April

Year: 2012

Month: April

Jerez MotoGP: Stoner takes first win of 2012

29 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Reigning MotoGP champion Casey Stoner has taken his first race win of 2012 at Jerez today despite suffering from arm pump in the latter stages of the race. The start of the race saw some of the best...

Jerez MotoGP: Pol Espargaro wins red-flagged race

29 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Pol Espargaro has taken his maiden Moto2 victory at Jerez after the race was red-flagged due to rain at the beginning of lap 19. Marc Marquez was in the lead when the race was red-flagged, but the...

Jerez MotoGP: Fenati takes first Moto3 win

29 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Romani Fenati has won the Moto3 race at Jerez by over 30 seconds in only his second race in the Grand Prix paddock. The young Italian stayed calm throughout the race in tricky conditions, with plenty...

Jerez MotoGP: Marquez takes Moto2 pole

28 April 2012 by MCN

Suter rider Marc Marquez set the fastest time during a drying qualifying session at Jerez to take pole position ahead of tomorrow’s race. Japanese rider Takaaki Nakagami starts from second on the...

Jerez MotoGP: Lorenzo takes home pole

28 April 2012 by MCN

Factory Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo will start tomorrow’s MotoGP race at Jerez from pole position. Lorenzo took advantage of the drying track to take pole position on his final lap of the...

Jerez MotoGP: Alex Rins secures Moto3 pole

28 April 2012 by MCN

Spanish 125 champion Alex Rins has taken his first pole position in Moto3 after a wet qualifying session at Jerez. By the end of the session a dry line appeared, starting a scramble for the front spot...

Jerez MotoGP: Pedrosa leads wet second practice

27 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa set the fastest time during a wet free practice 2 at Jerez today. Ducati rider Valentino Rossi was the early pace setter, with a best time of 1’51.440, but was unable...

The ultimate racing story

26 April 2012 by Mark Palmer

Finally the news story that bike racing fans have been waiting for! Rossi back on a Yamaha? No. Stoner unhappy with Honda’s development progress? Nope. The brilliant TT comeback of Connor Cummins? Good, but no. The feature on Playboy Bunny Lauren Vickers? Oh yes! Even my wife says she would!

Chatter costing Casey Stoner vital time, says HRC crew chief

25 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

The severe chatter issue that has plagued Casey Stoner on Honda’s new factory RC213V machine is costing the reigning world champion precious tenths-of-a-second per lap. Stoner’s Repsol Honda crew...

Casey Stoner unfazed by Yamaha’s early pace

25 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner says he’s not worried by the improved level of competitiveness from Yamaha’s new YZR-M1 1000cc machine, as he bids to capture an elusive first win in Jerez this weekend. The Australian...

Factory Honda or Yamaha return unlikely for Valentino Rossi

18 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Honda has joined Yamaha in distancing themselves from the possibility of signing Valentino Rossi in a shock deal for the 2013 MotoGP world championship. The Italian’s future is already the subject of...

Casey Stoner urges rules stability in MotoGP

18 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Casey Stoner has urged MotoGP bosses to stop meddling with rules and regulations to have a period of stability to help the premier class prosper in the future. The Australian...

Ducati make taming aggressive power delivery priority

17 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ducati will focus on taming the aggressive power delivery with its factory GP12 machine in a bid to make the new 1000cc Desmosedici a more competitive force in MotoGP. Reeling after witnessing Nicky...

New Honda parts imminent to help cure chatter issue

17 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Honda will introduce new parts at the forthcoming post race test in Estoril early next month in a bid to ease the chatter issues currently hindering reigning world champion Casey Stoner and Repsol...

Yamaha still working hard to find new title backer

17 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha is leaving no stone unturned in its bid to replace Fiat as title sponsor of its factory MotoGP squad. This season is the second in succession that Yamaha is self-funding the majority of its...

Loris Capirossi certain Valentino Rossi still fast enough to win

13 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi is still fast enough to challenge Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo’s recent domination of the MotoGP world championship. That’s the view of Rossi’s fellow Italian Loris Capirossi, who...

Qatar fourth confirms huge step by Cal Crutchlow

13 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow’s fantastic fourth place in last weekend’s season opening MotoGP race in Qatar was confirmation of the huge leap made by the British rider for the 2012 world championship. The Monster...

MotoGP budget cap impossible to police, say HRC and Yamaha

13 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha and Honda have said plans for a £12.5m budget cap on what factories can spend on their 1000cc MotoGP projects each season is impossible to police. Dorna is keen to implement a budget...

