2007

Year: 2007

Month: ALL

Yamaha cool on fifth MotoGP bike talk

16 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha has played down speculation it will run five bikes in the 2008 MotoGP world championship. With reigning world 250 champion Jorge Lorenzo seemingly a certainty to join Yamaha in MotoGP next...

British MotoGP 250 team forced to delay return

16 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

The Winona WCM team has been forced to abandon plans to make a return to the world 250 championship at the British MotoGP. Issues with a proposed sponsorship deal have forced bosses Andy Hyde and...

Casey Stoner out in Montmelo?

16 June 2007 by Dave Hutchinson

I took this photo of my wife Nicola with ‘Casey’ in Montmelo, Barcelona, after his stunning victory over Rossi. (We were told after the photo that this was actually Casey’s brother). But thanks anyway...

Valentino Rossi: MotoGP qualifying tyre ban impossible to police

15 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

A ban on qualifying tyres in MotoGP would be impossible to police, according to MotoGP world title rivals Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi. Prohibiting soft qualifying tyres has been discussed in...

MotoGP's Casey Stoner: 'Phillip Island test convinced me I could win'

15 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner reckons a successful test session at his home track in February started to convince him he could win on Ducati’s new GP7. A three-day session on home soil...

MotoGP stars Rossi and Capirossi to make Misano plea

14 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi and Loris Capirossi will record a special video message which will be played on big screens to fans at the Misano MotoGP race in September, 2007. The Italian duo will make the video...

Hopkins: Bridgestone working hard on qualifying tyres

14 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

American John Hopkins believes Bridgestone is making big strides with its soft qualifying tyres. The factory Suzuki rider tested five new qualifying tyres in a one-day test session at the Catalunya...

Ducati target 2010 deal for MotoGP star Casey Stoner

14 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP world championship leader and current Ducati rider Casey Stoner is poised to begin talks with Ducati bosses about a long-term contract which will keep him with the Bologna factory until the end...

Catalunya GP

13 June 2007 by Darren Goodwin

Darren Goodwin at Catalunya. What better way to spend a Friday?! MCN, sunshine and MotoGP all day.

Crackin’ Catalunya

13 June 2007 by Ann-Marie Tattersall

This year was our second trip to the Catalunya GP – could it better than last year? Course it could! The Spanish really know how to put an event together and it felt right to congratulate them through MCN. From the ease of booking the tickets online to the military precision of crowd control when leaving the venue on race day the organisers had everything planned to perfection. The stands offer...

Hopkins fastest in Catalunya clash

12 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki’s John Hopkins may have just missed out on a podium in the epic Catalunya GP on Sunday, but staying on for tyre testing at the track he won the phoney war with the fastest ever bike lap of the...

Randy's get-off

12 June 2007 by r green

I was at Mugello for the race and got an 8-shot burst of Randy de Puniet’s crash including when he first started to lay the bike down and the sparks flew. Attached is one of him and his bike flying...

Catalunya MotoGP: West to test factory Kawasaki

10 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Australian Anthony West will test Kawasaki’s factory ZX-RR at the Catalunya circuit tomorrow. West will ride injured Frenchman Olivier Jacque’s bike to help Randy de Puniet, who despite producing a...

Catalunya MotoGP: Rea gets British GP test

10 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Jonathan Rea will test Kenny Roberts’ Honda-powered KR212V at Cadwell Park on Wednesday. The shakedown session has been hastily arranged to give the 20-year-old factory Honda British Superbike rider...

Catalunya MotoGP: Bridgestone ecstatic with Stoner win

10 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Bridgestone boss Hiroshi Yamada hailed Casey Stoner after his stunning victory today in a nail-biting Catalunya GP. Yamada described Stoner’s fourth win of the season as ‘unbelievable’ as he opened up...

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner wins titanic battle

10 June 2007 by Rob Hull

Casey Stoner has won a decisive head-to-head with his two closest rivals in the championship, Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa at today’s Catalan GP. The three riders spent the entire race glued...

Catalunya GP: Lorenzo extends 250 lead

10 June 2007 by Rob Hull

Defending World Champion Jorge Lorenzo has tightened his grip of the 250 class with a dominant victory at the Catalan GP. The 20-year-old Spaniard was consistently quickest all weekend and completed a...

