January

Year: 2006

Month: January

Checa joins Ellison on M1

28 January 2006

Carlos Checa has been confirmed alongside Britain’s James Ellison in the Yamaha Tech 3 MotoGP team for 2006. Spaniard Checa, is the most experienced rider on the grid. He finished ninth last season,...

Philip Island test: Day 1

28 January 2006

Honda has dominated the first day of MotoGP testing at Phillip Island with the class rookies putting in some impressive performances. 2005 runner-up and Fortuna Honda rider Marco Melandri set the...

Brit gets dream GP ride

21 January 2006

British teenager Bradley Smith will be the sole rider for the Repsol Honda 125cc GP team managed by Alberto Puig in 2006. The fifteen-year-old from Oxfordshire got the ride following a season in the...

Guintoli stays with 250s

21 January 2006

The top privateer in the 250cc GPs in 2005, Sylvain Guintoli, will stay with the Equipe GP de France team for 2006. The Frenchman will get an Aprilia RSW250 LE, the 2005 factory machine. But while he...

GP test starts in Sepang

21 January 2006

The first MotoGP test of 2006 is underway at Sepang in Malaysia with the Yamaha team of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards already displaying the new Camel sponsorship livery. The test runs for three...

125cc GP teams merge

21 January 2006

The Racing World and Team Seedorf 125cc Grand Prix teams will join forces for 2006, sponsored by Valsir, and using Honda machinery. Valsir Seedorf Racing will field two Italian riders in the shape of...

Sepang GP test: Day two

21 January 2006

Sete Gibernau has gone 0.5 seconds quicker than the best time set by Valentino Rossi in MotoGP testing at Sepang. The Spaniard’s time of 2:01.66 on the second day of testing saw him beat Rossi’s time...

Rule change for MotoGP

21 January 2006

The rules have changed for the red flag procedure in MotoGP in 2006, with unanimous agreement from the Grand Prix Commision. The Commision, which consists of Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpleta, Claude Denis...

Sepang: Gibernau fastest

21 January 2006

The final day of MotoGP testing has seen Sete Gibernau remain the quickest rider on the track, having improved slightly on his time from day two. Once more it was the Ducati duo of Gibernau and Loris...

Sepang GP test: Day one

21 January 2006

Valentino Rossi has gone fastest on the unofficial timesheets for day one of a three-day test at Sepang in Malaysia. Rossi was testing the 2006-spec Yamaha YZR-M1 in the new Camel Yamaha colours...

Jerez test for 125/250s

21 January 2006

The final day of a three-day test for around 20 of the 125 and 250cc GP teams has been affected by heavy clouds and strong winds. While some teams gave the final few hours a miss, there were also a...

Biaggi tests F1 car

14 January 2006

Max Biaggi was in the UK on Wednesday (Jan 18) to test a Midland-MF1 Toyota Formula One car. The former MotoGP star spent one day with technicians preparing the car, before venturing onto the...

Great deal for Davies

14 January 2006

As reported in Motor Cycle News on January 18, 2006, Chaz Davies is set to ride a semi-factory Aprilia in 2006. The 18-year-old is about to sign for the Campetella Racing squad, who will be able to...

BQR decide line-up

14 January 2006

The BQR team will field former Spanish champion Alex Espargaro in the 125cc GP class on a factory-spec Honda. Espargaro has high hopes for the season as his bike will be similar to that of 2005...

Tamada stays put in GPs

14 January 2006

The Konica Minolta Honda team will again run Makoto Tamada in a one rider team in 2006. The Japanese rider will face his fourth season in the MotoGP championship, with the first testing taking place...

Zanetti gets GP ride

14 January 2006

Lorenzo Zanetti has signed for the Skilled ISPA Racing Team to compete in the 125cc world championship in 2006. The 18-year-old Italian competed in several races in 2005, finishing the season in 17th...

Honda supplies Roberts

14 January 2006

Honda has announced its 2006 motorcycle road race plans – confirming the supply of engines to Team Roberts in MotoGP. The intention is to take titles in each category and win with ‘next-generation...

06 Desmosedici unveiled

14 January 2006

Ducati’s 2006 MotoGP bike, the Desmosedici GP06, has been launched at Madonna di Campiglio in Italy. It will be ridden by Sete Gibernau and Loris Capirossi in the MotoGP, both of whom were present...

Carchano joins 250GPs

14 January 2006

Jordi Carchano will race for the Stop and Go team in the 250cc GP world championship in 2006, in a move for both rider and team from the 125cc class. Carchano rode for the Aspar team in 2005, and...

Upgrades at Laguna Seca

07 January 2006

Improvements are underway at Laguna Seca for the MotoGP event on July 23, 2006. Around $7 million dollars will be spent on safety and facility upgrades, including repaving the entire surface of the...

Camel cash starts row

07 January 2006

The decision for Yamaha to run under Camel sponsorship in 2006 is now the subject of war of words between Yamaha and former sponsors Gauloises, a brand of Altadis. The cigarette firm has issued a...

Jenkner retires from GPs

07 January 2006

German 250cc GP racer Steve Jenkner has announced his retirement after nine seasons in the world championship. The 29-year-old has taken the decision following long negotiations. 2005 was his first...

West leaves KTM

07 January 2006

Anthony West has signed for the Keifer Racing Team for 2006, leaving KTM to ride an Aprilia in the 250cc GP championship. The Australian had one year left on his contract with KTM as a test rider,...

Honda track merger

07 January 2006

Two of the three circuits in Japan owned by Honda will merge in June, 2006, with Suzuka and Twin Ring Motegi coming under the same management. Prior to the agreement, Honda will obtain all...

Yamaha get Camel cash

07 January 2006

The Yamaha MotoGP squad will be sponsored by the Camel cigarette brand in 2006. An agreement was announced on Monday, January 9th, 2006, between Yamaha Motor Co.,Ltd, and a subsidiary of Japan...

Honda Pons out for 2006

01 January 2006

The Honda Pons team run by former double 250cc World Champion Sito Pons, will not compete in the 2006 motoGP World Championship. Following 25 successive seasons, the decision has been prompted by the...