Yamaha: Jorge Lorenzo’s Qatar win vital early boost

12 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo’s factory Yamaha boss Wilco Zeelenberg said it was vital that the Spaniard pounced on Casey Stoner’s arm pump issue to claim a historic first 1000cc win in Qatar last weekend. Aussie...

Rev limit best way to cut cost and performance of MotoGP prototypes

12 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

A rev limit is the most effective way of reducing costs and cutting the gulf in performance between the factory prototypes and new 1000cc production-based CRT machines in MotoGP. That’s the view of...

Poll: Will Cal Crutchlow get on the podium this year?

11 April 2012

Tech 3 Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow equalled his best ever MotoGP result at Qatar last weekend with a fourth placed finish behind Casey Stoner. The Coventry rider impressed during winter testing and...

Jerry Burgess: “We’re nowhere near fast enough.”

09 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi and Ducati endured a dark night in Qatar after the Italian slumped to a dismal 10th place finish to start the new 1000cc MotoGP world championship. The nine-times world champion was a...

Qatar MotoGP: Yamaha thrilled with Cal Crutchlow form

09 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow’s fantastic fourth place in last night’s opening MotoGP clash in Qatar drew praise from Yamaha management thrilled with his stunning form in 2012. The British rider continued his...

Qatar MotoGP: Ben Spies vows to bounce back quickly

09 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies is aiming to bounce back quickly from a torrid start to the new 1000cc MotoGP era after the Texan slumped to a bitterly disappointing 11th place in Qatar last night. Two heavy crashes...

Qatar MotoGP: Arm pump halts Casey Stoner’s victory bid

09 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner’s hopes of a fifth victory in six years in the season’s opening MotoGP race in Qatar were thwarted by a severe right arm pump issue that dropped the Australian back into third spot. The...

Qatar MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo hails ‘perfect’ start

09 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo was thrilled after a stunning late surge secured him a historic first victory in the new 1000cc MotoGP world championship in Qatar last night. The factory Yamaha rider pounced on Casey...

Qatar MotoGP: Lorenzo victorious at season opener

08 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Factory Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo has won the opening race of the 2012 MotoGP championship at the floodlit Losail circuit in Qatar. Lorenzo took to the front of the pack on the first lap, but...

Qatar MotoGP: Marquez victorious in Moto2

08 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Spaniard Marc Marquez completed a stunning return to Moto2 by taking victory in the opening race of 2012, despite having only been declared fit to race three weeks before the opening...

Qatar MotoGP: Maverick Vinales wins Moto3 opener

08 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

FTR Honda took the top two steps of the podium after Avintia Racing rider Maverick Vinales won the first ever Moto3 race at the Losail circuit, Qatar. Grand Prix newcomer Romano Fenati was the...

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow aims for maiden rostrum

08 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

British fans who have waited over a decade for a British rider to claim a MotoGP podium might only have to wait another few hours after Cal Crutchlow qualified on the front row of the grid for...

Qatar MotoGP: Chatter thwarts Casey Stoner’s pole bid

08 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner fears a repeat of the severe chatter that ruined his bid to claim pole position in Qatar last night could also deny him the chance to claim the first victory of the new 1000cc era at the...

Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi shocked by qualifying slump

08 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s Ducati troubles deepened tonight in Qatar when the Italian finished in a lowly 12th place in qualifying for tomorrow night’s opening MotoGP round at the Losail International...

Qatar MotoGP: Lorenzo steals pole from Stoner

07 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

2010 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo has ended Casey Stoner’s dominance, stealing pole position from the reigning champion in the dying moments of the qualifying session with a lap of 1:54.634. Stoner...

Qatar MotoGP: Luthi dominates to take pole

07 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Suter rider Thomas Luthi has taken pole position with a fastest time of 2:0.187, which he set at the beginning of the session on only his third lap. Luthi has topped every session of the weekend so...

Qatar MotoGP: Sandro Cortese takes first ever Moto3 pole

07 April 2012 by Liam Marsden

Red Bull KTM rider Sandro Cortese has taken the first ever Moto3 pole position under the floodlit Losail circuit in Qatar today, with a time of 2:08.188. Cortese pipped Spaniard Maverick Vinales to...

Qatar MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow plays down podium hopes

06 April 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow has played down hopes that he could kick off the new 1000cc MotoGP era with a podium on Sunday night in Qatar after he ended practice in second position and just 0.154s behind Jorge...