April

Year: 2013

Month: April

Which Grand Prix was the most exciting?

10 April 2013 by MCN

All three races from Qatar were edge-of-your-seat stuff at the weekend – even MotoGP. But which one was the best?

Danny Kent satisfied with Moto2 progress

09 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Danny Kent says he was satisfied with a steady rather the spectacular debut in the Moto2 world championship in Qatar on Sunday night. Kent, who won two out of the last four Moto3 races...

Danny Webb thrilled to end long-running points drought

09 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Danny Webb wasted no time in banishing the memory of a disastrous 2012 Moto3 campaign after finishing on the fringe of the top 10 in last weekend’s opening round in Qatar. The British rider endured a...

Andrea Dovizioso: Ducati going nowhere without understeer solution

08 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

It blunted Casey Stoner’s blistering speed, shattered Valentino Rossi’s confidence, and now Ducati’s long-standing understeer issue is the bane of Andrea Dovizioso’s life. Huge pre-race optimism that...

Valentino Rossi elated after dream Yamaha return

08 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s Ducati nightmare seemed like a distant memory in Qatar last night after the Italian made a dream return to Yamaha by finishing second after a terrific late tussle with rookie Marc...

Jorge Lorenzo makes 'perfect' start to title defence

08 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo couldn’t have dreamt of a better way to start the defence of his MotoGP crown after he rode to a majestic opening round victory at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar last night. A...

Marc Marquez storms to debut MotoGP rostrum

08 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Marc Marquez played a starring role in the opening MotoGP race of 2013 in Qatar last night, the Spanish rookie claiming a stunning top three finish on his premier class debut. Seventh on lap one after...

Ben Spies: “I thought about pulling in”

08 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Six months after badly injuring his right shoulder in a Malaysian Grand Prix crash, Ben Spies gritted his teeth to get through a gruelling Ducati debut inside the top 10 in Qatar last night. Tenth is...

Qatar MotoGP: Lorenzo dominates season opener

07 April 2013 by Liam Marsden

Double world champion Jorge Lorenzo dominated the opening race of the 2013 season to take victory by almost six seconds. Lorenzo got a great start and eased ahead of the field quickly. Dani Pedrosa...

Qatar MotoGP: Espargaro beats Redding to Moto2 win

07 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

2012 Moto2 runner up Pol Espargaro kicked off 2013 in style with victory in Qatar after a race long battle with Brit Scott Redding. It was Takaaki Nakagami who took the lead early in the race, but the...

Qatar MotoGP: Salom takes Moto3 win

07 April 2013 by Liam Marsden

Red Bull KTM ride Luis Salom has taken victory in the first Moto3 race of he 2013 season at the Losail circuit, Qatar. Salom held on to ros the line first in a race that could have easily been won by...

Cal Crutchlow predicts tough fight to score third podium

07 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow believes it will be tough for him to score the third MotoGP podium of his career in tonight’s opening race of 2013 in Qatar. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider will start...

Andrea Dovizioso only 0.009s from shock front row

07 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo might have snatched the first pole position of 2013 out of the grasp of British rider Cal Crutchlow, but performance of the night in a new qualifying format went to factory Ducati rider...

Valentino Rossi rues mistake and traffic in qualifying

07 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s bid for a first Yamaha podium since the end of 2010 will commence from a lowly seventh on the grid after the Italian experienced an eventful qualifying session in Qatar last...

Bradley Smith joins Valentino Rossi on third row

07 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith was ecstatic after qualifying just two places behind nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi for his MotoGP debut at the Losail International Circuit in Doha tonight. The Oxfordshire...

Qatar MotoGP: Lorenzo starts title defence with pole position

06 April 2013 by Liam Marsden

Factory Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo will start the first race of 2013 from pole position after seeing off Brit Cal Crutchlow in Q2. Crutchlow again set the fastest lap on his first run in Q2, but after...

Andrea Dovizioso surprised at Ducati speed

06 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Italian Andrea Dovizioso threatened to pull of the first major shock of the 2013 MotoGP world championship in Qatar last night when he battled for a top three position in free practice. The former...

Marc Marquez surprised to lead Qatar practice

06 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Rookie sensation Marc Marquez said he was surprised to top the timesheets after the opening three practice sessions ahead of his much-hyped MotoGP debut in Qatar tomorrow night (Sunday). The Repsol...

Bradley Smith ninth after eye-opening practice

06 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rookie Bradley Smith admitted his brilliant ride into the top 10 in practice in Qatar last night was a massive eye-opener into the challenge he faces to push Yamaha’s YZR-M1 1000cc machine at...

Qatar MotoGP: Marquez tops final practice, Smith makes Q2

05 April 2013 by Liam Marsden

Repsol Honda rookie Marc Marquez topped the Friday evening free practice session at the Losail circuit as the top ten riders for the Q2 qualifying session were decided. Marquez beat fellow Spaniard...

Crutchlow a title dark horse, say Rossi and Lorenzo

04 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow’s outstanding early 2013 performances mean the British rider can be a dark horse for this year’s MotoGP world championship. That’s the view of factory Yamaha duo Jorge Lorenzo and...

Cal Crutchlow plays down early Qatar speed

04 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow’s expectation management skills went into overdrive again in Qatar tonight after the British rider finished second in the opening MotoGP practice session under the Losail International...

Qatar MotoGP: Lorenzo tops first practice of 2013

04 April 2013 by Liam Marsden

Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo ended the first free practice of 2013 at the top of the timesheets after a late charge. Lorenzo displaced Tech 3 Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow to finish fastest,...

Ben Spies relishing Ducati challenge

04 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

A factory Ducati Desmosedici might not seem like the ideal choice of machinery for a rider looking to bounce back from the worst year of his career. Texan Ben Spies though will start that process in...

Cal Crutchlow looks ahead to Qatar curtain-raiser

03 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow is confident he is ready to pose a consistent podium threat in the 2013 MotoGP world championship. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider appeared relaxed and confident as he...

Rossi motivated to reach Lorenzo and Pedrosa level

03 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi reckons the challenge to once again battle Spanish duo Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa for victories in MotoGP is one of his big motivations in 2013. One of the intriguing aspects of...

Patience the key for Marc Marquez

03 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Rookie sensation Marc Marquez insists he won’t get swept away on a wave of expectation as the Spaniard’s MotoGP debut moves ever closer in Qatar. Speaking during the pre-event press conference for the...

Nicky Hayden: No doubt Ducati can deliver

03 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Throughout a turbulent recent history at Ducati, one thing that has not been shaken is Nicky Hayden’s unrivalled optimism. The popular Kentucky rider’s optimisim certainly showed no sign of fading...

Yamaha boss predicts ‘exciting' season

03 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis believes the 2013 MotoGP campaign, which kicks off in Qatar on Sunday night, will be provide more exciting and entertaining racing than last season. Excitement and anticipation...

Marc VDS boss: 2013 is crunch year for Scott Redding

03 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding’s Marc VDS Racing boss Michael Bartholemy reckons it is imperative that the British rider mounts a serious Moto2 world title challenge in 2013 to boost his hopes of a switch to MotoGP...

Bradley Smith hails ‘impressive’ Marc Marquez

02 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith says he has not been surprised to see fellow rookie Marc Marquez make such a fast and seamless transition to MotoGP in 2013. Marquez has made an instant impact on Honda’s factory RC213V...

Cal Crutchlow targets faster early race speed

02 April 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow believes he will have to be much faster in the opening three laps of MotoGP races in 2013 to help him become a consistent podium threat. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider...