2004

Year: 2004

Month: ALL

Brit GP date moved

22 December 2004

Changes have been made to the 2005 MotoGP calendar, with the British GP at Donington Park switching to July 24. Other changes include the Italian and Catalunya racers, which move a week later, to...

Best GP trophy for Brno

22 December 2004

The IRTA ‘Best Grand Prix Trophy’ has been awarded to the Czech Grand Prix at Brno in Moravia in 2004. The award is based on a points scoring system that covers every aspect of running a GP,...

Provisional GP entry list

15 December 2004

The provisional entry list for the 2005 MotoGP season has been release with D’Antin Ducati, Aprilia and Proton still to confirm their riders. One thing that stands out is that despite becoming...

Experienced Italian Franco Battaini is about to sign to join the WCM team for 2005. Battaini hopes to put the final stamp on negotiations by the end of the week. The 32-year-old has spent eight years...

Donington traffic plans

08 December 2004

After the horrendous traffic problems encountered by GP fans at this year’s British GP, Donington Park is conducting a traffic impact study as part of the on going improvements to the circuit. The...

Uncertainty for Davies

08 December 2004

British 250cc GP rider Chaz Davies is still not 100 per cent sure where he’ll be riding in 2005. Davies finished the 2004 season in 13th place on a ‘kit’ Aprilia machine. The 17-year-old, who made...

GP teams reshuffle

08 December 2004

It’s not just the riders that are changing teams in the GP paddock, with the Aprilia racing director and Kenny Roberts’ chief mechanic deciding to quit their teams. Suzuki Chief Mechanic Erv Kanemoto...

Rossi packs up for winter

24 November 2004

Yamaha completed its three-day test in Sepang today with Valentino Rossi posting the fastest time of the test. Rossi put in 44 laps, mostly on the 2005 version of the M1, including an endurance test...

Bayliss fastest in test

24 November 2004

After the first wet day of testing at Valencia in Spain, Troy Bayliss has gone fastest on the Honda RC211V. In intermittent rain, the Australian former WSB champion was working alone in the Camel...

Proton V4 sets hot pace

24 November 2004

It looks like the Proton MotoGP team may get a reprieve from running at the back of the grid in 2005 with the shake-down test of its new V4 engine at Jerez last week showing a lot of promise. The...

Aprilia to quit MotoGP?

24 November 2004

Shane Byrne and Jeremy McWilliams could be looking for work later this week as rumours grow that the Aprilia team will not compete in MotoGP in 2005. The team has faced an uncertain future since the...

Checa tops Jerez test

24 November 2004

Carlos Checa has ended the three-day Bridgestone tyre test at Jerez with a fastest lap that beats the time Valentino Rossi set to take pole position at the circuit earlier this year. Checa was at the...

Xaus signs for Yamaha

24 November 2004

Ruben Xaus has confirmed the rumours that he will be riding a Yamaha next year by signing for the Tech 3 Fortuna squad. The Spanish rider impressed the team with his third place finish in the Qatar...

Camel riders named

17 November 2004

Camel Honda has announced its official 2005 MotoGP rider line-up: Alex Barros and Troy Bayliss. Both riders will be riding the yellow Camel Honda RC211Vs on Michelin tyres. Bayliss, WSB champ in...

Biaggi breaks leg

03 November 2004

Max Biaggi’s plans for a strong winter of testing in preparation for the 2005 MotoGP season have been dealt a cruel blow after he broke his ankle in a Supermoto accident. Initial reports suggest the...

KTM confirm GP squad

03 November 2004

Red Bull KTM will enter three riders in the 125cc GP class and one rider in the 250cc championship in 2005. Current squad member Mika Kallio will stay with the team next season, alongside Hnugarian...

Success for Brit racer

01 November 2004

Young British rider Richard Cooper clinched the BMW Youngstar championship with a fifth place at the final round at Valencia. The 21-year-old took the title by one point from Frenchman Guillaume...

Valencia: Rossi wins

27 October 2004

Saturday Final Qualifying: Makoto Tamada is on pole of the final round of the MotoGP championship at Valencia in Spain. Tamada posted a time of 1:32.815 in the second qualifying session, below the...

