2007

Year: 2007

Month: ALL

Suzuki not rushing to sign Hopkins and Vermeulen

07 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki’s factory MotoGP team boss Paul Denning has told MCN he is in no rush to secure the services of John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen for the 2008 MotoGP world championship. Hopkins and French GP...

Hayden excused from Suzuka Eight Hour

07 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Reigning MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden has confirmed he will not be contesting the prestigious Suzuka Eight-hour endurance at the end of next month. The Repsol Honda rider was scheduled to fly to...

Edwards not interested in World Superbike return

07 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s factory Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards had told MCN he isn’t contemplating a return to the World Superbike championship, even if he fails to secure his MotoGP future for...

Life exists elsewhere

07 June 2007 by mike gerrard

Shock news just in… a new exciting branch of motorsport has just been discovered – it’s called 250GP. Hitherto unknown to the motorcycling cognoscenti due to a bizarre and sinister wall of silence, this new branch of the sport shows none of the signs of the killer disease ‘F1 Canker’ known to have infected many sports from its roots in Formula One car racing and international football. Discovered...

Tech 3 confirm Vermeulen interest

06 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha’s satellite MotoGP team has confirmed its interest in talking to Aussie Chris Vermeulen about a 2008 ride. Having recently penned a deal to lease two YZR-M1 800 machines from Yamaha in 2008,...

Suzuki close to third bike MotoGP decision

06 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki bosses have confirmed to MCN the decision on running a third GSV-R machine in 2008 is likely to be made at this weekend’s Catalunya GP in Spain. Lengthy negotiations with Spaniard Jorge...

Kawasaki ponders three-rider factory MotoGP team

06 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki is investigating the possibility of running a three-rider factory team in the 2008 MotoGP world championship, MCN can reveal. In a bid to bolster dwindling grid numbers, Dorna boss Carmelo...

Fan invasion sparks fresh Mugello concerns

06 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP Race Director Paul Butler has confirmed to MCN he came close to red flagging last Sunday’s Italian GP to avoid a potentially disastrous track invasion before the end of the 23-lap race. Butler...

Rossi and Capirossi test at Misano

05 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi and Loris Capirossi have completed a brief test at the Misano circuit to alleviate track surface concerns before the return of MotoGP at the San Marino venue in September. MCN can...

Roberts plays down World Superbike switch

05 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Kenny Roberts has played down rumours his British-based MotoGP squad could compete in next year’s World Superbike series. An appearance by team manager Chuck Aksland at the recent rain-lashed...

Hopkins eyes podium return in Barcelona

05 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

American John Hopkins is confident he can make a return to the podium in this weekend’s Catalunya GP in Spain. The track near Barcelona is one of the favourites for the factory Suzuki rider and...

Burgess backs new tyre rule

05 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess has backed the 2007 tyre restrictions, despite recent calls from the Italian to modify the current format. Riders can now only pick from 17 rear and 14 front...

Rea lands Roberts ride for British GP

03 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Emerging British superbike star Jonathan Rea has landed a dream wild card ride in the British GP with Kenny’s Roberts’ Honda-powered squad. The 20-year-old will join 2000 world champion Kenny Roberts...

Rossi wins home GP at Mugello

03 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Italian Valentino Rossi has wowed the crowds by storming to victory at his home Grand Prix. Thousands of fans flocked on to the 3.250mile track to congratulate their hero as he secured just his second...

Bautista and De Angelis make it one-two for Aspar

03 June 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Alvaro Bautista and Alex De Angelis have made it a Master Mapfre Aspar one-two in the 250 Grand Prix at Mugello. The teammates had a few hairy moments with each other in the final stages but common...

Faubel claims victory and championship lead in Mugello

03 June 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Hector Faubel gave Italian motorcycle company Aprilia plenty to cheer about with a victory and the championship lead at their home Grand Prix. The Spaniard, who started from pole position, vied with...

Edwards baffled at slow speed

03 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

American Colin Edwards was left scratching his head searching for answers after he qualified in a disastrous 16th place for today’s Italian GP in Mugello. The Fiat Yamaha rider ended close to six...

Bautista claims his pole of the season

02 June 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Alvaro Bautista has secured his first pole position of the season this afternoon by recording a 1:57.435 lap at Mugello. The Spaniard beat his own best time from qualifying one by almost 12 seconds...

