January

Year: 2009

Month: January

Engine development freeze can slash MotoGP costs

07 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Honda team boss Lucio Cecchinello believes costs could be cut by 20 to 30 per cent with a freeze on engine development in MotoGP. The LCR Honda boss is one of several teams treading a financial...

Chris Vermeulen backs rider aid reduction bid

07 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Factory Suzuki rider Chris Vermeulen has backed Valentino Rossi’s bid for MotoGP to slash the influence of electronic rider aids. The Aussie sits on the influential MotoGP Safety Commission with Rossi...

Support the companies that support MotoGP

07 January 2009 by Anonymous

I’m a bit of a bike collector. On the road I have 3 “classic” bikes, namely 2 750 Kawasakis and a T150 Triumph and a “modern” bike, a Triumph Thunderbird. I have long been disappointed that Triumph have no presence or even aspiration for racing at the top level and am saddened by Kwak’s withdrawal. The time has come for me (and others?) to support those firms committed to top level racing so I...

Marco Melandri rules out World Superbike move

06 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Not that there are any top factory rides going vacant in World Superbikes, Marco Melandri has ruled out saving his 2009 season with a switch to WSB. The Italian is currently searching for a ride...

Jorge Lorenzo: I want to spend my whole career with Yamaha

06 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo will tell Yamaha bosses he wants to spend his entire MotoGP career with the Japanese factory as he prepares to thrash out a new deal. Yamaha management confirmed to MCN in late October...

600cc Moto2 class to feed MotoGP talent

06 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

The new 600cc class could be used by some of the non-factory teams in MotoGP as ‘feeder’ outfits to help them nurture talented young riders for a premier class future. The Scot Honda team that will...

Lucio Cecchinello rules out Marco Melandri swoop

05 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

LCR Honda team boss Lucio Cecchinello has told MCN he won’t be offering Marco Melandri a MotoGP lifeline in 2009. Former world 250 champion Melandri is frantically searching for a ride following the...

MotoGP calendar cut not answer to cost saving

05 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP team bosses believe a reduction in the number of MotoGP races would have little or no impact on slashing costs. With the global credit crunch forcing the likes of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati to...

Tech 3 Yamaha boss dismisses John Hopkins move

05 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 Yamaha team manager Herve Poncharal has categorically denied considering bringing in John Hopkins to partner James Toseland for the 2009 MotoGP campaign. Rumours circulated that Hopkins was...

Is anybody else need help?

02 January 2009 by Anonymous

it was made earlier this year for laughs but now it comes somehow closer to reality…

Ducati forced to revise 2009 line-up

02 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

Ducati has been forced to revise its 2009 line-up, with rookie Niccolo Canepa now to campaign his first MotoGP season for the new Onde 2000 squad. Canepa will now partner returning Spanish veteran...

John Hopkins still waiting on Kawasaki

01 January 2009 by Matthew Birt

American John Hopkins is still waiting for official confirmation that Kawasaki will plunge the MotoGP world championship into crisis by withdrawing its factory team from the 2009 season. Kawasaki has...