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2003

2004 MotoGP dates

16 December 2003

After changes to both the British GP and the Brazilian GP the final dates for the 2004 MotoGP season have now been confirmed. The updated calendar is as follows: April 18, South Africa, Welkom; May 2, Spain, Jerez de la Frontera; May 16, France, Le Mans; June 6, Italy, Mugello; June 13, Catalunya, Catalunya; June 26, Netherlands, Assen; July 4, Rio, Jacarepaguá; July 18, Germany, Sachsenring; July...

Hodgson survives MotoGP test scare

16 December 2003

Hodgson survives MotoGP test scare

Neil Hodgson had luck on his side during his first MotoGP test on the 246bhp Ducati Desmosedici V4. An oil leak led to some scary slides within his first three minutes on the bike, but fortunately he...

The MCN MotoGP archive is open

16 December 2003

The MCN MotoGP archive is open

There are hundreds of MotoGP stories currently in our archives for you to browse. We’re adding less additional content than usual to this section while we focus on improving the overall service we...

Hodgson's short Desmosedici debut

09 December 2003

Hodgson's short Desmosedici debut

Neil Hodgson had a short first day on the Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP bike. Damp conditions forced the World Superbike champion to wait until 2:30 before he could take the bike out on track at the...

Biaggi fastest at Valencia

09 December 2003

Biaggi fastest at Valencia

Max Biaggi is the fastest rider at the end of the Valencia MotoGP test. The Italian rider clocked the best time of 1:32.88 during the second day of testing on Thursday but couldn’t better it in...

Davies nominated for Young Sports Personality

02 December 2003

Davies nominated for Young Sports Personality

British 250cc GP star Chaz Davies has been nominated for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award. This season saw the 16-year-old move into the 250cc class after spending his debut year in...

McWilliams signs with Aprilia

02 December 2003

McWilliams signs with Aprilia

Jeremy McWilliams has confirmed he will join Shane Byrne in an all-British factory Aprilia MotoGP squad next season. The 39-year-old signed a contract today (Friday) having flown down to Aprilia’s...

Kato crash investigation results

02 December 2003

Kato crash investigation results

The Honda investigation committee has ruled out mechanical failure as a cause of the crash that took the life of GP rider Daijiro Kato, in a special press briefing on Friday, November 28. It has taken...

Suzuki switch to Bridgestone

01 December 2003

Suzuki switch to Bridgestone

John Hopkins will be riding his Suzuki GSV-R on Bridgestone tyres for next years MotoGP season. Suzuki is a long term partner of Michelin tyres but the GP team announced the switch as part of a move...

Byrne makes Aprilia MotoGP debut

25 November 2003

Byrne makes Aprilia MotoGP debut

Shane Byrne made his debut for the Aprilia MotoGP team on the second day of a three-day test shared with the Ducati team at Jerez in Spain. The 26-year-old was forced to sit out the first day due to...

Byrne debut washed-out

25 November 2003

Byrne debut washed-out

Bad weather has delayed Shane Byrne’s debut factory Aprilia MotoGP test. Both the Ducati and Aprilia factory GP teams are at the Jerez circuit in Spain for a three-day test. Intermittent rain meant...

Checa tests at Sepang

25 November 2003

Checa tests at Sepang

Carlos Checa continued the development of the new Deltabox chassis for the 2004 Fortuna Yamaha YZR-M1 at Sepang this weekend. The Spanish rider was at the Malaysian track to work on the new chassis...

New signings in 250GPs

18 November 2003

New signings in 250GPs

The second and third-placed riders in the 2003 250cc championship will join forces next year for the Fortuna Honda squad. Roberto Rolfo will remain with the team after narrowly missing out on the...

McWilliams likely to sign for Aprilia

18 November 2003

McWilliams likely to sign for Aprilia

Britain’s Jeremy McWilliams is looking likely to partner Shane Byrne in the factory Aprilia MotoGP squad in 2004. McWilliams is due to fly to Italy on Wednesday to finalise a deal after being faxed a...

Xaus joins Hodgson in Ducati GP team

11 November 2003

Xaus joins Hodgson in Ducati GP team

Ruben Xaus will continue as Neil Hodgson’s team-mate next year after signing for the d’Antin Ducati MotoGP squad for 2004. The deal has been on the cards for Xaus since Hodgson signed with the team at...

GP testing starts for 2004

04 November 2003

GP testing starts for 2004

The MotoGP squads have started preparation early for next season with many of the teams staying on after this year’s final race in Valencia for two days of hard testing. After a brief rest on Monday...

MotoGP Scalextric unveiled

04 November 2003

Model and toy firm Hornby has announced a new MotoGP Scalextric slot racing package. Scalextric has secured the MotoGP licence from Dorna, allowing the series to include every rider and manufacturer in the championship. The first deliveries are expected in Spring 2004 to coincide with the opening rounds of the 2004 championship. The bikes will be powered by a small electric motor driving the rear...

Edwards tests Honda RC211V

04 November 2003

Edwards tests Honda RC211V

Colin Edwards has completed his first test on the Honda RC211V he will race in 2004. The American rode in a private test at the Catalunya circuit in Spain for half a day on Tuesday, November 4. MCN’s...

Yamaha confirms Rossi switch

04 November 2003

Yamaha confirms Rossi switch

MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has signed a two-year contract with Yamaha. The deal will see Rossi ride a factory YZR-M1 in the 2004 and 2005 MotoGP world championships and was confirmed in a...

