March

Year: 2011

Month: March

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi struggles with shoulder

19 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s bid to fight for a top five on his much anticipated Ducati GP11 debut in Qatar on Sunday night continues to be badly hampered by his injured right shoulder. Nearly a year since he...

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner promises more from Honda

19 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner has warned his MotoGP rivals that he has not yet unearthed the full potential of the impressive new factory Honda RC212V machine after he continued his domination of the Qatar MotoGP this...

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow thrilled with progress

19 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow’s injury heroics were rewarded tonight when he finished less than 0.2s away from the top six in the third and final practice session in Qatar. The British rider finished only 12th on the...

Qatar MotoGP: Alvaro Bautista breaks left femur

18 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista suffered a devastating injury blow tonight in Qatar when he broke his left femur following a high-speed crash during tonight’s final practice session at the Losail International...

Qatar MotoGP times: Repsol Honda dominate

18 March 2011 by Liam Marsden

Repsol Honda dominated the final free practice today (Friday) by taking the top three spots, with man of the moment Casey Stoner posting the fastest time yet again. Team-mates Dani Pedrosa and Andrea...

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner continues dominant form

18 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner continued his unrivalled domination of the Qatar MotoGP weekend into a second night this evening, the Aussie comfortably heading the timesheets at the end of second practice at a...

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi thrilled with Ducati breakthrough

18 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

For the first time in a long time, Valentino Rossi was sporting a beaming smile in the MotoGP paddock tonight. The Italian was ecstatic having enjoyed his most productive 45-minutes to date on board...

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner surprised at advantage

17 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner admitted he didn’t expect to have such a commanding advantage after he ended first free practice for Sunday’s Qatar MotoGP race over 0.6s faster than his closest rival. Stoner’s brilliant...

Qatar MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo not worried by Stoner speed

17 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo is confident he can fight with Casey Stoner for victory in Sunday’s season opening MotoGP in Qatar. The factory Yamaha rider was only seventh quickest in the...

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow braves pain for 14th

17 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow rode through the pain barrier in Qatar tonight to finish the opening practice for the season’s first race at the Losail International Circuit in 14th position. Riding in excruciating...

Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner dominates first practice

17 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner carried his ominous pre-season form into the new MotoGP world championship season in Qatar tonight, the Aussie topping the timesheets at the end of opening free practice at the Losail...

Honda duo back Japanese MotoGP postponement

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Factory Honda duo Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa have supported the decision to postpone the Japanese MotoGP race following a devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last week. The...

Colin Edwards: Casey Stoner is clear title favourite

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner is an overwhelming favourite to win the 2011 MotoGP world championship, according to American Colin Edwards. The Repsol Honda rider has been in ominously fast form throughout the winter...

Valentino Rossi admits struggle to trust shoulder strength

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has admitted to MCN that he’s struggling to regain full confidence with the physical capability of his right shoulder following an injury that has dogged the Italian now for nearly a...

Ducati looking to mount stronger challenge in 2011

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ducati hope the arrival of Italian icon Valentino Rossi will help the Bologna factory sustain a longer challenge for glory in the 2011 MotoGP world championship. Ducati never really seriously...

Wayne Gardner dismisses Suzuki podium aspirations

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki has got no chance of ending its long search for a podium in the 2011 MotoGP world championship, according to Wayne Gardner. The Japanese factory hasn’t scored a top three finish since Loris...

Honda excited by Stoner and Pedrosa battle

16 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Honda bosses reckon the intense internal battle between Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa will provide a fascinating sub-plot during the 2011 MotoGP world championship. The Repsol Honda pair have been is...

Japanese MotoGP date change confirmed

15 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

The 2011 Japanese MotoGP race, originally scheduled to take place on April 24, has been moved to October 2. The FIM has just confirmed the switch, which follows a devastating earthquake and tsunami...

Japanese MotoGP race postponed after earthquake

15 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

The Twin Ring Motegi MotoGP race, scheduled to take place on April 24, has been postponed following an earthquake and tsunami that caused widespread devastation in Japan last week. MCN understands the...

Casey Stoner oozing confidence ahead of season opener

15 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner signed off his 2011 winter testing preparations in emphatic style last night in Qatar, the Repsol Honda dominating the timesheets to cement his status as overwhelming pre-season...

Valentino Rossi: “I’m not fast enough’

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi admitted he simply isn’t fast enough at the moment after he ended another tough test on board Ducati’s factory GP11 machine in Qatar tonight. The Italian crashed at Turn 7 when he...

Jorge Lorenzo: ‘My grandmother could have been faster’

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo will kick off the defence of his MotoGP world title this weekend wondering how he can halt the domination of Honda duo Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. It may have only been testing, but...

Cal Crutchlow suffers nasty hand injury

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow lost the tip of his left little finger after a heavy crash during the final night of testing at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The British rider lost control of his Monster...

Qatar test times: Stoner continues Honda dominance

14 March 2011 by Liam Marsden

Casey Stoner ensured Honda continued dominating pre season testing by posting the fastest lap on the second day at Qatar. The Aussie set a lap time of 1:55.681, just over half a second slower than the...

Night delight for Cal Crutchlow

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow made an impressive debut under the Losail International Circuit floodlights, the British rider finishing 16th quickest on the opening night of MotoGP testing in Qatar. The Coventry...

Valentino Rossi brushes off first Ducati crash

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi brushed off his first crash on board a factory Ducati machine in Qatar as the Italian finished eighth quickest on the opening night of testing under the Losail International Circuit...

Casey Stoner hails new Honda gearbox

14 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner hailed the impact of Honda’s new 2011 factory Honda RC212V gearbox after he finished the opening night of testing at Qatar in second place. The Aussie was in control for long periods of...

Qatar test times: Pedrosa on top after day one

13 March 2011 by Liam Marsden

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa finished the first test under the floodlights at Qatar on top to conitune Honda’s dominance of pre season testing. Team-mate Casey Stoner set the second fastest time...

John Hopkins back on a Suzuki MotoGP bike

13 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

John Hopkins rolled back the years in Qatar yesterday (Saturday) when he rode a factory Suzuki GSV-R machine for the first time since the end of 2007. The American was drafted in by Suzuki to help out...

Kevin Schwantz backs Valentino Rossi to come good

11 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Kevin Schwantz is in no doubt that Valentino Rossi will be a force to be reckoned with in the 2011 MotoGP world championship. But the Texan legend doubts the 32-year-old will be in a position to win...

Wayne Gardner backs Ben Spies to star in 2011

11 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Former world champion Wayne Gardner has backed Ben Spies to emerge as a major threat to Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa’s domination of MotoGP in 2011. The top quartet,...

Nicky Hayden seeking more consistency

11 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden reckons he’s still got to find a more consistently fast pace to mount a regular podium challenge in the 2011 MotoGP world championship. Hayden made a drastic improvement in his second...

Suzuki boss expects brutal racing in MotoGP

11 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Factory Suzuki boss Paul Denning reckons MotoGP fans will be treated to some ‘brutal’ racing in 2011, with competition in the 17-rider field stronger than it has ever been. Many expect a seven-rider...

Honda buoyed by internal competition

11 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

The fierce internal competition between Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Simoncelli is a major positive for Honda in 2011, says HRC boss Livio Suppo. Honda hasn’t won the premier...

Honda has no big advantage, says Dani Pedrosa

10 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa has denied that Honda will start the 2011 MotoGP world championship in Qatar with a big technical advantage over Yamaha and Ducati. The new Honda RC212V has been the dominant bike in...

Suzuki unveils new 2011 GSV-R

10 March 2011 by Matthew Birt

This is the new factory Suzuki GSV-R that Alvaro Bautista will race in the 2011 MotoGP world championship. Sporting a striking blue livery inspired by Troy Lee Designs in the colours of title sponsor...