Roberts boys GP return

20 October 2004

Both Kenny and Kurtis Roberts will rejoin their MotoGP teams for the final round of the 2004 championship at Valencia on Sunday, October 31. Kenny Roberts will take his place in the factory Suzuki...

Ellison confirmed for GPs

20 October 2004

British rider James Ellison will ride for the WCM team in the 2005 MotoGP series after some impressive performances as a replacement rider in 2004. Ellison scored points for the team on his second...

Is Rossi the best ever?

13 October 2004

Valentino Rossi reclaimed the MotoGP world crown in Australia on Sunday. His success on a new bike for 2004 has earned him respect beyond measure. You’ve been posting your tributes to the man and his...

Rossi on provisional pole

13 October 2004

Valentino Rossi is on provisional pole for the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, a race which could see him clinch the MotoGP World Championship. Rossi can win his fourth successive title with a...

Rossi is world champion

13 October 2004

Valentino Rossi has proven without doubt that he is the best rider in the world by giving Yamaha the MotoGP world championship for the first time in 12 years. The title fight finished with all...

Edwards to Yamaha

13 October 2004

Yamaha announced at the Philip Island GP that Valentino Rossi will have a new team-mate for next year, in the shape of former WSB champ, Colin Edwards. Edwards will move from the Telefonica Honda...

Gibernau on Oz pole

13 October 2004

Sete Gibernau has taken pole position for the penultimate round of the MotoGP world championship. Gibernau beat Rossi to the top spot by 0.455 seconds after a late push from the Honda camp that saw...

Haydon stays in MotoGP

06 October 2004

James Haydon will stand in for Proton KR rider Kurtis Roberts, for the second race in succession, at the Kuala Lumpur round at Sepang on Sunday, October 10. Despite having no experience of the Proton...

Denning to MotoGP

01 October 2004

Current Crescent Suzuki boss Paul Denning will become the team manager for the factory Suzuki MotoGP team in 2005. Denning replaces current manager Garry Taylor, who steps down after almost 30 years...

Qatar disaster for Rossi

01 October 2004

Valentino Rossi has seen his championship lead reduced to just 14 points after crashing out of the Qatar GP. The reigning world champion arrived at the circuit with a 39 point lead, but was demoted...

Kagayama gets GP ride

22 September 2004

Yukio Kagayama will replace Kenny Roberts Jnr in the factory Suzuki MotoGP team at the next two rounds; in Qatar ,on October 2, and Malaysia on October 10. Roberts must have his left arm strapped up...

Haydon to ride Qatar GP

22 September 2004

James Haydon will replace Proton KR rider Kurtis Roberts for the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday October 2. Haydon has not competed in the GP series since 1996, when he rode a 500cc two-stroke for the...

Byrne out for 2004

22 September 2004

Shane Byrne says he’s “absolutely gutted” after being ruled out of the rest of the 2004 MotoGP world championship. The 2003 British superbike champion is due to fly to Italy for corrective surgery on...

Tamada takes pole

15 September 2004

Makoto Tamada has taken pole position for the Japanese round of the Moto GP world championship in Motegi. The Japanese rider was setting the pace throughout both qualifying sessions finishing third...

Hopkins fastest in Japan

15 September 2004

Suzuki rider John Hopkins has claimed his first MotoGP provisional pole ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi. Hopkins is on a roll, having claimed his best race finish -sixth – at...

Motegi win for Tamada

15 September 2004

Makoto Tamada has taken the win at his home GP in Motegi, Japan. The Japanese Honda rider managed to avoid the six rider crash on the first corner, then set off after Valentino Rossi taking the lead...

Hodgson Suzuki-bound?

15 September 2004

Rumours are growing that Neil Hodgson is about to sign to switch from Ducati to Suzuki for the 2005 season. MCN is in Japan for this weekend’s Motegi race and will be rooting around for the truth...

Fabrizio replaces Byrne

01 September 2004

Michel Fabrizio will replace Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne on the Aprilia RS Cube this weekend at the Portuguese GP. Englishman Byrne is currently recovering from a dislocated wrist and is hopeful to return...