2012

Year: 2012

Month: ALL

Randy de Puniet close to Suzuki MotoGP test deal

16 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki looks likely to place its faith in the experience of Randy de Puniet to spearhead its return to MotoGP in 2014. The Frenchman is in negotiations to head development of Suzuki’s new 1000cc...

Joey, Ray and Rivals

15 November 2012 by MCN Sportsdesk

A glorious chapter in the history of road racing is brought to life in a new DVD from Duke Video entitled Joey, Ray and Rivals. The DVD is a comprehensive history of the two biggest groups in Irish...

Portuguese rider fatally injured in Macau GP qualifying

15 November 2012 by Stephen Davison

A day of carnage and tragedy marred the opening practice session of the 2012 Macau Grand Prix. After a series of rare crashes earlier in the day Portuguese rider Luis Carreira lost his life in a crash...

Bradley Smith passes first MotoGP examination

15 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith passed the first serious examination of his MotoGP credentials when he impressed in wet and dry conditions on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 debut in Valencia. The British rider had endured a...

Cal Crutchlow hails ‘special’ Marc Marquez

15 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow hailed Marc Marquez’s much anticipated MotoGP debut after the Spaniard finished just over a second off the fastest pace in Valencia yesterday (Wednesday). Cool, windy and...

Dani Pedrosa fastest on heavier Honda in Valencia

15 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa signed off his best ever season in MotoGP by heading the timesheets at the end of a weather-hit two-day test at the Ricardo Tormo track in Valencia. Cold temperatures, intermittent rain...

Rain in Spain a pain for Valentino Rossi

15 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha’s gamble to abandon the Valencia test to go in search of improved conditions at the Motorland Aragon track backfired as further rain disrupted Valentino Rossi’s early 2013 MotoGP...

Pics: Bradley Smith makes Yamaha MotoGP debut in Valencia

14 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith finally got his first chance to lap on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 at the Valencia track in Spain today. The British rider completed an eight-lap stint on Bridgestone rain tyres on...

Yamaha Classic Race Team entered for Classic TT

14 November 2012

Former factory Yamaha mechanic Ferry Brouwer has announced plans to bring his Yamaha Classic Racing Team to the inagural Classic TT in August. YCRT will race in the 250cc, Formula 1 and Formula 2...

Weather ruins Rossi's Yamaha return

13 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cold temperatures and intermittent rain put a huge dampener on the opening day of winter testing in Valencia today, with Valentino Rossi completing just two tentative laps on his Yamaha return in dry...

Pics: Valentino Rossi back on a Yamaha in Valencia

13 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has made his long-awaited return to Yamaha’s factory MotoGP squad in Valencia this morning. The 33-year-old was one of the first out on track in cool and cloudy conditions this morning...

EXCLUSIVE PICS: 2013 MotoGP season gets underway!

13 November 2012 by MCN

The 2013 MotoGP season is officially underway, with the first day of testing underway at Valencia this morning. The test, which sees Valentino Rossi return to Yamaha, will last two days, although the...

Pics: Valentino Rossi makes Yamaha return

12 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has returned to Yamaha’s official factory MotoGP squad at the Valencia track today. The Italian arrived at Yamaha’s garage at the Ricardo Tormo track in the middle of the afternoon...

Poll: How to REALLY spice up MotoGP

12 November 2012 by Guy Procter

Dorna has announced some concessions to the factories by scrapping CRT bikes in 2014 and ditching the idea of control rider aid software. But what do you think would REALLY spice up the spectacle, and...

Casey Stoner bows out with podium in Valencia

12 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner walked away from MotoGP with one last podium after a stunning charge in yesterday’s Valencia race in Spain. The Repsol Honda rider bowed out of Grand Prix racing with a third place in a...

First pics: Danny Kent makes Moto2 debut in Valencia

12 November 2012

Danny Kent didn’t have much time to reflect on his brilliant Moto3 success in Valencia yesterday after the British teenager made his debut on the Tech 3 Racing Moto2 machine this morning. Kent took to...

Jorge Lorenzo relieved title already decided after Valencia crash

12 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo admitted he was relieved to have already wrapped up a second MotoGP world title after he suffered a horrifying high speed crash while leading yesterday’s final race in Valencia. Tricky...

Dani Pedrosa in seventh heaven in Valencia

12 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa might not have won an elusive first MotoGP world title in 2012, but the Spaniard did at least take the honour of winning the most races after he took a seventh win in Valencia...

