January

Year: 2011

Month: January

Casey Stoner plays down 2011 title prospects

31 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner has moved quickly to play down pre-season hype that he will start the 2011 MotoGP world championship as favourite having moved to Honda. The Australian made an impressive debut on Honda’s...

Casey Stoner plays down 2011 title prospects

31 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner proud to follow Mick Doohan at Repsol Honda

31 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner has told MCN of his delight at fulfilling a lifelong dream to ride for the Repsol Honda team and follow in the illustrious footsteps of fellow Aussie Mick Doohan. Giving his thoughts on...

Andrea Dovizioso predicts strong Honda challenge

31 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso reckons Honda’s 2011 factory MotoGP line-up is one of its most formidable in years as the Japanese factory seeks to end its barren run of success in the premier class. HRC has yet to...

Dani Pedrosa unsure of shoulder strength

31 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa reckons the left shoulder he badly broke during a practice crash in Japan in early October could still give him some problems when the 2011 winter testing schedule kicks off in Malaysia...

Honda determined to win final 800cc crown

31 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Honda boss Shuhei Nakamoto has spoken of his desire and determination to win the final 800cc MotoGP crown in 2011 at the launch of the Repsol Honda squad in Malaysia tonight. Speaking at a special...

Ducati move to prolong Valentino Rossi’s career

31 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s Ducati move is likely to extend his career in MotoGP. The 31-year-old stunned the racing world last year when he opted to quit Yamaha and sign for the Bologna factory in a lucrative...

Jerry Burgess predicts fierce Casey Stoner challenge

31 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Jerry Burgess reckons Honda and Casey Stoner will pose the biggest threat to Valentino Rossi’s hopes of capturing the MotoGP title at the first attempt for Ducati in 2011. Rossi’s legendary crew chief...

Yamaha focus on improving rear grip in 2011

31 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Improving rear grip has been a key winter development target of Yamaha as the Japanese factory seeks to continue its domination of MotoGP without talisman Valentino Rossi in 2011. Rossi and 2010 world...

Video: Valentino Rossi on track on a Ducati

31 January 2011

Valentino Rossi has returned to the track for the first time since his shoulder operation, and you can see how it went it this video showing the Italian legend on a Ducati 1198 Superbike. Just 73 days...

First shots of Stoner's 2011 Honda RC212V

31 January 2011 by Dan Aspel

These are the first official photos of Casey Stoner alongside the Honda RC212V that he’ll be racing in the 2011 MotoGP season. There are apparently few updates to the machine except for the new...

Lorenzo is "No.1"

31 January 2011 by Dan Aspel

MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo has unveiled his racing logo for the 2011 season: a number one made of the initials J and L. He said: “I have been lucky with my design because the No 1 works really well...

Rossi faking it

28 January 2011 by Joe Cunningham

Further to the comments about Vale faking his shoulder problems. After being wiped out on a roundabout by a careless car driver which resulted in my bike being written of and me being in hospital for 5 days with back and shoulder damage in which the tendon was totally ripped off the shoulder bone. I had a operation on the November 10 2010 to re-attatch the tendon (Left shoulder athroscopic...

FTR and Speed Up continue in Moto2

27 January 2011 by MCN Sportsdesk

British manufacturer FTR Moto and the Italian Speed Up Team will challenge for the 2011 Moto2 World Championship with the youthful line-up of 19-year-old Spaniard Pol Espargaro and 18-year-old French...

Danny Kent lands top 125GP ride

24 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent has landed a top 125GP ride in the team that won last year’s crown with Spanish sensation Marc Marquez. Kent, who impressed during selected wild card appearances at the end of the 2010...

Eight Brits in Grand Prix in 2011

24 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

British talent in the Grand Prix world championship will be at its highest level in years in 2011 with eight riders confirmed for the forthcoming season. Cal Crutchlow will lead the challenge in the...

Scott Redding heads triple British Moto2 attack

24 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding will be hoping to emerge as a serious title threat in 2011 as he heads a three-pronged British challenge in the successful Moto2 class. The Gloucestershire rider will again ride for the...