Catalunya GP: Slow engine leaves Smith sixth

10 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith finished in a disappointing sixth place in today’s Catalunya 125 GP as a lack of engine speed ruined his bid for a second podium in three races. The British teenager had brilliantly...

Catalunya GP: KTM dominate 125 podium

10 June 2007 by Rob Hull

KTM’s Tommy Koyama has won the 125 race in Catalunya, his first win after an eight year spell in the championship. The Japanese rider took the victory by a fraction of a second from Gabor Talmasci on...

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner fastest in Warm-up

10 June 2007 by Rob Hull

Casey Stoner has posted the fastest lap of this morning’s Warm-up session at the Catalunya circuit. The young Aussie posted a 1.42.908, just topping Kawasaki’s Randy De Puniet who has been the...

Catalunya MotoGP: Jacque ruled out of Barcelona clash

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

French rider Olivier Jacque has been ruled out of tomorrow’s Catalunya GP. The former world 250 champion crashed heavily in this morning’s third free practice session at turn five, suffering neck...

Catalunya MotoGP: Bad luck leaves Capirossi on back row

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi’s 2007 fortunes nosedived again in Catalunya today when he could only qualify 17th fastest. The veteran Italian, subject of interest from Kawasaki for 2008, could only clock a best...

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi reigns in Spain

09 June 2007 by Mathew Birt

Valentino Rossi will start his quest for a sixth MotoGP victory at the Catalunya circuit from pole position tomorrow. The Fiat Yamaha rider, who could give Yamaha a 150th premier class victory in...

Catalunya GP: Brit Smith claims front row

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

British teenager Bradley Smith has claimed a brilliant front row start for tomorrow’s Catalunya 125 GP in Spain. The Repsol Honda rider finished this afternoon’s decisive final qualifying session with...

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi to watch crunch Barcelona game

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi will take a break from his quest to win for a ninth time in Catalunya tomorrow by watching Barcelona’s star-studded football team in action tonight. Barcelona play Espanyol in a crunch...

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner leads Bridgestone charge

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner led a Bridgestone top three to top the timesheets in this morning’s third free practice session in Catalunya. The 21-year-old logged the first sub 1.43...

Catalunya MotoGP: Suzuki delay third bike decision

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki has delayed a decision on whether it will supply a third GSV-R 800cc machine in the 2008 MotoGP world championship until the British GP at Donington Park later this month. The Japanese factory...

Catalunya GP: Smith third on second morning

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

British teenager Bradley Smith has continued his impressive Catalunya GP form after clocking the third fastest time in this morning’s 125 free practice session. Smith, who was second fastest in...

Catalunya MotoGP: Melandri voices front tyre concerns

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Italian Marco Melandri has revealed major concerns about front tyre durability ahead of Sunday’s Catalunta GP near Barcelona. The former world 250 champion told MCN that he has been struggling with a...

Catalunyan MotoGP: Last eight laps Key for Hopkins

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Factory Suzuki rider John Hopkins believes tyre management will be even more critical than normal in Sunday’s Catalunya GP. The American finished this afternoon’s second free practice session with the...

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi denies Pedrosa

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi produced a masterful late charge to claim the fastest time in this afternoon’s second free MotoGP practice session at the Catalunya circuit. Rossi clocked his best time of 1.43.313...

Catalunya GP: Bradley Smith seventh quickest

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

After finishing a brilliant second fastest this morning, British teenager Bradley Smith had to settle for seventh place on the provisional grid for Sunday’s Catalunya 125 GP. The Oxfordshire rider...

Catalunya MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa fastest

08 June 2007 by Angus Farquhar

Home favourite Dani Pedrosa made the perfect start to his quest for a first 800cc MotoGP victory this morning when he set the fastest time in opening free practice at the Catalunya circuit. Boosted by...

Ilmor deny Catalunya MotoGP test

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

The cash-strapped Ilmor MotoGP team has denied Andrew Pitt will return to track action in a test session at the Catalunya circuit on Monday. The entire MotoGP grid will test after Sunday’s race and it...

Smith second fastest in Barcelona opener

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

British teenager Bradley Smith has made a brilliant start to this weekend’s Catalunya GP by claiming the second fastest time in this morning’s opening free 125 practice. The Repsol Honda rider clocked...

Rossi wary of Catalunya first corner

07 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi is confident the new MotoGP practice start rule should help take away part of the danger posed by Catalunya’s perilous first corner. The first corner of last year’s race saw one of the...