2009

Year: 2009

Month: ALL

Tech Blog: A question of weather

26 July 2009 by Gary pinchin

Warm –up today was wet, wet enough to mean that everyone got a handle on what would be needed set-up wise if the weather stayed miserable. Bridgestone tyres seem to work better after they have been...

Fans: Keep Toseland in MotoGP

26 July 2009 by Laura Kennerley

Rain soaked James Toseland fans hope his sixth place finish at Donington will be enough to keep him on the MotoGP grid next year. The Tech 3 Yamaha rider has failed to deliver the results this year,...

Casey Stoner on his third bike

26 July 2009 by Tom Webb

Casey Stoner on his 3rd bike during qualifying.

British MotoGP: Andrea Dovizioso takes surprise win

26 July 2009 by Liam Marsden

Andrea Dovizioso takes his first MotoGP race victory. Colin Edwards finishes second and Randy de Puniet is third. What odds would you have got on that result for today’s Donington MotoGP race podium?...

British MotoGP: Aoyama takes 250GP win

26 July 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Hiroshi Aoyama strengthened his grip on the 250cc World Championship with a start-to-finish victory in difficult conditions at Donington Park today. With the track still wet from earlier rainfall, the...

British MotoGP: Redding third in five-lap GP125 dash

26 July 2009 by Liam Marsden

Scott Redding claimed his first 125cc World Championship podium of the season on the Blusens Aprilia in today’s five-lap dash to the flag. Even though Redding won the race last year, he was more than...

Prince Harry rides Ducati MotoGP bike

26 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Prince Harry has just completed the ride of a lifetime with a flying lap of the Donington Park circuit as pillion to Randy Mamola on Ducati’s two-seater MotoGP bike. The Prince, who bought an £8000 Triumph Daytona last year shortly after passing his test, looked thrilled after his experience, despite the track being soaked after earlier rain. Prince Harry rode in the 1000 mile Enduro Africa...

Good morning Donington Park: Picture gallery

26 July 2009 by MCN

The last MotoGP race at Donington Park will take place later today before the series moves to Silverstone. Check out our picture gallery to see preparations for the final MotoGP race at the...

Donington MotoGP Sunday Guide

26 July 2009 by Martin Raines

This is Valentino Rossi’s fourth pole at Donington on a MotoGP machine. His three previous MotoGP poles at Donington have all ended in victory. If Valentino Rossi finishes in the top three he will set...

British GP Tech Blog: Playing catch-up

26 July 2009 by Gary Pinchin

After Friday’s rain-hit free practice, the MotoGP teams faced a race against time to fine the perfect set-up for Sunday’s race. There were two dry sessions on Saturday. Free practice in the morning it...

Brits top ten in Red Bull Rookies

26 July 2009

For the second time in eight days Jakub Kornfeil produced a perfect victory and with Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup rival Sturla Fagerhaug crashing out again, the 16-year old Czech goes into his home...

British MotoGP: When Harry met Nicky

26 July 2009 by Laura Kennerley

MCN captured the moment when Prince Harry smiled and chatted with a relaxed Nicky Hayden on the MotoGP pitwall. Ducati rider Hayden sprinted out of his garage when he saw Prince Harry walking towards...

Queue chaos at Donington MotoGP

25 July 2009 by Laura Kennerley

There were chaotic scenes at Donington Park as the number of fans arriving for MotoGP qualifying took organisers by surprise. Fans collecting or buying tickets at the venue faced massive queues at the...

Pedrosa makes wish come true

25 July 2009 by Laura Kennerley

Spanish MotoGP star Dani Pedrosa helped provide a sick child with the most memorable day of his life. Bike mad Dillon Chapman, 7, was overwhelmed when he met Repsol Honda rider Pedrosa in the paddock...

British MotoGP: Valentino Rossi expects tough title chase

25 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi reckons his bid to win a ninth world title in 2009 will be one of the toughest of his illustrious career. The Fiat Yamaha rider starts tomorrow’s 30-lap British GP with a slender...

British MotoGP: Crashes blunt Casey Stoner challenge

25 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner admitted two crashes hit his confidence after he missed the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s British MotoGP race by just 0.044s. Stoner had already suffered a slow speed tumble at the...

British MotoGP: Bradley Smith talks home pole position

25 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith has spoken of his relief at snatching a stunning pole position for tomorrow’s British 125GP at Donington Park. The Oxfordshire rider feared he was going to be facing a tough day when he...

