2011

Year: 2011

Month: ALL

Decision close on Suzuki’s MotoGP future

19 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Decision close on Suzuki’s MotoGP future

A decision on whether Suzuki will remain in the MotoGP world championship next season is expected during this weekend’s Sepang race in Malaysia. Senior management figures met in Japan last Friday...

HRC boss hails team effort after world title triumph

19 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

HRC boss hails team effort after world title triumph

HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto praised the efforts of Honda technical staff and factory riders Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Simoncelli after Casey Stoner handed the Japanese manufacturer its...

Aspar resigned to losing Hector Barbera

19 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aspar resigned to losing Hector Barbera

Spanish rider Hector Barbera seems a certainty to move to the Pramac Ducati squad in 2012 after his current Aspar squad confirmed it will split with the Bologna factory at the end of the season. The...

Recovering Jorge Lorenzo praises new champ Casey Stoner

18 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Recovering Jorge Lorenzo praises new champ Casey Stoner

Jorge Lorenzo has praised new MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner as he begins the recovery from a nasty left hand injury that will rule him out of this weekend’s Sepang race in Malaysia. Lorenzo’s...

Australia MotoGP: Birthday boy Casey Stoner overjoyed at title success

17 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Australia MotoGP: Birthday boy Casey Stoner overjoyed at title success

It’s hard to imagine life getting any better for Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner. He clinched his second MotoGP world title in front of his home crowd at Phillip Island yesterday, his fifth win in a...

Australian MotoGP: More misery for baffled Valentino Rossi

17 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Australian MotoGP: More misery for baffled Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi suffered another Ducati front-end crash in yesterday’s Phillip Island race that heaped more frustration and disappointment on the nine-times world champion. Rossi had just passed...

Jorge Lorenzo in fitness fight for Valencia

17 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo in fitness fight for Valencia

Former MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo is facing a battle to be fit for his home race in Valencia next month after he suffered a gruesome left hand injury in Phillip Island yesterday. The Spaniard...

Ben Spies expects to race in Malaysia

17 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies expects to race in Malaysia

American Ben Spies expects to be fit for this weekend’s Sepang race in Malaysia after he missed yesterday’s Phillip Island MotoGP round with concussion. The factory Yamaha rider took part in the...

Australian MotoGP: Consistency delights Marco Simoncelli

17 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Australian MotoGP: Consistency delights Marco Simoncelli

Marco Simoncelli believes his inconsistent form is behind him after he secured a career best MotoGP result in yesterday’s Australian round at a cool and windy Phillip Island. The San Carlo Gresini...

Australian MotoGP: Andrea Dovizioso grabs crucial third

17 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Australian MotoGP: Andrea Dovizioso grabs crucial third

Andrea Dovizioso strengthened his bid to secure third place in the 2011 MotoGP world championship with a sixth podium of the season in Phillip Island yesterday. The Italian lost out in an exciting...

Australia Moto2: De Angelis secures second win of season

16 October 2011 by MCN

Australia Moto2: De Angelis secures second win of season

Alex de Angelis (JIR Moto2) secured victory at Phillip Island for the second consecutive year after emerging on top in a battle with championship leader Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing). Marc...

Australia 125: Cortese wins under red flag

16 October 2011 by MCN

Australia 125: Cortese wins under red flag

Sandro Cortese secured his second win of the season when the Australian 125 race was red flagged with three laps remaining following Niklas Ajo crashing and requiring trackside attention. A rain...

Australia MotoGP: Casey Stoner dominates to take championship

16 October 2011 by Tom Cambio

Australia MotoGP: Casey Stoner dominates to take championship

Casey Stoner was on dominant form to win his home race at Phillip Island with a 2.2 second lead and secure the 2011 MotoGP world championship. The Repsol Honda rider made a strong start and led...

Australia Moto2: Alex de Angelis takes pole

15 October 2011 by MCN

Australia Moto2: Alex de Angelis takes pole

Alex de Angelis claimed pole position in the final minutes of qualifying at Phillip Island. Mike di Meglio and Yuki Takahashi complete the front row in second and third. Scott Redding (Marc VDS...

Australia 125: Zarco takes fourth pole of season

15 October 2011 by MCN

Australia 125: Zarco takes fourth pole of season

Johann Zarco (Avant-AirAsia-Ajo) took his fourth pole of the season at Phillip Island. Having led for the majority of qualifying the Frenchman suffered a high speed fall just before the end of the...

Australia MotoGP: Casey Stoner storms to home pole position

15 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Australia MotoGP: Casey Stoner storms to home pole position

Casey Stoner will start his home race tomorrow as a red-hot favourite to claim a fifth successive victory at the spectacular Phillip Island circuit after he stormed to pole position earlier today. The...

Australia MotoGP: Stoner and Rossi criticise Marquez

14 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Australia MotoGP: Stoner and Rossi criticise Marquez

Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi were both heavily critical of Marc Marquez after the rising Spanish star caused a horrific accident during Moto2 practice at the Phillip Island track in Australia...

Australia MotoGP: Marc Marquez penalised after horror crash

14 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Australia MotoGP: Marc Marquez penalised after horror crash

Marc Marquez will have to start from the back of the grid for Sunday’s Australian Moto2 race after he caused a horrific high speed collision with Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot at Phillip Island...

