2009

Year: 2009

Month: ALL

Kevin Schwantz sad at British MotoGP switch

16 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

American legend Kevin Schwantz has spoken of his sadness at seeing his beloved Donington Park lose the British MotoGP race to Silverstone from 2010. Four of Schwantz’s 25 MotoGP victories were...

Hollywood says Happy Birthday to Valentino Rossi

16 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Daniel Day-Lewis have both sent 30th birthday messages to reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi. Top Gun star Cruise, who attended last year’s American GP race...

Scott Redding tipped as 125GP title challenger

16 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

German Stefan Bradl believes British sensation Scott Redding will be a serious contender for the 2009 125GP world championship. Speaking at the launch of his Kiefer Racing Aprilia team at the famous...

Valentino Rossi celebrates 30th birthday

16 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Italian MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi is celebrating his 30th birthday today (Monday). Rossi, who began his world championship career with Aprilia in the 1996 125GP series, has gone onto become one of...

Maxtra searching for engine speed

16 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Increasing engine performance is the next key target for the new Maxtra 125GP squad after a successful two-day test session in Valencia last week. British rookie Matt Hoyle and Austrian Michael...

Matt Hoyle improves but crashes in Valencia

15 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

British 125GP rookie escaped injury in a crash on the final day of testing in Valencia as he on the new Maxtra machine. The 17-year-old former Red Bull Rookie star knocked a massive three seconds off...

Colin Edwards renews attack on James Toseland

13 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards has launched another attack on British rider James Toseland over the controversial crew chief switch at Tech 3 Yamaha for 2009. Edwards lost his crew chief Gary Reynders to Toseland for...

Kenny Roberts stars in celebrity golf tournament

13 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

American MotoGP legend Kenny Roberts’ departure from the paddock enabled him to spend more time indulging in his passion for golf. And the Californian seems to have put his spare time to good use as...

Pics: James Toseland’s Sepang crash helmet

13 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

These exclusive pictures of James Toseland’s Airoh helmet shows why the British rider was lucky to escape with only minor injuries after his 125mph testing high-side in Sepang. Toseland destroyed his...

Fast start for Marco Simoncelli in Valencia

13 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world 250GP champion Marco Simoncelli kicked off preparations for the defence of his crown in positive fashion when he logged the quickest time in Valencia yesterday (Thursday). The Italian...

Matt Hoyle makes official 125GP debut

13 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

British rider Matt Hoyle made his debut for the new Maxtra 125GP team in Valencia yesterday (Thursday), ending 10th quickest for the John Surtees-inspired project. The 17-year-old clocked a best time...

A chance encounter with James Toseland

13 February 2009 by Tricia Bignell

I thought you may like to see these pictures of a huge coincidence! I was waiting for a flight to Holland at Birmingham airport on Wednesday (11th) and had just been reading my MCN about poor JT’s...

Valentino Rossi drinks MCN’s Monster

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

This is the first official picture of Valentino Rossi using energy drink Monster – using cans hand delivered by MCN! MCN MotoGP reporter Matthew Birt carried out five cans of Monster in his luggage to...

My Rossi tattoo

12 February 2009 by david owen

I was hoping you would print a photo of my new Valentino tattoo. I’ve just had it done for the new season and was really hoping to get it personally signed by rossi when he comes to Donington. Ed:...

James Toseland given all-clear after 125mph Sepang crash

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

James Toseland has been given the all-clear following medical checks after his spectacular 125mph high-side crash during last week’s Sepang MotoGP test session in Malaysia. The British rider passed...

Andrea Dovizioso sure Honda will be competitive

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Italian Andrea Dovizioso is confident that Honda’s new RC212V will be competitive enough to challenge Yamaha and Ducati in the 2009 MotoGP world championship. The former world 125 champion reckons the...

Ducati hold high expectations for Mika Kallio

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Ducati bosses are confident that Finnish rookie Mika Kallio will be able to make a big impression in MotoGP in his rookie campaign. The former KTM 250GP rider continued his promising pre-season...

Casey Stoner ready to step up training

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Former MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner will step up his pre-season training campaign after he topped the timesheets at last week’s Sepang test in Malaysia. The Aussie cast aside the constant pain...