Valentino Rossi lapped in dismal Ducati farewell

12 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi suffered one final humiliation at Ducati in Valencia yesterday when he was lapped in his final appearance for the Bologna factory. Rossi’s disastrous two-year spell with Ducati ended...

Cal Crutchlow targets more podiums in 2013

12 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow believes he can be battling for the podium in every race in 2013 after his impressive second season in MotoGP ended in painful and frustrating fashion in Valencia...

Nicky Hayden loses proud podium record

12 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden saw his proud record of scoring at least one podium in every season of his MotoGP career disappear in a disappointing conclusion to 2012 in Valencia yesterday. Ever since he joined the...

Gino Rea reflects on missed podium chance

12 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

British rider Gino Rea saw a golden chance to claim his second Moto2 podium in the last three races slip away in a rain-hit Valencia race. Rea, who scored a sensational third in a storm-lashed Sepang...

Ducati confirm Alstare WSB partnership for 2013 and 2014

11 November 2012 by Michael Guy

Ducati’s official World Superbike effort will be run by the Belgian Alstare squad in a new two man team called Team Ducati Alstare. The two year deal will see riders Carlos Checa and Ayrton Badovini...

Valencia MotoGP: Pedrosa prevails with tyre change

11 November 2012 by Liam Marsden

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has won at Valencia today in tricky conditions which saw riders roll up to the grid on a mix of wet and slick tyres. With the track drying Pedrosa, Cal Crutchlow, Nicky...

Valencia MotoGP: Marquez takes astonishing win

11 November 2012 by Liam Marsden

2012 Moto2 world champion Marc Marquez rode an incredible to race to win his final race in the class before moving up to MotoGP for 2013. Marquez was forced to start from last on the grid after...

Valencia MotoGP: Danny Kent victorious in final Moto3 race

11 November 2012 by Liam Marsden

Brit Danny Kent rode an excellent race in wet conditions to take his second Moto3 victory at Valencia in his final race in the class. Starting from seventh position on the grid Kent was always in...

No controlled electronics and no in-season engine mods in MotoGP

10 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Honda, Yamaha and Ducati will no longer be able to introduce new or upgraded engines during the season, but will still be able to use their own traction control and anti-wheelie strategies as part of...

Rain set to spoil Casey Stoner’s MotoGP farewell

10 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner fears his hopes of ending his career in winning fashion could be ruined by the weather in Valencia tomorrow, with his farewell MotoGP race likely to be dominated by rain. The Repsol Honda...

Rossi and Hayden cagey on Ducati boss axe rumour

10 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden gave a lesson in diplomacy in Valencia this afternoon when grilled about the future of Ducati boss Filippo Preziosi. It has been widely reported in Italy and is the...

Valencia MotoGP: Espargaro secures pole position

10 November 2012 by Liam Marsden

Pol Espargaro has taken his eighth pole position of the 2012 season with pole position at the final round of the 2012 season in Valencia despite a crash in the latter stages of the qualifying...

Shane Byrne to test Aprilia ART bike in Valencia

10 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Triple British Superbike champion Shane Byrne will test for the Paul Bird Motorsport squad in next week’s much anticipated MotoGP test session at the Valencia track in Spain. Byrne is a leading...

Valencia MotoGP: Pedrosa takes pole and new lap record

10 November 2012 by Liam Marsden

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa secured pole position for the final race of the 2012 season at Valencia and set a new lap record today. Pedrosa set a fastest lap of 1:30.844 to break the lap record,...

Valencia MotoGP: Folger takes Moto3 pole

10 November 2012 by Liam Marsden

Aspar KTM rider Jonas Folger has taken the second pole position of his career at Valencia today for the final race of the 2012 season. Folger will start ahead of Spaniard Miguel Oliveira and Frenchman...

Valentino Rossi critical of Marc Marquez

09 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi criticised new Moto2 world champion Marc Marquez after the hard riding Spaniard was involved in more controversy on the opening day of practice for the final round of 2012 in Valencia...

Hill announces shock sabbatical

09 November 2012 by Simon Patterson

2011 British Superbike champion Tommy Hill has announced that he will be taking a year-long sabbatical from racing for the 2013 season. The Kent rider has released a statement stating that his...

Andrea Dovizioso curious to test Ducati

09 November 2012 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso says he is curious to understand the size of the task he faces to make Ducati a serious podium challenger in MotoGP when he makes his Desmosedici debut in Valencia next Tuesday. The...