Australia MotoGP: Valentino Rossi struggles in lowly 13th

14 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Australia MotoGP: Valentino Rossi struggles in lowly 13th

Valentino Rossi never expected to continue Ducati’s phenomenal winning record at the Phillip Island circuit after a nightmare 2011 campaign. But the Italian certainly didn’t expect to be as far off...

Australia MotoGP: Casey Stoner fastest after early crash

14 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Australia MotoGP: Casey Stoner fastest after early crash

Casey Stoner bounced back from an early crash to top the timesheets on the opening day of practice for his home race at the spectacular Phillip Island circuit today. But the home favourite, who could...

Casey Stoner hails world champion Chaz Davies

13 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner hails world champion Chaz Davies

Casey Stoner has spoken of his delight at seeing close pal Chaz Davies make a major career breakthrough by clinching the 2011 World Supersport crown earlier this month. The Australian has remained...

Nicky Hayden positive after Ducati aluminium frame debut

13 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden positive after Ducati aluminium frame debut

Nicky Hayden said his debut on Ducati’s new aluminium frame in Jerez last week was positive, but the American admitted Bologna engineers still have plenty of work to do to make the GP12 a more...

Finger injury boost for Valentino Rossi

13 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Finger injury boost for Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi is confident the broken left little finger he suffered in the Japanese Grand Prix will not be a major problem during this weekend’s Phillip Island clash. The Italian broke his left...

Aspar confirms Ducati split

13 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aspar confirms Ducati split

Spain’s high profile Aspar squad will split with Ducati at the end of the 2011 MotoGP world championship and is now working on its own private 1000cc project. Having initially agreed to expand to a...

Paul Bird submits 2012 MotoGP bid

13 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Paul Bird submits 2012 MotoGP bid

Paul Bird’s bid to move to the MotoGP world championship in 2012 moved a step closer yesterday (Wednesday). Bird, who lost the contract to run Kawasaki’s factory World Superbike squad for next season,...

Valentino Rossi: ‘Maybe if it snows I can win’

13 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi: ‘Maybe if it snows I can win’

Valentino Rossi might be close to losing his proud record of winning at least one race in every season of his illustrious Grand Prix career in 2011, but he proved today he’s not lost his sense of...

Valentino Rossi expects strong Phillip Island performance

11 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi expects strong Phillip Island performance

Valentino Rossi has dismissed his chances of extending Ducati’s phenomenal winning record at the Phillip Island track this weekend, but the Italian is still confident of a strong result in...

Frustration builds as Suzuki stalls on 2012 decision

11 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Frustration builds as Suzuki stalls on 2012 decision

Factory Suzuki MotoGP boss Paul Denning has admitted the wait for a final decision on whether the Japanese factory will line-up on the grid in 2012 is building frustration within the British-based...

Yamaha not bidding to sign Marc Marquez for 2012

11 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha not bidding to sign Marc Marquez for 2012

Yamaha has denied launching an audacious bid to poach Spanish starlet Marc Marquez from under the noses of Japanese rivals Honda. The reigning 125GP world champion has been linked with a move to...

Tech 3 thrilled to capture Andrea Dovizioso for 2012

10 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 thrilled to capture Andrea Dovizioso for 2012

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal has spoken of his delight at signing Andrea Dovizioso for the 2012 MotoGP world championship. Dovizioso agreed a one-year deal with the French-based squad...

LCR Honda to turn to John Hopkins?

08 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

LCR Honda to turn to John Hopkins?

Lucio Cecchinello will turn his attention to John Hopkins, Randy de Puniet or Alvaro Bautista for a 2012 MotoGP ride now that Andrea Dovizioso has opted to sign for Tech 3 Yamaha. Cecchinello had made...

Andrea Dovizioso shuns Honda for Tech 3 Yamaha

08 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso shuns Honda for Tech 3 Yamaha

Andrea Dovizioso has turned down the chance to ride a factory-backed RC213V machine for LCR Honda to agree a deal with Tech 3 Yamaha in 2012. The Italian informed Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal of his...

FTR to delay Aprilia-powered 1000cc project

06 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

FTR to delay Aprilia-powered 1000cc project

British chassis specialists FTR will shelve plans to run an Aprilia RSV4-powered bike in MotoGP next season. The Buckingham-based company had designed a frame around the RSV4 motor and it looked like...

Marc Marquez coy on 2012 MotoGP switch

06 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Marc Marquez coy on 2012 MotoGP switch

Marc Marquez remains coy about whether he will move to MotoGP in 2012 if he wraps up this year’s Moto2 world championship. Marquez seized the lead in the Moto2 title race for the first time this...

Valentino Rossi fit for Phillip Island despite test absence

06 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi fit for Phillip Island despite test absence

Valentino Rossi will be fit to ride in next weekend’s Australian MotoGP race, despite withdrawing from a vital 1000cc test at the Jerez circuit today with a hand injury. The 32-year-old was due to...

MotoGP bosses keen to secure Paul Bird entry for 2012

05 October 2011 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP bosses keen to secure Paul Bird entry for 2012

MotoGP bosses are hoping that British team owner Paul Bird can finalise plans to enter a new team in the inaugural 1000cc world championship next year. Bird is currently trying to put together a...