2007

Year: 2007

Month: ALL

Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner fastest as Valentino Rossi and Michelin fight back

14 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner fastest as Valentino Rossi and Michelin fight back

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner topped the timesheets in this morning’s opening free practice session in Estoril, fending off an improved challenge from Valentino Rossi and...

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner square up off track

14 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner square up off track

Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi and Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner took their rivalry off the track in Estoril yesterday afternoon when they squared up for a game of table football. The top two in the...

Estoril MotoGP: Mattia Pasini leads 125 free practice one

14 September 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Estoril MotoGP: Mattia Pasini leads 125 free practice one

Aprilia’s Mattia Paini was the fastest rider in the first 125 MotoGP practice in Estoril this morning. The Italian recorded a best lap of 1:45.949 which was just under half a second ahead of next best...

Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo to test Yamaha MotoGP bike in Japan

14 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo to test Yamaha MotoGP bike in Japan

New Yamaha MotoGP recruit Jorge Lorenzo will test a factory YZR-M1 800 machine for the second time in a one-day session after next weekend’s Japanese GP in the Twin Ring Motegi. The reigning world 250...

Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner hoping Chaz Davies gets 2008 MotoGP chance

13 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner hoping Chaz Davies gets 2008 MotoGP chance

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner has told MCN that he hopes close friend Chaz Davies gets the chance of a full-time ride in the 2008 MotoGP world championship. The Australian attended the...

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi to stick with Michelin tyres in 2008

13 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi to stick with Michelin tyres in 2008

Fiat Yamaha boss Davide Brivio has confirmed on the eve of the Estoril GP in Portugal this weekend that Valentino Rossi’s factory YZR-M1 will definitely run on Michelin tyres in 2008. With Michelin...

Estoril MotoGP: Alex Barros says electronics are taking away rider skill

13 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

Estoril MotoGP: Alex Barros says electronics are taking away rider skill

Veteran Brazilian Alex Barros believes that sophisticated electronics are now diminishing the influence that rider talent currently has in the MotoGP world championship. The D’Antin Ducati rider,...

MotoGP: Chaz Davies in anxious wait about 2008 Ducati MotoGP ride

12 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Chaz Davies in anxious wait about 2008 Ducati MotoGP ride

Chaz Davies will learn in the next few days whether he has landed a coveted Ducati ride in the 2008 MotoGP world championship. The British rider has been told by factory team boss Livio Suppo he...

Estoril MotoGP: Michelin hope for rules victory

12 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

Estoril MotoGP: Michelin hope for rules victory

Michelin boss Jean-Philippe Weber is confident the French company will at least triumph in a battle with rivals Bridgestone off the track in this weekend’s Estoril MotoGP. Hammered by Bridgestone on...

MotoGP: Rules for 600cc MotoGP class drawn up

12 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Rules for 600cc MotoGP class drawn up

Four-stroke 600cc bikes racing in 2010 as replacement for the current world 250 championship has moved a step closer with draft technical rules for the new class being drawn up. The new class will be...

MotoGP: Michelin has more work to do than Yamaha says Jerry Burgess

12 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Michelin has more work to do than Yamaha says Jerry Burgess

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess believes Michelin must take a bigger step in performance than Yamaha for the 2008 MotoGP world championship. The Australian reckons tyres have been the...

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi admits MotoGP is a ‘little boring’

12 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi admits MotoGP is a ‘little boring’

Valentino Rossi has branded the current racing in MotoGP as a ‘little boring.’ Speaking to MCN, the seven-times world champion has blamed tyres and electronics for killing MotoGP, and called on...

MotoGP: Nicky Hayden wants Honda loyalty to Michelin

11 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Nicky Hayden wants Honda loyalty to Michelin

Reigning MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden believes that Honda should remain loyal to Michelin instead of bowing to pressure from Dani Pedrosa to switch to rivals Bridgestone. Dani Pedrosa is...

MotoGP: Colin Edwards praises Michelin revival effort

11 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Colin Edwards praises Michelin revival effort

Texan Colin Edwards has praised Michelin for the effort being put in to try and stop Bridgestone’s domination of the 2007 MotoGP world championship. With just four wins in 13 races, Michelin has come...

MotoGP: John Hopkins says third in MotoGP is ‘realistic’ target

11 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: John Hopkins says third in MotoGP is ‘realistic’ target

American John Hopkins believes he has a realistic chance of catching Honda rival Dani Pedrosa to snatch third place in the MotoGP world championship. Two successive podium finishes in Brno and Misano...

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi set to stay with Michelin for 2008

11 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi set to stay with Michelin for 2008

Valentino Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha boss Davide Brivio has told MCN that the Italian is likely to remain on Michelin tyres for the 2008 MotoGP world championship. Davide Brivio says he has told the...

Riding Solo to the top of the World

10 September 2007 by battleaxe1973

Cubicle dwellers who also love motorcycles are often enchanted by the idea of motorcycle travel. We fantasize about setting off on that really long journey, riding off into the sunset someday. We watch, again and again, our favourite bits in the Long Way Round series and promise ourselves we’ll do something similar, someday. And then the weekend ends, and it’s back to the office cubicle on Monday...

MotoGP: Michelin still waiting on Yamaha and Honda decision

07 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Michelin still waiting on Yamaha and Honda decision

Michelin is still to learn whether Honda and Yamaha’s factory MotoGP teams will continue in 2008 or make a switch to Japanese rivals Bridgestone. Both factories have held discussions with Bridgestone...

