2014

Year: 2014

Month: ALL

Why is Cal Crutchlow struggling so much?

13 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

No grip, no lean angle, no confidence. That about sums up Crutchlow’s Ducati experience so far. “I’ve been scared to ride the bike because I have no idea what it is going to do from corner to...

Sachsenring Moto2: Aegerter steals pole

12 July 2014 by Liam Marsden

Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter took his first Moto2 pole position at Sachsenring on Saturday with a best time of 1’24.761. Aegerter took pole position from Marc VDS rider Mika Kallio in the dying...

Sachsenring MotoGP: Marquez takes pole with new record

12 July 2014 by Liam Marsden

Marc Marquez will start from pole position after breaking Casey Stoner’s pole position record with a fastest time of 1’20.937. The Spaniard heads an all Honda front row ahead of team-mate Dani Pedrosa...

Sachsenring Moto3: Miller takes pole

12 July 2014 by Liam Marsden

Championshiop hopeful Jack Miller will star tomorrow’s Moto3 race from pole position after after making the most of the good conditions early in the session. Miller set a best lap of 1’26.997 before...

Pedrosa to remain with Repsol Honda until 2016

09 July 2014 by Simon Patterson

Dani Pedrosa has announced that he will remain part of the Repsol Honda squad alongside Marc Marquez for another two years, signing a deal that will see him remain a part of the official team until...

Tech 3 won’t sacrifice YZR-M1 for Aleix Espargaro

07 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Aleix Espargaro’s aspirations of racing younger brother Pol on an identical factory-backed Yamaha in 2015 have been quickly crushed. The Spaniard was hoping his Forward Racing squad could secure the...

Smith, Bradl and Iannone set for Sachsenring Turn 11 test

07 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

British rider Bradley Smith, LCR Honda rider Stefan Bradl and Italian Andrea Iannone have been selected to take part in a special pre-race test at the Sachsenring on Thursday to assess whether the...

Pol Espargaro free to quit Yamaha if Lorenzo stays

07 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Pol Espargaro has admitted he is unlikely to quit Yamaha for 2015, despite having an option to leave if the door to a factory YZR-M1 ride is slammed shut in his face for next season. MCN has learned...

Marc VDS Racing clarifies Jack Miller contract situation

04 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

The contract saga surrounding Moto3 sensation Jack Miller for 2015 is showing no sign of reaching an amicable resolution. The much sought after Aussie teenager signed a pre-contract for 2015 and 2016...

Honda deny 2015 talks with Cal Crutchlow

04 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Honda is not planning to launch a bid to save Cal Crutchlow from his Ducati nightmare. Rumours started to emerge in Assen last weekend that Crutchlow was being considered as a replacement for Alvaro...

Aspar to continue with Honda in MotoGP in 2015

04 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Spain’s high-profile Aspar squad will continue its MotoGP relationship with Honda in 2015 after confirming it will race a pair of production RCV1000R machines again in a two-rider outfit. Aspar boss...

HRC: No extra RCV1000R bikes on 2015 MotoGP grid

03 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Honda will not expand the number of production RCV1000R machines it has on the MotoGP grid for 2015. HRC has confirmed that it will enter a maximum of four RCV1000R machines next season, despite big...

Suzuki preparing for Valencia wild card appearance

03 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki’s new 1000cc MotoGP contender is set to make its much anticipated race debut in the final round of the 2014 world championship in Valencia in November. Plans for one or more wild card...

Yamaha ‘happy’ to keep Valentino Rossi until end of 2016

02 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis has spoken of his delight at securing nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi on a new two-year contract. Rossi’s deal to remain on a factory YZR-M1 for 2015 and 2016 was...

Valentino Rossi ‘proud’ to clinch new Yamaha contract

02 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi says he is ‘proud’ to have clinched a new two-year contract to stay with Yamaha’s factory MotoGP squad until the end of 2016. Five podium finishes in the first eight races have proved...

Valentino Rossi signs new two-year Yamaha deal

02 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has penned a new two-year deal with Yamaha’s factory MotoGP squad. The Italian made it clear right from pre-season testing in February that he wished to clinch a new two-year...

Dominique Aegerter aiming for MotoGP move in 2015

02 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Moto2 front-runner Dominique Aegerter is hoping he can secure a full-time switch to MotoGP in 2015. The Swiss rider made his MotoGP debut recently when he tested the Avintia Kawasaki Open class...

Pramac Ducati: Hard to replace Andrea Iannone

02 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Pramac Ducati bosses have admitted it will be difficult to replace Andrea Iannone if the Italian secures the factory seat he is seeking with Ducati or Suzuki for 2015. The 24-year-old has made it...

