July

Year: 2011

Month: July

Casey Stoner revelling in career best podium run

29 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner says he’s revelling in the best form of his MotoGP career in 2011 having extended his podium streak to eight successive races in Laguna Seca last weekend. But the Australian admits his...

Aspar to remain biggest squad in MotoGP paddock

29 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Spain’s high-profile Aspar squad will retain its status as the biggest squad in the Grand Prix paddock next season having confirmed plans to enter the new Moto3 four-stroke series in 2012. The team,...

Loris Capirossi not interested in World Superbike switch

28 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi is expected to retire at the end 2011 rather than follow the likes of Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri from MotoGP into World Superbikes. The Italian veteran will shun the...

Stefan Bradl’s Moto2 squad still keen on MotoGP switch

28 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Stefan Bradl’s current Moto2 squad is not yet ready to abandon ambitious plans to move to the MotoGP world championship in 2012. The Viessmann Kiefer Racing squad had a self-imposed deadline of the...

Nicky Hayden not giving up on GP11.1

27 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden is likely to switch back to Ducati’s radically revamped GP11.1 machine in the near future, despite opting to stick with the older GP11 version in last weekend’s US Grand Prix. The...

Valentino Rossi cautious on aluminium chassis switch

27 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has once again played down the prospect of Ducati switching to an aluminium frame, despite Loris Capirossi’s admission that the Bologna factory is working on a radical new...

Valentino Rossi predicts intriguing title fight

27 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi might not be competing for the 2011 MotoGP world championship crown, but the Italian says he’s still intrigued and excited to watch the scrap between Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo...

Crammed schedule worry for John Hopkins

27 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

The risk of burnout and loyalty to Suzuki and his British Superbike title commitments were the reasons why John Hopkins knocked back the chance to ride a Honda RC212V machine in Laguna Seca last...

MotoGP teams always committed to race in Japan

25 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

None of the current MotoGP teams had threatened to boycott the Japanese Grand Prix in early October because of radiation fears in the area surrounding the Twin Ring Motegi. Dorna and the FIM confirmed...

Casey Stoner standing firm on Japanese Grand Prix boycott

25 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner has hinted he won’t back down on his refusal to attend the re-scheduled Japanese Grand Prix, despite being told by Honda management they expect him to honour his contract and race at the...

Japanese Grand Prix gets go ahead

25 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

The Twin Ring Motegi MotoGP round, rescheduled for October 2 after a devastating earthquake struck Japan earlier this year, will go ahead as planned. Fears over radiation contamination in the area...

US MotoGP: Front-end woes continue for Valentino Rossi

25 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi admitted that an on-going front-end issue with Ducati’s factory Desmosedici prevented him from improving on a distant sixth position in the US Grand Prix yesterday. The Italian got the...

US MotoGP: Casey Stoner roars back to winning form

25 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner rediscovered his winning touch in stunning fashion at Laguna Seca yesterday to claim his fifth win of 2011. Stoner bounced back from a difficult practice and qualifying...

US MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo takes brave second

25 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Battered and bruised Jorge Lorenzo had to play second fiddle to Repsol Honda again in Laguna Seca yesterday after he was powerless to stop Casey Stoner from surging to a fifth win of 2011. Riding with...

US MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa fades to third

25 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa’s impressive return to MotoGP action continued at Laguna Seca yesterday after he claimed his fifth podium finish of the season. The Spaniard looked like challenging for a second victory...

US MotoGP: Launch control issue proves costly for Ben Spies

25 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies fought back superbly from a nightmare first lap to score fourth place in front of his home crowd at the Laguna Seca circuit in California. Spies dropped back from fourth on the grid to...

US MotoGP: Poor run continues for Cal Crutchlow

25 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow suffered another bitterly disappointing MotoGP weekend after he crashed out in the early stages of yesterday’s US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. The British rider was trying to stay in touch...

US MotoGP: Stoner steals victory from Lorenzo

24 July 2011 by Tom Cambio

Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) stole an impressive fifth win of the season from Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) at Laguna Seca. Lorenzo made a strong start and led for the majority of the race,...

