2017

Year: 2017

Month: ALL

Moto3: Opening night of Qatar test abandoned

17 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

The opening night of action at the combined Moto2 and Moto3 test in Qatar has been abandoned, after heavy rain hit the Losail circuit only an hour into the evening’s planned track action. With only...

MotoGP: Dovi targeting Viñales as the man to beat

17 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Andrea Dovizioso has set his sights on Maverick Viñales as the man to beat if he’s to have any hopes of replicating his maiden win from Sepang last year when the MotoGP season kicks off at Losail in...

MotoGP: Iannone ‘neither happy nor sad’ after final test

16 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Andrea Iannone says he’s come away from the final preseason test of the 2017 MotoGP year ‘neither happy nor sad’ after continuing to make progress as he learns the nuances of the Suzuki GSX-RR...

MotoGP: Redding happy with Qatar breakthrough

16 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Scott Redding has come away from the final preseason test of 2017 much happier with his level on the Pramac Ducati, after making a significant breakthrough on the second day of the three-day...

MotoGP: Marquez happy despite three crashes on final day

15 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Reigning MotoGP world champion The Repsol Honda rider came away from the final test of the 2017 preseason in tenth overall – but says that despite both results and test, he’s happy with the work that...

Moto3: McPhee has positive official test on British Talent Honda

15 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

John McPhee has had a positive outing on his new Honda Talent Team Honda for the first official Moto3 test of 2017, joining the rest of the field for three days at Jerez at the weekend and coming away...

MotoGP: Channel 5 announce free-to-air highlights package

15 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Channel 5 will show free to air MotoGP highlights on a Monday night throughout the 2017 season, after an eleventh hour deal confirmed only days before the season is set to kick off in Qatar. The new...

MotoGP: Tech 3 rookies continue to learn

14 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 duo of MotoGP rookies Jonas Folger and Johann Zarco have continued to make impressive progress at the final preseason test of 2017, with both of them finishing comfortably...

MotoGP: Increased confidence for Lowes in Qatar

14 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Gresini Aprilia rider Sam Lowes says he’s come away from the final preseason test of the 2017 MotoGP season pleased with the improvements to his confidence that he’s made, after a series of crashes...

MotoGP: Rossi disappointed with final day of testing

13 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Valentino Rossi has been left disappointed by his final day of testing action of the 2017 preseason, after failing to capitalise on improvements made on the second day and failing to go any...

MotoGP: New Ducati fairing answers underseat box mystery

13 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

The radical new Ducati fairing unveiled at this week’s Qatar test has answered one mystery that’s been plaguing journalists in the paddock since it was first introduced – the contents of the extended...

MotoGP: Crutchlow ‘satisfied’ with Qatari test

13 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Cal Crutchlow says he’s satisfied with the progress that he and the LCR Honda squad made during three days of testing in Qatar, after the double race winner came away eighth overall. Working mainly on...

MotoGP: Ducati duo pleased with progress

13 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

The Ducati duo of Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso are heading home from the final MotoGP preseason test pleased with the progress that they’ve made so far, after impressive lap times from the pair...

MotoGP: Viñales signs off testing clean sweep

12 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Movistar Yamaha rider Maverick Viñales has signed off MotoGP’s 2017 pre-season testing by completing a clean sweep of all four official tests, topping the overall standings at Losail to finish well...

MotoGP: Viñales leads Yamaha whitewash at Qatar

11 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Maverick Viñales has led a Yamaha whitewash of the time sheets on the second day of testing at Qatar, blitzing both the lap record and Andrea Dovizioso’s fastest time from yesterday to finish ahead of...

MotoGP: Ducati roll out radical aero fairing

11 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Ducati have finally rolled out their much anticipated winglet-replacing new aerodynamic fairing, with the radical new look taking to the track at tonight’s Qatar test in the hands of yesterday’s...

Moto3: Bulega tops Jerez official test

11 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Team Sky VR46 KTM rider Nicolo Bulega has cemented his position as a 2017 title contender by taking the top spot after three days of Moto3 action at Spain’s Jerez circuit for the first official test...

MotoGP: Dovizioso dominates in the desert

10 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso has dominated the opening day of testing in Qatar, topping the test from Maverick Viñales by 0.36 seconds as he dipped under the existing lap record at the Losail...

