February

Year: 2012

Month: February

Valentino Rossi faces wait for Ducati improvements

29 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ducati has told Valentino Rossi a range of improvements for the radically revamped GP12 will not be ready in time for the start of the inaugural 1000cc MotoGP world championship in early April. The...

Ben Spies quickest at rain-soaked Sepang

29 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies ended another rain-hit day of testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia on top of the timesheets after Honda failed to complete a lap. An engine failure suffered by Dani Pedrosa in the final...

Jorge Lorenzo: “We’re closer to Honda”

29 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo is confident that Yamaha’s new factory YZR-M1 1000cc machine will be a bigger threat to Honda and Casey Stoner in 2012. The Australian dominated the final 800cc world...

Engine failure sidelines Honda quartet in Sepang

29 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

An engine failure experienced by Dani Pedrosa on the opening day of MotoGP testing in Sepang yesterday forced HRC to prevent all four of its riders from participating on a rain-hit second day in...

Casey Stoner predicts much faster times in Sepang

28 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner expects lap times to fall sharply over the remainder of the second Sepang test in Malaysia after he dominated a rain-hit opening day. The Repsol Honda rider...

Valentino Rossi aims for big progress in Sepang

28 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

The start of Valentino Rossi’s second test on board Ducati’s heavily revamped GP12 MotoGP machine proved to be a frustrating affair for the Italian after he finished in a lowly eighth on the opening...

Cal Crutchlow needs more time to evaluate revised Yamaha motor

28 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow ended the opening day of the second Sepang test in Malaysia with the seventh fastest time as scorching hot temperatures and then torrential rain thwarted his bid to properly assess a...

Casey Stoner quickest as storm disrupts first day in Sepang

28 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner topped the timesheets on a rain disrupted opening day of MotoGP testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. The reigning MotoGP world champion needed only three laps in baking hot...

Karel Abraham withdraws from Sepang test

28 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Karel Abraham has withdrawn from the Sepang MotoGP test with the right shoulder and back injuries he suffered in a big high-side crash at Jerez last week proving too painful to continue. The Czech...

Valentino Rossi to focus on new electronics in Sepang

27 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi will use this week’s second Sepang test in Malaysia to concentrate on new electronics aimed at improving stability under acceleration with the radical new Ducati GP12 machine. Rossi...

Honda and Yamaha ready chassis updates for Sepang

27 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Honda and Yamaha are both likely to roll out new frames at this week’s second Sepang test to try and solve a chronic chatter issue with their new 1000cc projects. The new safer rear Bridgestone tyres...

James Ellison eyes big step in Aragon test

27 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

British rider James Ellison is confident he will be able to get much closer to the pace of the fastest CRT machines when he returns to the track on the new Aprilia ART 1000cc bike at the Motorland...

Randy de Puniet targets factory scalps

24 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Randy de Puniet says his priority for 2012 is to finish top CRT rider and at some races defeat the new 1000cc factory prototypes after an encouraging test in Jerez this week. The Frenchman ended the...

Meet and ride with Crutchlow and Smith at Silverstone

24 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

You still have chance to grab a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride the spectacular Silverstone Grand Prix track with Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith on March 8. MCN has joined forces with...

James Ellison makes Aprilia MotoGP debut

22 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

James Ellison made his long-awaited return to MotoGP action in Jerez yesterday (Tuesday) when he got his first chance to test Aprilia’s new CRT machine. The former Tech 3 Yamaha rider, who will ride...

Cal Crutchlow boosted by 1000cc MotoGP switch

21 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow is confident the switch from 800cc to 1000cc for the MotoGP world championship will boost his hopes of fighting consistently for the top six in 2012. The Monster Yamaha...

Casey Stoner gives insight into new 1000s

21 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner has given his views and opinions on what it is like to ride Honda’s new factory RC213V machine ahead of the start of the new 1000cc world championship era...

Andrea Dovizioso set for style makeover

20 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso will use next week’s Sepang test in Malaysia to continue tweaking his riding technique to suit the new Yamaha YZR-M1 1000cc MotoGP bike. The Italian spent his entire MotoGP career...

Danny Kent thrilled but surprised at Moto3 pace

20 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

British teenager Danny Kent admitted he surprised himself with his blistering speed during last week’s Moto3 test at the Jerez track in Spain. The 18-year-old was in untouchable form throughout the...

Bradley Smith confident Tech 3 bike will be podium challenger

20 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

British rider Bradley Smith is confident the new Tech 3 Mistral 610 machine will be a serious Moto2 podium threat in 2012 after a positive and productive test in Jerez last week. The Oxfordshire rider...

Scott Redding and Danny Kent dominate Jerez test

19 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding shared top spot in the ultra-competitive Moto2 class and Danny Kent led the way in the new Moto3 series at the end of a tremendous three-day test for the Brits in Jerez. Gloucestershire...

Solid start for Scott Redding and Bradley Smith in Jerez

17 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding and Bradley Smith made a solid start to the Jerez Moto2 test in Spain yesterday (Thursday) when both posted lap times good enough to secure top ten places on a windy opening day. Marc...

Danny Kent sets Moto3 pace in Jerez

17 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

British teenager Danny Kent’s hopes of emerging as a consistent podium threat in the new Moto3 class in 2012 got another major early boost in Jerez yesterday (Thursdsay). The Red Bull KTM rider topped...

Casey Stoner becomes a father for the first time

17 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Reiging MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner and wife Adriana are celebrating the birth of their first child. Stoner became a father to a baby girl named Alessandra in Switzerland last night. A short...

Jorge Lorenzo surprised at slow CRT pace

16 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Former world champion Jorge Lorenzo is the latest high profile rider to express concerns about the huge gulf in lap times between the factory 1000cc prototypes and new CRT machinery. The Spaniard got...

Estoril MotoGP gets go ahead for 2012

16 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Estoril will feature on the 2012 MotoGP world championship calendar after negotiations with rights owners Dorna were successfully concluded earlier this week. The Portuguese Grand Prix, scheduled to...

Casey Stoner expects resurgent Yamaha in 2012

15 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner is expecting an even stronger challenge from Yamaha rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies in the inaugural 1000cc MotoGP world championship in 2012. The...

Ride Silverstone with Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith

15 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

All of us at some point have dreamed of following in the tyre tracks of Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and British Grand Prix heroes Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith by lapping the legendary Silverstone...