British MotoGP: Valentino Rossi surprised at Donington pole

25 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi said he was ‘surprised’ to have claimed his fourth pole position of 2009 at Donington Park this afternoon. A best lap of 1.28.116 set in the final three minutes of today’s qualifying...

British MotoGP: James Toseland eyes home top six

25 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

James Toseland is confident he can challenge for the top six in tomorrow’s British MotoGP race after he equalled his best qualifying result at Donington Park this afternoon. The 28-year-old will start...

British MotoGP: Valentino Rossi snatches Donington pole position

25 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s hopes of winning the last British MotoGP race at Donington Park got a massive boost today when the Italian stormed to his fourth pole position of the season. The reigning world...

British MotoGP: Jorge Martinez confirms Ducati deal

25 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Martinez’s Aspar squad has confirmed today at Donington Park that it will move to MotoGP in 2010 with Ducati. After failed talks previously with Yamaha and Suzuki, the Spaniard also talked with...

British MotoGP: Bradley Smith storms to home pole position

25 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith produced a stunning final lap to storm to pole position for his home 125GP at Donington Park tomorrow. The Aspar Aprilia rider looked like he might have to settle for second place after...

Brit teenager on pole for Donington Red Bull Rookies

25 July 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Brit Danny Kent secured his second pole in a row within the first 10 minutes of practice for this afternoon’s Red Bull Rookies Cup race at the Donington Park British Grand Prix. Kent quickly got down...

Day of Champions raises £177,000

25 July 2009 by Gary Pinchin

The Day of Champions raised £177,000 for Riders for Health as the stars of MotoGP joined thousands of fans at Donington on Thursday. This year’s Day of Champions – the last at Donington before the...

Riders for Health auction highlights

25 July 2009 by Gary Pinchin

£77,000 raised in the auction for Riders For Health in the Day of Champions at Donington on Thursday 75 lots auctioned in four hours Rizla Suzuki ultimate VIP package: £7600 Colin Edwards leathers and...

British MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa continues impressive Donington form

25 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa continued his impressive form at the British MotoGP this morning, the Spaniard topping the timesheets in the second practice session. Pedrosa, who won at Donington in...

British MotoGP: Brits outside top ten in 125GP practice

25 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith, Danny Webb and Scott Redding were all outside of the top ten in this morning’s final 125GP practice session at Donington Park. Oxfordshire rider Smith’s best lap of 1.39.188 was only...

British GP Blog: The British love of the Norton

24 July 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Mike Nicks and I wandered over to the Loop to watch – and hear – the two Nortons in practice for Sunday’s GP1 15-lap sprint race, part of the Thundersport GB support programme at this year’s Donington...

British GP Tech Blog: The trauma of wet Friday practice

24 July 2009 by Gary Pinchin

First practice is important. Mess up and it can mean playing catch-up all weekend, chasing a set-up for race day. A crew chief needs to get a quick idea whether the initial set-up ideas that he’s...

British MotoGP: Casey Stoner to undergo more medical checks

24 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner will return to Australia during the short summer break for further medical checks aimed at getting to the bottom of the Ducati rider’s on-going mystery physical issues. Recent assessments...

British MotoGP: Casey Stoner searching for wet improvement

24 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Former world champion Casey Stoner conceded he will need to make significant improvements to the wet set-up of his factory Ducati if there’s a repeat of today’s fast changing weather conditions at...

British MotoGP: Valentino Rossi satisfied with third

24 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s hopes of bowing out at Donington Park in style got off to a good start today, the reigning MotoGP world champion claiming third place in a rain-hit opening practice session. As a dry...

British MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa ‘Great to be on top’

24 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa made the perfect start to the final British MotoGP race at Donington Park today, the Spaniard topping the timesheets at the end of opening practice. On a virtually dry track at the end of...

British MotoGP: Fuel mix-up costs James Toseland

24 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Confusion over the amount of fuel James Toseland’s Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine was carrying cost the British rider a chance to claim a morale-boosting top six finish in today’s weather-hit...

British MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa fastest at rain-hit Donington

24 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa topped an opening British MotoGP practice session dominated by constantly changing weather conditions at Donington Park today. The session started under grey and gloomy skies on...

British MotoGP: Downpour disrupts 125GP practice

24 July 2009 by Matthew Birt

A torrential downpour after less than three minutes badly disrupted today’s 125GP practice session at Donington Park. Most riders had only completed an out lap and one quick lap on a dry track when...