2007

Rossi wins Jerez GP

Rossi wins Jerez GP

Valentino Rossi has returned to dominance with victory at the Spanish GP at Jerez, having taken the lead from polesitter Dani Pedrosa on the first lap. Rossi was able to eke out a lead with small...

Talmacsi wins photo finish Jerez 125cc GP

Talmacsi wins photo finish Jerez 125cc GP

Gabor Talmacsi took the win in the 125cc race at Jerez, denying Lukas Pesek his first win. Talamcsi and Aspar team-mate Hector Faubel dominated most of the race, until Pesek’s Derbi was able to close...

Lorenzo wins Jerez 250cc GP

Lorenzo wins Jerez 250cc GP

Jorge Lorenzo continued his perfect 2007 season with the second victory in two races at Jerez, overcoming Alvaro Bautista and Andrea Dovizioso. All three tooks turns heading the field, with Bautista...

GP Brits bruised but fit to race at Jerez

GP Brits bruised but fit to race at Jerez

British rookies Eugene Laverty and Danny Webb will be fit to ride in tomorrow’s Spanish GP despite both suffering crashes today in Jerez. Irish 250 privateer Laverty was lucky to walk away with...

Locatelli badly hurt in GP smash

Locatelli badly hurt in GP smash

Former world 125 champion Roberto Locatelli is in intensive care in a Cadiz hospital tonight after a horrendous crash in free practice for the Spanish GP this morning. The Italian, currently riding in...

Rossi happy with second on Jerez grid

Rossi happy with second on Jerez grid

Valentino Rossi has declared himself happy despite missing out on pole position in Jerez this afternoon in what was the closest MotoGP qualifying top ten in history. Just 0.325s split pole setter Dani...

Jerez GP grid: Pedrosa from Rossi; 1s covers top 15!

Jerez GP grid: Pedrosa from Rossi; 1s covers top 15!

Dani Pedrosa delighted a near 100,000-strong home crowd to claim pole position for tomorrow’s Spanish GP at Jerez, a fraction ahead of Valentino Rossi. In a thrilling hour-long session, Pedrosa...

Rossi slumps to 18th in Jerez GP practice

Rossi slumps to 18th in Jerez GP practice

SEVEN times world champion Valentino Rossi slumped to a surprise 18th position in this morning’s third free MotoGP practice session in Jerez, as Carlos Checa topped the timesheets. LCR Honda rider...

Roberts springs Jerez surprise

Roberts springs Jerez surprise

American Kenny Roberts Junior sprang an early surprise in Jerez this morning by topping the timesheets in the first free practice session for Sunday’s Spanish GP. After finishing a disappointing 13th...

Bridgestone to test front qualifier

Bridgestone to test front qualifier

Bridgestone will experiment with a new front qualifying tyre at the MotoGP test immediately after this weekend’s Spanish GP. The soft front designed specifically for use in qualifying was due to be...

Suzuki brings forward performance tests

Suzuki brings forward performance tests

Factory Suzuki duo John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen will test new engine parts immediately after this weekend’s Spanish GP in Jerez. The initial plan had been to test new V4 motor performance parts...

Stoner - No regrets about Yamaha

Stoner - No regrets about Yamaha

Casey Stoner says he has got no regrets about missing out on the chance to partner Valentino Rossi in Yamaha’s factory MotoGP squad for the 2007 world championship. The 21-year-old was locked in...

TV's Parrish rides the MotoGP Suzuki

TV's Parrish rides the MotoGP Suzuki

BBC pundit Steve Parrish will feature in a special ride on John Hopkins’ factory Suzuki GSV-R 800 in the build-up to the Beeb’s coverage of this weekend’s Spanish GP. Parrish is the first non...

Stoner keeping feet on the ground

Stoner keeping feet on the ground

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner reckons he’s going to be keeping his feet firmly on the ground as he prepares to try and continue his brilliant start to the 2007 campaign in this...

Hopkins confidence sky high

Hopkins confidence sky high

Factory Suzuki rider John Hopkins has admitted his confidence and morale were given a massive lift after his impressive fourth place finish in the season’s opening race in Qatar earlier this...

Rossi at Coppice

Rossi at Coppice

My photo of Valentino Rossi taken on the Friday practice at Coppice corner at last year’s MotoGP at Donington.

Dorna wrong to ignore 250 and 125 teams

Dorna wrong to ignore 250 and 125 teams

High-profile 125 and 250 team boss Jorge Martinez has spoken of his anger at the smaller classes being omitted from next month’s sponsorship summit in Barcelona. Dorna has arranged a two-day seminar...

Ducati expect Honda retaliation

Ducati expect Honda retaliation

Ducati technical guru Filippo Preziosi reckons there’s an easy way for the likes of Honda to avoid a repeat of their humiliation in Qatar. Asked how much personal satisfaction he took from hammering...