Poggiali third seals 250cc title

01 November 2003

Manuel Poggiali took the 2003 250cc title with a third place at Valencia behind Randy De Puniet and Toni Elias. Title challenger Roberto Rolfo saw his championship hopes fade with a sixth place. Britain’s Chaz Davies finished in 13th place. 1) De Puniet. 2) Elias. 3) Poggiali. 4) Guintoli. 5) Nieto. 6) Porto. 7) Rolfo. 8) Battaini. 9) Bataille. 10) Debon 11) Matsudo. 12) Heidolf. 13) Davies. 14)...

Rossi leaves Honda; Edwards joins

01 November 2003

Rossi leaves Honda; Edwards joins

Valentino Rossi has confirmed that he is not riding for Honda in 2004. Meanwhile Colin Edwards has signed to ride alongside Sete Gibernau under Telefonica Movistar colours. Rossi said that the reason...

Stoner takes debut 125cc win

01 November 2003

Casey Stoner has taken his first-ever 125cc win at Valencia. The 18-year-old Australian overcame the best efforts of Hector Barbera to hold the lead to the flag. Barbera eventually finished third after an attempt to snatch the lead at the last corner saw him run wide and let Steve Jenkner past. 1) Stoner. 2) Jenkner. 3) Barbera. 4) Simoncelli. 5) Giansanti. 6) Bautista. 7) Nieto. 8) Dovizioso. 9)...

Valencia victory for Rossi, Stoner and De Puniet

01 November 2003

The tension continues to build towards Honda’s official announcement this afternoon, following Valentino Rossi’s win at Valencia. Rossi underlined why there is so much interest in his future, triumphing over Sete Gibernau. Loris Capirossi took third on the Desmosedici Ducati. Jeremy McWilliams took 12th on the Proton KR bike. 1) Rossi. 2) Gibernau. 3) Capirossi. 4) Biaggi. 5) Checa. 6) Barros. 7)...

Rossi on provisional pole for Sunday

28 October 2003

Rossi on provisional pole for Sunday

Valentino Rossi posted a new qualifying record lap to take provisional pole for Sunday’s Spanish GP at Valencia. The Italian posted a time of 1:33.643 to lead an all-Honda front row. The only other...

Rossi and Hodgson latest as it breaks

28 October 2003

Rossi and Hodgson latest as it breaks

The final round of the 2004 MotoGP championship promises some huge news about the coming season. MCN is expecting that Neil Hodgson to confirm his departure from WSB on Saturday to join the D’Antin...

Abe fastest in practice at Valencia

28 October 2003

Abe fastest in practice at Valencia

Yamaha’s Norrick Abe heads the first practice session at Valencia, riding for Fortuna Yamaha as a replacement for regular rider Marco Melandri. His time is over two seconds quicker than Garry McCoy,...

Abe replaces injured Melandri

21 October 2003

Abe replaces injured Melandri

Norrick Abe will fill in for injured Fortuna Yamaha regular Marco Melandri at the Valencia GP on Sunday, November 2. The 28-year-old Japanese rider will replace regular team member Melandri for the...

Rossi wins despite penalty

14 October 2003

Rossi wins despite penalty

Valentino Rossi has won the penultimate MotoGP race of the year in fantastic style, taking the win despite incurring his second time penalty of the season. Rossi had a bad start to the race, running...

Rossi on pole at Phillip Island

14 October 2003

Rossi on pole at Phillip Island

Valentino Rossi has taken his Honda RCV to pole position for Sunday’s Australian GP, beating Ducati’s Loris Capirossi in to second place. The newly crowned world champion beat Capirossi’s...

McWilliams ninth in qualifying practice

14 October 2003

McWilliams ninth in qualifying practice

Jeremy McWilliams, who last year claimed pole at Phillip Island on a two-stroke, is in a provisional ninth place on the Proton V5 for this Sunday’s MotoGP at the Australian circuit. Valentino Rossi...

Rossi plays down F1 move

14 October 2003

Rossi plays down F1 move

Newly-crowned MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has played down the rumours that he will be driving a Formula 1 car next year. Rossi was offered a no-strings-attached test drive of the Ferrari F1...

Sepang pole for Rossi

07 October 2003

Amidst rumours about a possible switch to Yamaha, Valentino Rossi put his Honda RC211V on pole for the Malaysian GP on Sunday. Rossi created a new pole lap record of 2:02.480 on his way to the front of the grid. Second place goes to Spaniard Carlos Checa, with Makoto Tamada third. 1) Rossi 2:02.480. 2) Checa 2:02.885. 3) Tamada 2:03.138. 4) Biaggi 2:03.254. 5) Nakano 2:03.342. 6) Capirossi...

Rossi is champion again

07 October 2003

Rossi is champion again

Valentino Rossi has won his seventh race of the year to seal the MotoGP championship for the second year running. The world champion sat behind Sete Gibernau for early part of the race but at half...

Rossi keeps world guessing

07 October 2003

Rossi keeps world guessing

Valentino Rossi looks set to keep the world waiting anxiously for an answer on his future for a few more days yet. It seems all the huge speculation surrounding his future won’t come to an end until...

Rossi on provisional pole for Malaysian GP

07 October 2003

Rossi on provisional pole for Malaysian GP

Valentino Rossi underlined why there is so much speculation about his contract for next year by setting a new qualifying record to put himself on provisional pole for Sunday’s race at Sepang. The...

Rossi set for shock Yamaha switch

07 October 2003

Rossi set for shock Yamaha switch

Valentino Rossi is looking more and more likely to make a shock switch from Honda to Yamaha in 2004. GP sources claim the deal is already done – but nothing official is expected until Sunday’s...