US MotoGP: Huge crash fails to slow Jorge Lorenzo

24 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

A huge high-side after the end of final practice failed to prevent Jorge Lorenzo from claiming a stunning pole position for today’s US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. The reigning world champion suffered a...

US MotoGP: ‘I was a one-lap wonder’ admits Casey Stoner

24 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner fears he doesn’t have the race pace to fight MotoGP world championship rival Jorge Lorenzo at Laguna Seca later today. The Australian qualified his Repsol Honda RC212V machine in second...

US MotoGP: Ben Spies rues late qualifying crash

24 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies saw his hopes of starting his home race at Laguna Seca later today from pole position ruined by a late crash in qualifying. Spies briefly held top spot to the delight of a large and...

US MotoGP: Valentino Rossi equals best qualifying in 2011

24 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi equalled his best qualifying result of the season in Laguna Seca, but the nine-times world champion says he’s still got work to do to compete for a top six finish in today’s 32-lap...

US MotoGP: Lorenzo bounces back to claim pole

23 July 2011 by Tom Cambio

Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) bounced back from crashing out of the final practice session at Laguna Seca to claim pole for tomorrow’s race. Unshaken by a big highside suffered at turn 5 after...

US MotoGP: Nicky Hayden expects to race old Ducati

23 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden made his debut on Ducati’s new GP11.1 machine in Laguna Seca yesterday, but the American is unlikely to race the revamped Desmosedici in his home race. The Kentucky rider clocked a best...

US MotoGP: Valentino Rossi perseveres with new Ducati

23 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has opted to continue riding Ducati’s radically revamped GP11.1 at Laguna Seca, the Italian resisting the temptation to revert back to the older GP11 model. Rossi had requested the...

US MotoGP: Ben Spies confident big gap can be reduced

23 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies is confident he can get closer to the fastest pace in Laguna Seca after he finished the opening day of practice for his home MotoGP round in fifth position. Spies finished over half-a-second...

US MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow stuck in 13th

23 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow finished 13th fastest in both MotoGP practice sessions at the Laguna Seca track in California yesterday. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider, experimenting with a radically revised...

US MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo happy to set Laguna pace

23 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo survived a huge scare to top the timesheets on the first day of practice for the US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. The reigning world champion set the benchmark with a 1.22.056 to finish...

US MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo fastest to deny Honda trio

23 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo ended the first day of practice for the US Grand Prix on top of the timesheets to deny Repsol Honda trio Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso at Laguna...

US MotoGP: Casey Stoner fastest in first practice

22 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner has made a flying start to the US Grand Prix weekend to set the quickest time in opening MotoGP practice session at a cool and overcast Laguna Seca in California. The Repsol Honda rider,...

US MotoGP: ‘Tough to be so far away’ says Nicky Hayden

22 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden has admitted it has been tough to be finishing so far off the pace in MotoGP after Ducati experienced a dismal first half of the season in 2011. Hayden goes into his home race at Laguna...

US MotoGP: Casey Stoner aims to stretch title advantage

22 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner says his main goal in this weekend’s US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in California will be to stretch his title lead over reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo heading into the summer...

Suzuki confirm Brno wild card for John Hopkins

21 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki has confirmed John Hopkins will join Alvaro Bautista on a factory GSV-R machine at next month’s Czech Republic MotoGP round in Brno, as was first reported by MCN back in May. Hopkins, who is...

US MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo expects strong threat from Ben Spies

21 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo is expecting factory Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies to pose a strong threat for victory in this weekend’s US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. Spies is confident he can...

Kevin Schwantz surprised at Valentino Rossi’s Ducati struggle

21 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Kevin Schwantz has spoken of his surprise that Valentino Rossi is struggling so much to master Ducati’s Desmosedici in 2011. The 32-year-old arrives in California this weekend on the back of his worst...

Yamaha cautious on Jorge Lorenzo’s Motegi boycott plan

21 July 2011 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha has said it is too early to decide what action could be taken against reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo if he honours his vow not to ride in the Japanese Grand Prix in October. Lorenzo has...