MotoGP on MCN

Here at Motor Cycle News we deliver bespoke MotoGP news from expert reporters on the ground at every major event. We get everything that's new in MotoGP before anyone else.

Year: ALL

Doha disaster for champ

15 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden suffered a nightmare second day in Qatar as the reigning world champion crashed his new Honda RC212V twice to slump to 11th fastest. The American lost the front both times – the first...

Valentino Rossi ended the second day of testing in Qatar today with the second fastest time as Yamaha’s new YZR-M1 800 contender continued to outgun its rivals. Rossi finished second overall behind...

Edwards leads Qatar after day two

15 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards maintained his dominant Doha form by topping the IRTA test timesheets for the second successive day in Qatar. The American’s best time of 1.56.296 set this morning was unbeaten as the...

Spills in Qatar

15 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet both escaped injury from crashes today at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. New Honda recruit Nakano crashed at the penultimate corner as he failed to...

Jezza out

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

British veteran Jeremy McWilliams has missed the second day of testing in Qatar today. Returning to the track for the first time since a 120mph horror crash at Jerez at the end of November left him...

Yamaha lead

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Factory Yamaha duo Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi continued to dominate the IRTA test in Qatar today after brilliant performances on the second morning. At lunch on day two, Edwards was again...

Jacque sits out day two

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

French rider Olivier Jacque will try and return to action tomorrow (Thursday) in Qatar having decided to sit out day two of the IRTA test in Doha. Circuit doctors cleared Jacque to ride following a...

OJ concussed in Qatar

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

French rider Olivier Jacque is a major doubt for the rest of the first IRTA test in Qatar after he suffered concussion in a heavy crash this afternoon. The factory Kawasaki rider was taken by...

Tough return for Jezza

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

British veteran Jeremy McWilliams bravely returned to track action in Qatar today after his injury nightmare. The Ilmor rider, hobbling around the paddock with a crutch, was unsurprisingly the slowest...

Hayden happier in Qatar

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Nicky Hayden admitted he felt as happy as he has done all winter on Honda’s new RC212V as he finished the opening day in Qatar with the fifth best time. The American was only...

Capirossi crashes in Qatar

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi emerged unscathed after he crashed his new Ducati GP7 800 late on the first afternoon of the IRTA test in Qatar today. The Italian walked away uninjured after the crash at the first...

Rossi behind Edwards

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Just five days after he played second fiddle to factory Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards in Sepang, former world champion Valentino Rossi was beaten to the best time again by the American in Qatar...

Hayden storms desert

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Nicky Hayden has topped the timesheets on the first morning of the IRTA test in Qatar. Just before 1pm local time, the American posted an impressive 1.57.087 to leapfrog Yamaha...

Rossi sets Qatar pace

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has laid down an early marker to his MotoGP rivals by breaking his own 990cc lap record on the opening morning of the Qatar IRTA test today. In what is a dress rehearsal for the...

Edwards' car switch

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards is ploughing some of his hard earned cash into what he hopes will be a lucrative retirement plan by forming his own supercar club in America. The factory Yamaha rider unveiled his master...

Yamaha levels field

14 February 2007 by Mathew Birt

Yamaha bosses have given Colin Edwards cast iron assurances that his factory Yamaha 800cc machine will start the new season next month getting exactly the same treatment as Valentino Rossi. Edwards...

Rossi finds fitness

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi believes he is returning to his best fitness levels after he picked up the pace in Sepang this week as he continues to plot winning back the MotoGP crown in 2007. Rossi was 0.6s faster...

Rossi: No F1 distraction

14 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has rebuked suggestions that a potential switch to Formula One with Ferrari was partly to blame for his shock MotoGP world championship defeat in 2006. This time last year Rossi was...

OJ to repay Kawasaki

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Former world 250 champion Olivier Jacque is confident he can repay the faith Kawasaki MotoGP bosses have shown in him after the French rider was plucked from the wilderness to make a full-time premier...

Improved Michelin rear

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards reckons Michelin’s aggressive winter development programme hasn’t only concentrated on the new impressive 16-inch front tyre. A batch of new spec rear tyres were tested at the Sepang...

Rossi on guard at turn one

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi admits he will be wary of potential first corners hazards in 2007 after his nightmare in the opening race in Jerez almost a year ago. Rossi’s wretched run of luck in 2006, which...

Kawasaki close the gap

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Factory Kawasaki rider Randy de Puniet reckons the Japanese factory’s new ZX-RR 800 will be competitive from the first race of the new MotoGP world championship. The French rider says the gap between...

Chatter relief for Edwards

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards believes Yamaha’s chronic chatter problems that dogged the YZR-M1 990cc machine at the start of last season also affected critical stability under braking. Braking stability was a...

Burgess stays with Rossi

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi said there is no doubt that he will continue his formidable partnership with Aussie crew chief Jerry Burgess in the MotoGP world championship. With Rossi announcing that he has...

Rossi: IRTA tests critical

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Former world champion reckons the final two pre-season tests in Qatar and Jerez will be absolutely critical in shaping the formbook in the early part of the new 800cc MotoGP world championship. Just...

800s better for Randy

13 February 2007 by Matthew BIrt

New Kawasaki number one Randy de Puniet believes the generation 800cc machines will help establish him more in the MotoGP world championship this season. The French rider has been one of the surprise...

Video: Rossi talks 800s

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

MCN caught up with seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi at this week’s Sepang MotoGP test, and he spoke with us about how the tests have gone, and how he is making the transition to the new 800cc...

OJ: 800s are easier

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Factory Kawasaki rider Olivier Jacque reckons riding in the MotoGP world championship is a much easier proposition than when he last raced full-time in 2003. Huge advances in electronics have made the...

Rossi deal no suprise

13 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards said he wasn’t surprised that team-mate Valentino Rossi signed a new contract with Yamaha that will keep him in the MotoGP world championship until at least the end of 2008. Yamaha’s...

Edwards' desert storm

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards is looking forward to continuing his recent good form when the whole MotoGP grid tests together for the first time this winter in Qatar. The three-day IRTA test gets underway next...

Jezza to ride in Qatar

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

British hardman Jeremy McWilliams will try and ride the new Ilmor 800cc bike in next week’s Qatar IRTA test – just four days after undergoing surgery to remove a screw from his left leg. The...

Desert run for Stoner

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner returns to the scene of his greatest MotoGP triumph of his short premier class career in Qatar next. And the Australian rider is hoping to make as big an impact at the IRTA test as he did...

Hayden wary of Qatar

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden said he doesn’t know what to expect from the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The MotoGP champion has said this ahead of testing Honda’s new 800cc RC212V for the first time in the...

Dani waits on new parts

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa anticipates a batch of new performance upgrades for his RC212V 800cc machine when he returns to the track for the IRTA test in Qatar on February 13. It is no secret...

Rossi 'fully focussed'

08 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards has rubbished claims that factory Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi got distracted by a potential multi-million pound switch to Ferrari last season. Some have said that Rossi testing for...

Ilmor struggle in Sepang

07 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Andrew Pitt finished the Sepang test a massive 5.4s off the pace as it became apparent that the new Ilmor 800cc machine faces a massive task to be competitive for the start of the new MotoGP season in...