Pitt devastated at Ilmor withdrawal

Pitt devastated at Ilmor withdrawal

Andrew Pitt has spoken for the first time about the bitter disappointment at Ilmor’s shock withdrawal from the MotoGP world championship last week. The Aussie, who suffered a crushing blow at the end...

Aoyama out of Jerez

Aoyama out of Jerez

KTM rider, Hiroshi Aoyama, will miss the next round of the 250 grand prix after sustaining injuries in a crash at Qatar. The crash, suffered at the first meeting of the 2007 season, left the Red Bull...

Edwards desperate for more speed

Edwards desperate for more speed

Colin Edwards has joined factory Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi in pleading for his YZR-M1 to get an urgent power upgrade. Rossi begged Yamaha engineers for a horsepower upgrade after factory Ducati...

Edwards remains upbeat

Edwards remains upbeat

Colin Edwards is confident he will bounce back from his disappointing start to the new MotoGP world championship campaign at the second round in Jerez this weekend. The American was sixth in the...

Repsol stars lead Madrid parade

Repsol stars lead Madrid parade

Repsol Honda stars Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa led an 8000 bike convoy through the Spanish captial of Madrid on Sunday, March 18, 2007. The duo swapped their MotoGP machines for a pair of Honda...

Rossi Graham Madden rides for Yamaha

Rossi Graham Madden rides for Yamaha

This is my son Rossi Graham Madden. He is only two years old and has already got his first MotoGP ride for Yamaha! Guess it’s all in the name! Plus he’s even got his own “brolly mummy”, pictured with...

Hodgson wrong to reject Ducati GP ride

Hodgson wrong to reject Ducati GP ride

Former British and World Superbike champion, Neil Hodgson, was wrong to have rejected the chance to join the D’Antin Ducati MotoGP squad for the 2007 world championship. That’s the view of his manager...

Burgess joy at Rossi deal

Burgess joy at Rossi deal

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess reckons the Italian’s recent new deal with Yamaha’s factory team killed off any suggestion of any hangover from last year’s shock MotoGP defeat. Rossi...

Suzuki to get engine upgrade

Suzuki to get engine upgrade

Factory Suzuki duo John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen will test a different engine spec immediately after the Turkish GP in Istanbul next month. The Japanese factory is keen to build on an impressive...

Stoner: Criticism was unjust

Stoner: Criticism was unjust

Casey Stoner reckons some of the criticism that came his way in his rookie MotoGP year last season was unjust as he aims to prove the doubters wrong in 2007. The factory Ducati rider was criticised...

Smith eyes '08 switch

Smith eyes '08 switch

British teenager Bradley Smith has set his sights on a switch to the world 250 championship in 2008. Smith, who is riding for the Repsol Honda 125 squad in GPs again this season, is confident a good...

Breaking news: Ilmor out of MotoGP

Breaking news: Ilmor out of MotoGP

Ilmor dropped a bombshell today by announcing it has suspended its MotoGP team after just one round of the 2007 world championship. In a phone call to MCN this morning, Ilmor boss Mario Illien...

Q&A with Bridgestone boss

Q&A with Bridgestone boss

Bridgestone’s Manager of Motorcycle Sport Hiroshi Yamada spoke to MCN about his firm’s winning start to the MotoGP season in Qatar. Ducati’s Casey Stoner took the first win of 2007 on Bridgestone...

Ilmor - no regrets

Ilmor - no regrets

Ilmor MotoGP boss Mario Illien says he has got no regrets about embarking on the costly and difficult challenge of trying to be competitive in the MotoGP world championship arena. Despite a nightmare...

Stoner plays down title hopes

Stoner plays down title hopes

Casey Stoner has played down his MotoGP world title aspirations despite his stunning debut premier class win in Qatar. Stoner became the first rider in history to win an 800cc MotoGP race when he...

Faubel takes 125cc win

Faubel takes 125cc win

The 125cc race at Qatar saw a one-two for the Bancaja Aspar team, as Hector Faubel grabbed 25 points from team-mate Gabor Talmacsi. The pair were on their own for much of the race after third...

Lorenzo starts 250cc defence with a win

Lorenzo starts 250cc defence with a win

Jorge Lorenzo has begun his 250cc championship defence with a comfortable win in Qatar, from Alex de Angelis and Hector Barbera Barbera had a hard duel with Thomas Luthi, who finished fourth after...

Stoner takes the win in Qatar

Stoner takes the win in Qatar

Casey Stoner has won the first MotoGP race of the season after a spectacular battle with Valentino Rossi. The two riders completely outpaced the rest of the field at the Qatar circuit but it was...