Lorenzo's brolly dolly

18 January 2011 by trevor.cummings

TC at the Barcalona MotoGP round, sharing MCN with Lorenzo’s Brolly Dolly! Photo taken by the Notts Tuesday club.

Qatar MotoGP to be run over four nights

18 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

The opening round of the 2011 MotoGP world championship, which will include Valentino Rossi’s Ducati debut and Cal Crutchlow’s premier class bow, will be run over four nights in March. Five practice...

Nicky Hayden expects fierce competition in 2011

14 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden reckons the 2011 MotoGP field is so strong that it is impossible to single out who will be the big challengers this year. The 2006 world champion finished seventh in the rankings last...

Phillip Island date change debate drags on

14 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Plans to switch the Australian MotoGP race to a much earlier date on the world championship schedule in 2012 are still under discussion. Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta and a host of top riders including...

Ducati boss surprised at Casey Stoner departure

14 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ducati CEO Gabriele del Torchio has said he was surprised that Casey Stoner opted to quit the Bologna factory to sign a deal with rivals Honda for the 2011 MotoGP world championship. The Australian,...

Dorna suspends Suzuki legal action

13 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has confirmed he is not planning on taking imminent legal action against Suzuki after the Japanese factory reduced its involvement in MotoGP in 2011 to just one...

Ducati against electronics reduction

13 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ducati boss Claudio Domenicali says the Bologna factory is against a campaign to get the influence of electronic rider aids significantly reduced in the MotoGP world championship. One of the most...

Video: Valentino Rossi’s 2011 Ducati unveiled

12 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

This is the first look at the factory Ducati GP11 Valentino Rossi hopes will help him capture a tenth Grand Prix world title this year. Unveiled at the spectacular Madonna di Campiglio ski resort in...

‘Exceptional’ Valentino Rossi boosts Ducati

12 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ducati MotoGP designer Filippo Preziosi reckons Valentino Rossi’s arrival has galvanised the Bologna factory as he hailed the ‘exceptional’ Italian star earlier today. In a press conference that...

Nicky Hayden unfazed by Valentino Rossi threat

11 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden says he’s undaunted at the prospect of being Valentino Rossi’s team-mate again in 2011. The pair will be paired together again in Ducati’s factory squad having been team-mates at Repsol...

Valentino Rossi seeks to tame ‘evil’ Ducati

11 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi believes he will have to make numerous changes to Ducati’s factory GP11 machine to strengthen his bid for a tenth Grand Prix title this year. Rossi could only finish his factory Ducati...

Valentino Rossi concerned about shoulder recovery

11 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s opening press conference as a factory Ducati rider was dominated by the recovery of his damaged right shoulder and his hopes and aspirations of turning the Bologna factory into...

Video: Valentino Rossi arrives at Ducati launch

11 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

This was the flash photography frenzy that greeted Valentino Rossi’s arrival at the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort in Italy last night ahead of the launch of the 2011 factory Ducati squad. Pics:...

Pics: Valentino Rossi’s Ducati leathers unveiled

11 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

This is how Valentino Rossi will look in 2011 having moved to Ducati’s factory MotoGP squad. Valentino Rossi pictured in Ducati red The nine-times world champion will continue his career long...

Valentino Rossi pictured in Ducati red

10 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has made his first official public appearance as a factory Ducati rider in Italy tonight. Video: Valentino Rossi arrives at Ducati launch The Italian caused a frenzy of flash...

World braced for Rossi in red

10 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Anticipation is building ahead of Valentino Rossi’s first official public appearance for Ducati at the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort in Italy. The nine-times world champion will take part in...

Nicky Hayden targets 2011 improvement

06 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden has targeted another major step forward in his factory Ducati career next season after an encouraging return to form in 2010. The American was only denied a top six overall championship...

Kevin Schwantz backs Scott Redding for big MotoGP future

06 January 2011 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding has been tipped as a future MotoGP star by American legend Kevin Schwantz. The emerging British talent enhanced his growing reputation in 2010 when he claimed podium finishes in...