MotoGP: Colin Edwards urges Yamaha to improve 2008 engine

07 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Colin Edwards urges Yamaha to improve 2008 engine

American Colin Edwards has urged Yamaha engineers to improve engine performance on the 2008 factory YZR-M1 800 machine. While the main criticism of Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi has focused on...

MotoGP: Michelin man admits poor effort

07 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Michelin man admits poor effort

Michelin boss Jean-Philippe Weber admits the French company simply hasn’t work hard enough to fend off Bridgestone. In a brutally honest assessment of Michelin’s performances in the new 800cc era,...

Message for Rossi

07 September 2007 by Anthony

Hey Rossi, until now I have admired and enjoyed your riding success in MotoGP, but now you are just a dead set w*nker. Stop f*ckin’ crapping on about tyres and bullshit excuses and get out on the track and ride ya bike hard. Too bad if you keep getting whipped by Stoner, he has got it, you have lost it!

MotoGP: John Hopkins to complete night test in America

06 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: John Hopkins to complete night test in America

John Hopkins has confirmed he is to take part in a special test session under floodlights in America later this year as part of the assessment into plans to stage the 2008 Qatar MotoGP race at...

Me and Aoyama

05 September 2007 by karl thomas

Just got back from Misano. A bit disappointed with Valentino not getting going but met Hiroshi Aoyama in our hotel the next day.

Rossi: Tax and his home town

05 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

The taxman is investigating a claimed £40 million in unpaid revenue, he’s being caned on the track by Casey Stoner and has virtually given up on the title. Matthew Birt went to his home town of Tavullia to find out what the locals make of the situation.

MotoGP: February test key for Qatar night race plan

05 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: February test key for Qatar night race plan

Next February’s MotoGP test in Qatar will be make or break on whether the Middle East venue will create motorcycling history by becoming the first to be run at night under floodlights. The...

MotoGP: Kawasaki focus on more horsepower for 2008

04 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Kawasaki focus on more horsepower for 2008

Kawasaki’s Technical Director Ichiro Yoda said the key focus of winter development for the Japanese factory is going to be on reducing the horsepower gap to rivals Ducati. Preparing for the arrival of...

MotoGP: Illness rules Chris Vermeulen out of Misano MotoGP test

03 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Illness rules Chris Vermeulen out of Misano MotoGP test

Factory Suzuki rider Chris Vermeulen has taken only a minor part in today’s Misano MotoGP test session having been sidelined by illness. Less than 24 hours after his impressive second place finish...

MotoGP: Qatar night race plan angers Marco Melandri

03 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Qatar night race plan angers Marco Melandri

Italian Marco Melandri has said it is ‘terrible’ MotoGP riders were not consulted before last weekend’s announcement the 2008 Qatar MotoGP will be run at night under floodlights. Dorna and Qatar...

MotoGP: 2008 MotoGP calendar revised

03 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: 2008 MotoGP calendar revised

The 2008 provisional MotoGP calendar has been revised with the dates of four races changed for next year’s 18-round world championship. The Estoril clash in Portugal has been moved forward a week and...

Misano MotoGP Reaction: John Hopkins takes third behind Aussie duo in Misano

02 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

Misano MotoGP Reaction: John Hopkins takes third behind Aussie duo in Misano

John Hopkins scored his second successive podium in Misano this afternoon, but admitted he was powerless to fight with Suzuki team-mate Chris Vermeulen and dominant race winner Casey Stoner. Like in...

Misano MotoGP Reaction: Chris Vermeulen makes it an Aussie 1-2 in Misano

02 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

Misano MotoGP Reaction: Chris Vermeulen makes it an Aussie 1-2 in Misano

Chris Vermeulen made it a second Aussie 1-2 finish in the last three MotoGP races as he strengthened his bid to snatch third in the championship from Dani Pedrosa. Vermeulen’s fourth podium of the...

Misano MotoGP Reaction: Valentino Rossi vows to fight on after Misano disaster

02 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

Misano MotoGP Reaction: Valentino Rossi vows to fight on after Misano disaster

Valentino Rossi needs a miracle to win back the MotoGP world championship crown after he suffered a disastrous afternoon in front of his home crowd in Misano. The Italian, roared on by massive home...

Misano MotoGP Reaction: Casey Stoner closes in on MotoGP world title with Misano win

02 September 2007 by Matthew Birt

Misano MotoGP Reaction: Casey Stoner closes in on MotoGP world title with Misano win

Casey Stoner’s third successive victory put him on the brink of claiming a maiden MotoGP world championship crown in Misano this afternoon. The Australian’s eighth win in 2007 saw him extend his...

Misano MotoGP: Casey Stoner wins as Valentino Rossi retires

02 September 2007 by MCN Sports Desk

Misano MotoGP: Casey Stoner wins as Valentino Rossi retires

Casey Stoner has almost sealed the 2007 MotoGP world championship with a dominant display at Misano, leading from start to finish as his rivals failed to finish. The drama and excitement was confined...

Misano MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo wins 250cc GP

02 September 2007 by MCN Sports Desk

Misano MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo wins 250cc GP

Jorge Lorenzo has won the 250cc Grand Prix at Misano, taking his eighth race win of the year and extending his championship lead to 54 points. Hiroshi Aoyama took second, with Hector Barbera...

Misano MotoGP: Pasini wins Misano 125cc GP in dramatic finish

02 September 2007 by MCN Sports Desk

Misano MotoGP: Pasini wins Misano 125cc GP in dramatic finish

Mattia Pasini has taken victory at the Misano MotoGP round, as the penultimate lap saw huge drama as championship rivals and team-mates Gabor Talmacsi and Hector Faubel clashed in a three-rider...