MotoGP (September 2008)

Legendary crew chief of Valentino Rossi, Jerry Burgess, has criticised the decision to introduce a single tyre rule for the 2009 MotoGP world championship. The Aussie believes multi-brand competition...

Italian veteran Loris Capirossi reckons an early spec 2009 Suzuki engine he tested in Japan yesterday is another step in the right direction to help the Japanese factory get on par with rivals Yamaha...

Former world champion Nicky Hayden reckons he was ‘blown away’ at his first meeting with Ducati technical guru Filippo Preziosi. The American got the chance to discuss his future with Preziosi at...

James Toseland’s Tech 3 Yamaha boss Herve Poncharal is not concerned that the independent teams might find it harder to compete in MotoGP after the implementation of a single tyre rule for...

Valentino Rossi dedicated his sixth MotoGP crown to late Yamaha star Norick Abe at the Twin Ring Motegi yesterday. Rossi was a huge fan of Abe and when he started his world championship career in 1996...

Torrential rain forced Valentino Rossi to abandon plans to get his first impressions of Yamaha’s early 2009 prototype YZR-M1 at the Twin Ring Motegi today. Looking surprisingly perky despite huge...

Suzuki test rider Nobuatsu Aoki was lucky to suffer just a badly swollen and bruised left ankle after he crashed out during a brief test session this morning at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit. Aoki was...

Yamaha Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis praised the huge team effort involved in Valentino Rossi winning his first MotoGP title since 2005 at the Twin Ring Motegi yesterday. Rossi’s victory gave...

Yamaha senior boss Masao Furusawa has spoken of his pride at seeing Yamaha and Valentino Rossi return to winning ways after a torrid two-year spell. Get all the latest MotoGP news Furusawa was a...

Valentino Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha team boss Davide Brivio was full of praise for the Italian star after he clinched an eighth world title in Japan yesterday. Rossi’s victory over Ducati rival Casey Stoner...

Yamaha president Takashi Kajikawa has spoken of his delight at Valentino Rossi winning a third MotoGP world title for the Japanese factory at the Twin Ring Motegi yesterday. Kajikawa was jubilant as...

Valentino Rossi won his first MotoGP world title since 2005 today to give Yamaha the premier class crown on home soil at the Twin Ring Motegi. Once Rossi passed out-going world champion Casey Stoner...

Just hours after clinching his eighth world title in today’s Japanese GP, Valentino Rossi will kick off early preparations for his 2009 MotoGP assault at the Twin Ring Motegi on Monday. The Italian is...

Suzuki will roll out an early prototype version of its 2009 factory GSV-R motor at the Twin Ring Motegi tomorrow (Monday). Test and development duo Kousuke Akiyoshi and Nobuatsu Aoki will complete...

Casey Stoner blamed a lack of fitness for his failure to stop Valentino Rossi celebrating his sixth premier class world title with a victory at the Twin Ring Motegi today. Rossi ended Stoner’s reign...

Dani Pedrosa secured his first podium since his controversial switch to Bridgestone tyres today at the Twin Ring Motegi. The Spaniard was a leading figure in the early exchanges as he passed Casey...

British rider James Toseland claimed a hard fought 11th place in Japan today after a titanic battle with John Hopkins. The Tech 3 Yamaha rider had held off the American for 15 laps in a nail-biting...

My wife and I have just returned from a holiday in the US, which included a trip to watch the MotoGP at Indianapolis. Although we were disappointed that the racing was curtailed by the aftermath of...

Valentino Rossi has become the 2008 MotoGP champion after taking Yamaha's first ever win at Motegi, Japan. Valentino Rossi didn't get a great start and was fifth at the end of the first lap, with 2007...

Marco Simoncelli took his fourth 250GP win of the season at the Twin Ring Motegi ahead of championship rival Alvaro Bautista. Simoncelli started to break away from the following pack but was chased...

The 2009 MotoGP world championship will adopt a one-make tyre rule with Bridgestone winning the exclusive contract, as was exclusively revealed by MCN earlier this week. Despite yesterday’s dramatic...

German Stefan Bradl has taken only the second ever win of his career at Motegi ahead of pole man and championship leader Mike Di Meglio. Nicolas Terol got the holeshot in to the first corner where, in...

Valentino Rossi had to settle for a frustrating fourth place on the grid for tomorrow’s Japanese GP, but the Italian believes he can still fight for the victory to seal the 2008 world title. With a...

Nicky Hayden continued his welcome return to form at the Twin Ring Motegi today when he claimed his third front row start of the season. The Ducati-bound American posted a best time of 1.45.971 to...

Casey Stoner’s hopes of claiming an eighth pole position of the season were ruined by a bug that smashed into his visor on his last flying lap of today’s Japanese GP qualifying session. The Aussie had...

Jorge Lorenzo described his stunning pole position lap in Japan today as ‘amazing’. The Fiat Yamaha rider claimed his first pole since the Estoril GP in Portugal way back at the third race of the...

James Toseland reckons he could not have done much more to improve on his top ten qualifying result in Japan today. The British rider will start tomorrow’s 24-lap Japanese GP from 10th place on the...

Michelin rider Jorge Lorenzo has surprised everybody by taking pole position at Motegi with a record time of 1.45.543. Lorenzo, who tomorrow will run a Lupin III tribute paint scheme will be looking...

Current 125GP championship leader Mike Di Meglio has taken his first ever pole position at Motegi, Japan with a best time of 1.58.678. Alongside Di Meglio on the front row will be Stefan...

In an incredible late twist, Ducati and Casey Stoner could make a shock switch to Michelin tyres in 2009 as the MotoGP world championship might now avoid adopting a one-make tyre rule after an amazing...

Valentino Rossi made a solid start to the Japanese GP today to finish third quickest on the opening day of a weekend that could see him claim a sixth MotoGP world crown. Rossi goes into Sunday’s race...

Casey Stoner’s reign as MotoGP world champion might be close to ending, but the Aussie showed he intends to go down fighting after he topped the timesheets on the opening day of free practice for the...

Dani Pedrosa made a positive start to his second appearance on Bridgestone tyres today, with the Spaniard clocking the second best time on a rain-hit start to the Japanese GP. The Repsol Honda rider...

James Toseland might have ended up the opening day of practice for the Japanese GP down in a lowly 14th place, but the British rider was still delighted with his performance on his Twin Ring...

Casey Stoner has showed no sign of slowing down in Motegi as he set the fastest lap in free practice on the factory Ducati. Stoner set a fastest lap of 1.48.121 with Dani Pedrosa only seven hundredths...

Japanese rider Yuki Takahashi has confirmed he will quit the world 250 championship at the end of the year to join MotoGP. Takahashi will ride for the Scot Racing Team Honda, which is a new outfit...