Valentino Rossi doubts Kawasaki quit motives

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Valentino Rossi has voiced doubts that Kawasaki quit the MotoGP world championship purely because of the global economic crisis. Kawasaki quit MotoGP at the beginning of...

Winter testing to be slashed again in MotoGP

11 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner’s winter preparations for the 2010 MotoGP world championship could be restricted to just eight days of testing under future cost-cutting plans. The impact of the...

Loris Capirossi fitter and stronger for 2009

11 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Italian veteran Loris Capirossi reckons a punishing new training regime has put him in the best physical shape of his long career ahead of his 20th MotoGP campaign in 2009. The triple world champion...

Randy de Puniet admits Bridgestone troubles

11 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

French rider Randy de Puniet is hoping he can find a direction with Bridgestone’s 2009 tyres after he struggled badly during the opening test in Malaysia last week. The LCR Honda rider could only post...

Yamaha boss reluctant to stop engine development

11 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha’s MotoGP boss Masao Furusawa believes urgent cost-cutting measures must not sacrifice engineering and technology development. Furusawa, who has masterminded Yamaha’s return to prominence since...

Valentino Rossi not surprised by record lap times

11 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi says he isn’t shocked by the record-breaking lap times currently being produced in winter testing. There were fears that the controversial introduction...

Jorge Lorenzo looking for Bridgestone confidence

10 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo is confident that he will quickly adapt to Bridgestone tyres after last weekend’s opening 2009 test in Sepang. The Fiat Yamaha rider finished the three-day session only eighth...

Colin Edwards to undergo neck injury checks

10 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards will undergo medical checks on his injured neck in Texas later on today (Tuesday). The American was plagued by the old injury during last week’s Sepang test session in Malaysia when he...

No special Honda support for Toni Elias

10 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Toni Elias won’t get any extra support from Honda unless his satellite Gresini squad stumps up the cash for new parts. Despite having ‘factory’ rider status for 2009, Elias still won’t get the level...

Honda boss explains satellite team rev limit

10 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Honda has confirmed cutting revs on the RC212V engines distributed to its satellite teams for the 2009 MotoGP campaign. Having finally taken delivery of the pneumatic valve engines used by Honda’s...

Suzuki against MotoGP testing restrictions

10 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki has opposed a planned ban on all MotoGP testing during the season in 2009. As part of a range of radical cost-cutting measures to counter the global economic crisis, scheduled tests after five...

Monster close to Tech 3 Yamaha deal

09 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

James Toseland and Colin Edwards are expected to line-up on the 2009 MotoGP grid with backing from energy drink Monster, MCN can reveal. The American energy drink giant is close to signing a deal to...

Colin Edwards thrilled with single tyre rule

09 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards reckons the controversial switch to a single tyre rule for 2009 has taken a lot of risk and stress out of riding in MotoGP. Under the new rules in winter testing, riders only have two...

Casey Stoner not expecting new parts before first race

09 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Aussie Casey Stoner reckons he is unlikely to get any major new parts for Ducati’s new GP9 before the seasons gets underway in Qatar on April 12. The 2007 MotoGP world champion though hardly needs any...

Hungary MotoGP race ‘likely to be cancelled’

09 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

The Hungarian MotoGP race, scheduled to take place on September 20 at the new Balatongring, looks certain to be postponed. Although there has been no official confirmation that the race will not go...

Sepang test: Casey Stoner thrilled at new Ducati performance

07 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner declared himself thrilled after he kicked off 2009 by narrowly beating arch MotoGP rival Valentino Rossi to the fastest time in the three-day Sepang test. Worried that a long winter...

Sepang test: Valentino Rossi confident after 2009 debut

07 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi kicked off the defence of his MotoGP crown in 2009 in impressive fashion to finish the first test of the year in Sepang with the second best time. A best lap of 2.01.137 set in the...

Sepang test: James Toseland to undergo medical checks

07 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

British rider James Toseland flew home to the UK tonight with his first priority to get his battered and bruised body checked over in hospital. The double World Superbike champion’s brave attempt to...