Aussie one-two as rain wreaks havoc at Mugello

02 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner and Chris Vermeulen will start first and second for tomorrow’s Italian GP in Mugello as a rain interrupted weekend continued in this afternoon’s decisive qualifying session. World...

Faubel secures pole for 125s at Mugello

02 June 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Hector Faubel has secured pole position for tomorrow’s 125 race in Mugello after setting the fastest lap in the first of the two qualifying sessions. The Honda rider, who was only 20th in the second...

Simon says follow me in Mugello

02 June 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Julian Simon was the fastest rider for the 250s in Mugello this morning. The Spaniard recorded a best time of 1:55.660 this morning, although this was five tenths of a second slower than his best time...

Pedrosa fends off Italian challenge

02 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa clocked the fastest time in this morning’s third free practice session in Mugello to hold off the increasing threat posed by Italy’s big-name trio. The Spaniard’s best of 1.50.108 gave...

Brits crash unhurt in Mugello

02 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

British duo Bradley Smith and Danny Webb both escaped injury after crashing in this morning’s 125 free practice session in Mugello. With rain threatening constantly during the 45-minute session, the...

Melandri rejects new Honda chassis

02 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Marco Melandri has ditched a new Honda chassis that he tested for the first time yesterday in Mugello. The Gresini Honda rider only got the dry morning session to evaluate the new frame for his...

DeAngelis on provisional pole for 250s

01 June 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Aprilia’s Alex De Angelis was the fastest rider in the first qualifying session for the 250s this afternoon. De Angelis recorded a best time of 2:07.137, some 12 and a half seconds down on his best...

Stoner fastest in Mugello monsoon

01 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner ended a rain-lashed second free practice session quickest as monsoon conditions hit the Mugello circuit. A best lap of 2.07.107 as the torrential rain...

125 riders suffer as monsoon conditions hit Mugello

01 June 2007 by Sarah Carnell

This afternoon’s first qualifying session for the 125s was hampered by a thunder storm and monsoon conditions. Spain’s Hector Faubel was quickest on the Italian circuit at Mugello with a time of...

Lorenzo fastest for 250s

01 June 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Current 250 championship leader Jorge Lorenzo was the fastest rider in free practice this morning after setting a best lap of 1:53.529. The Spaniard was more than a second faster than his fellow...

Vermeulen gambles with front qualifier

01 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Chris Vermeulen has gambled by selecting a front Bridgestone qualifying tyre in his allocation for this weekend’s Italian GP in Mugello. The Aussie hasn’t even tested the new soft front but has chosen...

Pedrosa off to a flying start at Mugello

01 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa cast aside Honda’s disappointing start to the 2007 MotoGP season with a dominant performance in this morning’s opening free practice session for the Italian GP. Under threatening...

Pasini fastest in 125 first practice

01 June 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Aprilia’s Mattia Pasini was quickest in the first 125 practice at Mugello this morning. The Italian recorded a best lap time of 1:59.247 on his home circuit, just over four 10th of a second ahead of...

Yamaha target Toseland for 2008

01 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha has placed James Toseland on a 2008 transfer target list. Tech 3 Yamaha chief Herve Poncharal confirmed to MCN in Mugello that Toseland is on a shortlist of rider targets he has drawn up for...

Yamaha admit Mugello speed concern

31 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s team boss Davide Brivio has admitted Yamaha is worried about the speed advantage title rival Casey Stoner will hold going into this weekend’s Mugello GP in Italy. The long and...

Hopkins: More horsepower remains Suzuki's main target

31 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki still needs to squeeze more horsepower out of its factory GSV-R motor to get close to threatening Ducati’s early 2007 dominance. That’s the opinion of American John Hopkins, who praised the...

Video: Bradley Smith on his first podium in 125GP

31 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

British teenager Bradley Smith got his first GP podium at the Le Mans round of the championship so GP reporter Matthew Birt visited him at his house to see how it feels to be the first Brit on a 125GP...

No way to treat fans of MotoGP

31 May 2007 by Roger Spencer

Rossi fans, fiancee Shirley and myself, have just returned from the Le Mans Moto GP £800 worse off following paying for the best seats at the GP and accommodation etc. The attraction of the seats in the ‘Privilege’ grandstand was that a pit walk was included on the Saturday. Saturday came and as instructed all in the grandstand waited for 40 minutes and then marched over to the pits. We were...