Aleix Espargaro: Hard to judge Suzuki potential

01 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

Aleix Espargaro reckons it is impossible to judge the true potential of Suzuki’s new factory MotoGP bike, which will return to premier class competition in 2015. The Spaniard, who finished the...

LCR pondering 2015 expansion plans

01 July 2014 by Matthew Birt

LCR Honda is once again exploring the option of expansion to a two-rider effort in 2015. Lucio Cecchinello’s Monaco-based squad has run as a one-rider effort ever since it joined MotoGP back in 2006...

Assen MotoGP: Rains fails to halt Marquez

28 June 2014 by Liam Marsden

A wet start failed to dampen Marc Marquez’s blistering start to 2014, with the reigning champion taking his eight successive win of the season. After two sighting laps and a chance to change bikes the...

Assen Moto2: West takes victory in wet race

28 June 2014 by Liam Marsden

Anthony West took his first Grand Prix victory in 11 years in a wet Moto2 race at Assen today. Brit Sam Lowes took the lead early in the race before being relegated to second by Simone Corsi. Lowes...

Assen Moto3: Marquez takes second successive victory

28 June 2014 by Liam Marsden

Spaniard Alex Marquez took his second successive victory in the Moto3 race at Assen ahead of team-mate and compatriot Alex Rins. Portugese ride Miguel Oliveira completed the podium in third place...

Cal Crutchlow in Suzuki talks

27 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki could offer Cal Crutchlow an early escape from his Ducati hell. The British rider’s personal manager Bob Moore met with senior Suzuki management during the recent Catalunya race in Barcelona,...

LCR Honda aiming to retain Stefan Bradl for 2015

24 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Stefan Bradl’s Honda MotoGP future maybe hanging in the balance, despite LCR boss Lucio Cecchinello’s determination to offer the German a new deal. The 2011 Moto2 world champion has scored just one...

Aleix Espargaro: ‘I want a factory bike next year’

23 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Aleix Espargaro wants to take on younger brother Pol on an identical factory-backed Yamaha in 2015, despite the Spaniard emerging as a key target for Suzuki’s returning MotoGP squad. The Spaniard is...

Andrea Dovizioso nearing future decision

20 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso is confident he will have decided on his 2015 plans by the next race in Assen, with Ducati and Suzuki leading the chase for the Italian’s signature. The dilemma for the former 125GP...

Tech 3: Pressure not building on Bradley Smith

20 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal says pressure is not building on British rider Bradley Smith to improve his results to bolster his chances of keeping his place in the leading no-factory...

Andrea Iannone targets factory Ducati promotion

19 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Iannone is desperate to secure a factory Ducati ride in 2015 – despite claiming to have an offer to join Suzuki’s new 1000cc project. The Italian is closely monitoring Ducati’s factory squad to...

Yamaha delighted with Valentino Rossi’s resurgence

19 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Senior Yamaha management have admitted being delighted and surprised by Valentino Rossi’s resurgent form in the 2014 MotoGP world championship. The Italian’s brilliant second place in Sunday’s...

Honda plays down pay cut demand to Dani Pedrosa

18 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Honda has denied putting pressure on Dani Pedrosa to swallow a massive pay cut to keep his prized seat alongside Marc Marquez in 2015. It has been rumoured that HRC is only willing to offer the...

Leon Camier remains on Aspar Honda standby

18 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Leon Camier will remain on standby for the Aspar Honda squad for the foreseeable future in case Nicky Hayden has any additional problems with a long-running right wrist injury. British rider Camier...

Mixed reaction to F1 corner test in Catalunya

18 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

A special 30-minute test on a revised layout of the Catalunya track divided the MotoGP grid earlier this week. The majority of the premier class field, including reigning world champion Marc Marquez,...

Marc Marquez: Dani was faster than me

17 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Marc Marquez believes that Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa was the faster rider in the closing stages of a memorable Catalunya MotoGP race last Sunday. Marquez had to dig deep to claim a seventh...

Valentino Rossi hails ‘strong and brave’ Marquez

17 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has heaped praise on runaway MotoGP world championship leader Marc Marquez after the Spaniard prevailed in a thrilling final lap battle for the third time in 2014 in Spain last...

Dani Pedrosa: No regrets over last lap strategy in Catalunya

17 June 2014 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa says he doesn’t regret his last lap strategy after the Repsol Honda rider failed to stop HRC teammate Marc Marquez from claiming a seventh straight win in a classic Catalunya battle last...