Obituary: John Surtees 1934-2017

10 March 2017 by MCN Sport

John Surtees will always be remembered as the first man to win world titles on both two and four wheels and, given how specialised both sports have now become, it’s an achievement that is likely to...

Moto2: Marquez tops first official test

10 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Alex Marquez has held off teammate Franco Morbidelli in Moto2’s first official preseason test at Jerez to make it an EG0,0 Marc VDS double act at the top of the timesheets after three days of action...

Gallery: Remembering John Surtees

10 March 2017 by MCN News

Former world motorcycling and F1 champion, John Surtees has passed away aged 83. Surtees remains the only person to have ever won a world championship in both motorcycle and car racing. He passed away...

Grand Prix and F1 winner John Surtees dies aged 83

10 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

John Surtees, the first and only man to win both MotoGP and Formula One world titles, has died aged 83. He was admitted to St Georges Hospital, London in February with an existing respiratory...

Video: LCR Honda tease Crutchlow's 2017 livery

09 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

With LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow set to take to the track tomorrow night at the final pre-season test in Qatar running his new livery, the squad have teased a quick look at what to expect from the...

MotoGP: Teams gearing up for final tests

09 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

The 2017 MotoGP grid are gearing themselves up for the final pre-season test of the year, as they head to Qatar for the final chance to get things right ahead of the opening round of the championship...

MotoGP: Miller upgrading to latest Honda engine

08 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Jack Miller will be upgraded to the latest specification of Honda’s new big bang engine this week in the final pre-season test of the 2017 MotoGP season, as they begin gathering data ahead of the...

Gallery: Reale Avintia Ducati take over Andorra

08 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

The Reale Avintia Ducati squad of Loris Baz and Hector Barbera have helped take over the principality of Andorra, in a series of events to launch their 2017 livery. First helicoptering the bikes into...

MotoGP: ‘Different situation’ for Aprilia in 2017

07 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

The situation in the factory Aprilia garage in 2017 will be very different to 2016, according to project boss Romano Albesiano, who says that now that the bike has been shown to be competitive, they...

MotoGP: Barbera out of Qatar test

07 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Reale Avintia Ducati rider Hector Barbera will not take part in this week’s final MotoGP pre-season test in Qatar, as he continues to recover from a broken collarbone sustained last week while...

MotoGP: Espargaró reduced to tears by Suzuki frustrations

07 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP racer Aleix Espargaró has candidly admitted that he was at times reduced to tears last season as the frustration of trying to get the best out of his Suzuki GSX-RR machine almost became too...

MotoGP: Lowes raring to go on new Aprilia

06 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Gresini Aprilia rider Sam Lowes says he’s raring to get going next week at the third and final MotoGP pre-season test as he finally gets the chance to test the Italian manufacturer’s new and improved...

MotoGP: Reale Avintia Ducati launch new bike in style

06 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

The Reale Avintia Ducati team of Loris Baz and Hector Barbera have launched their 2017 colours – and new title sponsor Reale – in style, dropping in quite literally to Andorra’s ice racing circuit to...

MotoGP: Circuit of Wales bosses hoping good news on the horizon

06 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Circuit of Wales boss Martin Whittaker has told MCN that he hopes there’s good news on the immediate horizon for the project, after they submitted what they’re hoping will be the final draft of their...

MotoGP: Espargaró disappointed in Suzuki sacking

05 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Gresini Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaró has hit out at former team Suzuki, slamming the Japanese manufacturer for the way they went about replacing him with Italian Andrea Iannone in the middle of the...

Gallery: Aprilia's marmite 2017 MotoGP machine

04 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Aprilia’s 2017 MotoGP contender has certainly divided opinion since Sam Lowes and Aleix Espargaró pulled the overs off the bike yesterday at the Italian firm’s headquarters in Noale, outside Venice.

BTC: Dorna lay out plans for new young talent series

04 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Dorna have laid out their plans for the new British Talent Cup series that will get underway during the 2018 season in a double-header event in London that also saw the MotoGP organisers launch the...

MotoGP: Dovi unamused at Ducati progress

04 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

While Jorge Lorenzo, without a real benchmark of Ducati’s progress since his defection from Yamaha, might be pleased with the progress being made by the Bologna firm’s engineers, his teammate Andrea...