013

Year: 2013

Month: ALL

Cal Crutchlow: ‘2013 will be a big war’

05 February 2013 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow: ‘2013 will be a big war’

British rider Cal Crutchlow reckons MotoGP fans will be gripped by some hard and pulsating racing in 2013 after an enthralling start to pre-season testing at the Sepang track in Malaysia today. The...

Valentino Rossi shines on factory Yamaha return

05 February 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi shines on factory Yamaha return

Valentino Rossi made a brilliant return to Yamaha’s factory MotoGP squad in Malaysia today, the nine-times world champion ending the first day of 2013 pre-season testing with the fourth quickest...

Bradley Smith ready for Sepang speed rush

04 February 2013 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith ready for Sepang speed rush

Bradley Smith will find out what a factory-backed MotoGP machine is capable of in Sepang tomorrow (Tuesday), as the British rider prepares to kick off his 2013 preparations by breaking the 200mph...

Ben Spies eager to gauge shoulder strength in Sepang

04 February 2013 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies eager to gauge shoulder strength in Sepang

It’s hard to imagine a rider preparing to kick off the 2013 winter testing campaign in Malaysia tomorrow (Tuesday) with more nervous excitement and anticipation than Texan Ben Spies. The 2009 World...

Tech 3 on experience building mission with Bradley Smith

04 February 2013 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 on experience building mission with Bradley Smith

Bradley Smith’s Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad will focus on building up the British rider’s experience on a YZR-M1 machine during this week’s three-day MotoGP test at the Sepang track. Time on track to...

Fast start important for Cal Crutchlow in Sepang

04 February 2013 by Matthew Birt

Fast start important for Cal Crutchlow in Sepang

Cal Crutchlow’s Monster Yamaha Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal believes it will be important for the British star to repeat the fast and positive start to he made to winter testing in 2012 when the...

MotoGP prepares for 2013 testing in Sepang

04 February 2013 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP prepares for 2013 testing in Sepang

The MotoGP field has arrived in Kuala Lumpur ahead of the opening test of 2013 at the Sepang track, with big attention on how Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez will perform. Rossi’s factory Yamaha...

Andrea Iannone doubts Marc Marquez rivalry in 2013

31 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Iannone doubts Marc Marquez rivalry in 2013

Italian Andrea Iannone doubts he will be able to renew his rivalry with fellow MotoGP rookie Marc Marquez in the 2013 world championship. Iannone and Marquez had some memorable battles in the Moto2...

Danny Kent hails James Toseland’s training support

31 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent hails James Toseland’s training support

Danny Kent reckons he will be physically and mentally better prepared than at any other time in his racing career after he teamed up with former double World Superbike champion James Toseland for an...

Ben Spies backs new Ducati strategy

31 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies backs new Ducati strategy

Ben Spies believes Ducati’s new strategy to give full factory machinery to its entire MotoGP line-up in 2013 will be crucial in helping the Italian manufacturer close the gap to Honda and Yamaha. In a...

No new Yamaha gearbox for Cal Crutchlow?

30 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

No new Yamaha gearbox for Cal Crutchlow?

Cal Crutchlow could get an early reminder of the downside of being a non-factory rider in MotoGP in Malaysia next week, with rumours mounting the British rider will not have a new seamless shift...

Circuit of Wales plans impress MotoGP boss

30 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Circuit of Wales plans impress MotoGP boss

Ambitious plans to build a new state-of-the-art motorsport complex in Wales have impressed MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta on his first visit to the proposed site of the £250m venture this week. The new...

Pic Exclusive: Danny Kent’s 2013 Moto2 bike revealed

29 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Pic Exclusive: Danny Kent’s 2013 Moto2 bike revealed

Danny Kent got a first glimpse of his new Tech 3 Racing Moto2 machine he will campaign in the 2013 world championship earlier today (Tuesday). The British teenager took a break from an intensive...

Valentino Rossi undone by Ducati DNA

29 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi undone by Ducati DNA

Valentino Rossi was unable to master Ducati’s fearsome Desmosedici machine because the bike behaved in a way that was totally alien to the riding style the nine-times world champion honed for almost...

Dorna right to deny Suzuki new entry in 2014

29 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Dorna right to deny Suzuki new entry in 2014

MotoGP bosses are right not to give Suzuki an automatic entry to return with a new full factory 1000cc effort in the 2014 world championship. Suzuki has been told by Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta that it...

Karel Abraham shows off 2013 CRT livery

28 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Karel Abraham shows off 2013 CRT livery

Karel Abraham has shown off the new livery that he will run on the Cardion AB Aprilia CRT machine in this year’s MotoGP world championship. The Czech Republic rider unveiled the new design at a...

Nicky Hayden sorry at Filippo Preziosi exit

28 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden sorry at Filippo Preziosi exit

Nicky Hayden says he is sorry that technical guru Filippo Preziosi does not form part of Ducati’s future MotoGP plans. But the American also admitted that Ducati’s struggling Desmosedici project was...

Stoner completes four-wheel switch

28 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Stoner completes four-wheel switch

Casey Stoner has ended months of speculation about his future by finally confirming he will race a V8 Supercar in Australia in 2013. The double MotoGP world champion, who retired after finishing third...

Valentino Rossi: ‘My first goal is the podium’

25 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi: ‘My first goal is the podium’

Valentino Rossi’s first mission on his return to Yamaha in this year’s MotoGP world championship is to score his first podium since the end of 2010. The 33-year-old is making his first official...

Jorge Lorenzo confident he can defend MotoGP title

25 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo confident he can defend MotoGP title

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo is confident he can retain his MotoGP world title in 2013 with the resumption of the winter testing campaign drawing ever closer. Lorenzo, who captured his second MotoGP crown...

MotoGP boss: Valentino Rossi convinced he still competitive

25 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi prolonged his MotoGP career until the end of 2014 at least because he is convinced that he can still be a race winner and world title contender against the likes of Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa. That’s the view of MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta, who believes the 33-year-old would not have completed a shock return to Yamaha if he had any doubt about his potential to be competitive...

Repsol Honda unveils 2013 RC213V

24 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Repsol Honda unveils 2013 RC213V

Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez have unveiled the new 2013 factory Honda RC213V that the Spanish duo hope will help wrestle the MotoGP crown off compatriot and Yamaha rival Jorge Lorenzo. The new bike...

Ducati factory support vital for Andrea Iannone

23 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Ducati factory support vital for Andrea Iannone

MotoGP rookie Andrea Iannone believes his hopes of succeeding in the new look Pramac Ducati squad will be given a massive boost by Ducati’s commitment to offer him full factory support in 2013. In a...

No red carpet for Suzuki MotoGP return in 2014

22 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

No red carpet for Suzuki MotoGP return in 2014

Suzuki will not be granted a brand new entry to complete its anticipated return to the MotoGP grid in 2014. Instead the Japanese factory will have to collaborate with an existing team like Aspar,...

Troy Bayliss Classic sorts the men from the MotoGP boys

22 January 2013 by Nick Byrne

Troy Bayliss Classic sorts the men from the MotoGP boys

The inaugural Troy Bayliss flat-track classic brought together many of the biggest names in two-wheeled motorsport from Australia and overseas for a truly unique event. It wasn’t designed to prove...

Ben Spies tipped to bounce back in 2013

21 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies tipped to bounce back in 2013

Ben Spies has been backed to bounce back from a nightmare 2012 MotoGP campaign when he jumps on Ducati’s unforgiving Desmosedici this year. The Texan suffered a wretched second season in Yamaha’s...

Pata Honda team unveiled at Verona

21 January 2013 by Simon Patterson

Pata Honda team unveiled at Verona

Ten Kate Honda unveiled their new bikes and riders yesterday in Verona, with crisp manufacturer Pata taking over as principal backer of the Dutch team. The team will this year feature two British...

Stage 14: Despres takes Dakar win number five

20 January 2013 by Michael Guy

Frenchman Cyril Despres dreams of winning his fifth Dakar in eight years became a reality when the factory KTM rider secured victory in Santiago today. The 38 year old finished 14th position on the delayed final stage, but after losing only 3m58s to stage winner Francisco Lopez he did enough to secure the victory. Even without long time rival Marc Coma competing in this year’s Dakar it’s still...

Dakar Stage 13: Brits deliver impressive results on penultimate stage of Dakar

19 January 2013 by Michael Guy

Dakar Stage 13: Brits deliver impressive results on penultimate stage of Dakar

The five strong British based contingents all had positive days on the penultimate stage of the Dakar with Stan Watt and Tim Forman moving up to 25th and 26th place respectively in the overall...

Dakar Stage 13: Lopez delights fans to win stage, Despres remains in control

19 January 2013 by Michael Guy

Dakar Stage 13: Lopez delights fans to win stage, Despres remains in control

Chilean Francisco Lopez had a day to remember after winning his fourth stageof the race to move up to second in the overall standings. Lopez profited from a navigational error of former second place...

Bradley Smith gets premier treatment ahead of Sepang test

18 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith gets premier treatment ahead of Sepang test

Bradley Smith sampled elite level sport of a slightly more sedate pace than MotoGP when he was invited to a special training session with Premier League outfit Everton FC this week. The 22-year-old...

Nicky Hayden tips Marc Marquez to shine early

18 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden tips Marc Marquez to shine early

Factory Ducati rider Nicky Hayden says he expects highly rated rookie Marc Marquez to be competitive immediately when the new MotoGP season kicks off in Qatar in early April. Marquez will replace...

Dorna moves to cap price of World Superbike machinery

18 January 2013 by Matthew Birt

Dorna moves to cap price of World Superbike machinery

Dorna’s crusade to drive down costs in MotoGP will be mirrored in World Superbikes, with a price cap on machinery certain to be introduced for 2014. Now that Dorna controls both MotoGP and World...

Dakar Stage 12: Brits Round-up

18 January 2013 by Michael Guy

Dakar Stage 12: Brits Round-up

Stage 12 of the 2013 Dakar saw the remaining UK based riders continue to deliver results despite battling fatigue and injury. Tim Forman was once again the highest placed Brit finishing in 36th place...

Dakar Stage 12: Eventful day for Poskitt in tough stage

18 January 2013 by Michael Guy

Dakar Stage 12: Eventful day for Poskitt in tough stage

Lyndon Poskitt experienced first hand the challenges of the Dakar after a highly eventful stage 11 saw him have to cope with potential race ending technical problems. The 34 year old Brit realised...

Dakar Stage 12: Verhoeven wins stage, Despres rides smart to stay in front

18 January 2013 by Michael Guy

Dakar Stage 12: Verhoeven wins stage, Despres rides smart to stay in front

Dutchman Frans Veorhoeven became the sixth man to win a stage of the 2013 Dakar, claiming victory on the 319km timed special from Fiambala to Copiapo. The Dutch riders are renowned sand experts and...