MotoGP on MCN

Here at Motor Cycle News we deliver bespoke MotoGP news from expert reporters on the ground at every major event. We get everything that's new in MotoGP before anyone else.

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi confirms Rally of Great Britain plan

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi confirms Rally of Great Britain plan

Valentino Rossi has confirmed he is in discussions about competing in his second Rally of Great Britain later this year. Rossi, who is a huge rally fan, is planning to contest the Wales Rally of GB...

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi happy with improved Michelin performance

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi happy with improved Michelin performance

Valentino Rossi is confident that new Michelin tyres he’s used on the opening day of the Estoril GP in Portugal are a big step in performance after his recent troubles. The Italian has one new front...

Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo continues form for provisional 250 pole on Sunday

Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo continues form for provisional 250 pole on Sunday

Aprilia’s Jorge Lorenzo carried his impressive form in to this afternoon’s qualifying session to record provisional pole for Sunday’s 250 race. The Spaniard knocked almost a second off his best time...

Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner dominates in Portugal

Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner dominates in Portugal

Casey Stoner ended the opening day of free practice at the Estoril circuit in Portugal with the fastest time as Michelin duo Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa continued to post competitive...

Estoril MotoGP: Mattia Pasini takes provisional pole for 125 MotoGP race

Estoril MotoGP: Mattia Pasini takes provisional pole for 125 MotoGP race

Aprilia’s Mattia Pasini grabbed provisional pole for Sunday’s 125 MotoGP in the last few minutes from Gabor Talmacsi. The Italian recorded a best time of 1:45.115 two laps before heading in to the...

Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo fastest in 250 free practice one

Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo fastest in 250 free practice one

Jorge Lorenzo was the fastest man out on track this afternoon in the first 250 free practice. The Aprilia man recorded a best lap of 1:41.445 on the final circuit of the Portugese track. Andrea...

Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner fastest as Valentino Rossi and Michelin fight back

Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner fastest as Valentino Rossi and Michelin fight back

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner topped the timesheets in this morning’s opening free practice session in Estoril, fending off an improved challenge from Valentino Rossi and...

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner square up off track

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner square up off track

Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi and Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner took their rivalry off the track in Estoril yesterday afternoon when they squared up for a game of table football. The top two in the...

Estoril MotoGP: Mattia Pasini leads 125 free practice one

Estoril MotoGP: Mattia Pasini leads 125 free practice one

Aprilia’s Mattia Paini was the fastest rider in the first 125 MotoGP practice in Estoril this morning. The Italian recorded a best lap of 1:45.949 which was just under half a second ahead of next best...

Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo to test Yamaha MotoGP bike in Japan

Estoril MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo to test Yamaha MotoGP bike in Japan

New Yamaha MotoGP recruit Jorge Lorenzo will test a factory YZR-M1 800 machine for the second time in a one-day session after next weekend’s Japanese GP in the Twin Ring Motegi. The reigning world 250...

Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner hoping Chaz Davies gets 2008 MotoGP chance

Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner hoping Chaz Davies gets 2008 MotoGP chance

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner has told MCN that he hopes close friend Chaz Davies gets the chance of a full-time ride in the 2008 MotoGP world championship. The Australian attended the...

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi to stick with Michelin tyres in 2008

Estoril MotoGP: Valentino Rossi to stick with Michelin tyres in 2008

Fiat Yamaha boss Davide Brivio has confirmed on the eve of the Estoril GP in Portugal this weekend that Valentino Rossi’s factory YZR-M1 will definitely run on Michelin tyres in 2008. With Michelin...

Estoril MotoGP: Alex Barros says electronics are taking away rider skill

Estoril MotoGP: Alex Barros says electronics are taking away rider skill

Veteran Brazilian Alex Barros believes that sophisticated electronics are now diminishing the influence that rider talent currently has in the MotoGP world championship. The D’Antin Ducati rider,...

MotoGP: Chaz Davies in anxious wait about 2008 Ducati MotoGP ride

MotoGP: Chaz Davies in anxious wait about 2008 Ducati MotoGP ride

Chaz Davies will learn in the next few days whether he has landed a coveted Ducati ride in the 2008 MotoGP world championship. The British rider has been told by factory team boss Livio Suppo he...

Estoril MotoGP: Michelin hope for rules victory

Estoril MotoGP: Michelin hope for rules victory

Michelin boss Jean-Philippe Weber is confident the French company will at least triumph in a battle with rivals Bridgestone off the track in this weekend’s Estoril MotoGP. Hammered by Bridgestone on...

MotoGP: Rules for 600cc MotoGP class drawn up

MotoGP: Rules for 600cc MotoGP class drawn up

Four-stroke 600cc bikes racing in 2010 as replacement for the current world 250 championship has moved a step closer with draft technical rules for the new class being drawn up. The new class will be...

MotoGP: Michelin has more work to do than Yamaha says Jerry Burgess

MotoGP: Michelin has more work to do than Yamaha says Jerry Burgess

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess believes Michelin must take a bigger step in performance than Yamaha for the 2008 MotoGP world championship.  The Australian reckons tyres have been the...

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi admits MotoGP is a ‘little boring’

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi admits MotoGP is a ‘little boring’

Valentino Rossi has branded the current racing in MotoGP as a ‘little boring.’   Speaking to MCN, the seven-times world champion has blamed tyres and electronics for killing MotoGP, and called on...

MotoGP: Nicky Hayden wants Honda loyalty to Michelin

MotoGP: Nicky Hayden wants Honda loyalty to Michelin

Reigning MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden believes that Honda should remain loyal to Michelin instead of bowing to pressure from Dani Pedrosa to switch to rivals Bridgestone. Dani Pedrosa is...

MotoGP: Colin Edwards praises Michelin revival effort

MotoGP: Colin Edwards praises Michelin revival effort

Texan Colin Edwards has praised Michelin for the effort being put in to try and stop Bridgestone’s domination of the 2007 MotoGP world championship. With just four wins in 13 races, Michelin has come...

MotoGP: John Hopkins says third in MotoGP is ‘realistic’ target

MotoGP: John Hopkins says third in MotoGP is ‘realistic’ target

American John Hopkins believes he has a realistic chance of catching Honda rival Dani Pedrosa to snatch third place in the MotoGP world championship. Two successive podium finishes in Brno and Misano...

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi set to stay with Michelin for 2008

MotoGP: Valentino Rossi set to stay with Michelin for 2008

Valentino Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha boss Davide Brivio has told MCN that the Italian is likely to remain on Michelin tyres for the 2008 MotoGP world championship.  Davide Brivio says he has told the...

Riding Solo to the top of the World

Cubicle dwellers who also love motorcycles are often enchanted by the idea of motorcycle travel. We fantasize about setting off on that really long journey, riding off into the sunset someday. We watch, again and again, our favourite bits in the Long Way Round series and promise ourselves we’ll do something similar, someday. And then the weekend ends, and it’s back to the office cubicle on Monday...

MotoGP: Michelin still waiting on Yamaha and Honda decision

MotoGP: Michelin still waiting on Yamaha and Honda decision

Michelin is still to learn whether Honda and Yamaha’s factory MotoGP teams will continue in 2008 or make a switch to Japanese rivals Bridgestone. Both factories have held discussions with Bridgestone...

MotoGP: Colin Edwards urges Yamaha to improve 2008 engine

MotoGP: Colin Edwards urges Yamaha to improve 2008 engine

American Colin Edwards has urged Yamaha engineers to improve engine performance on the 2008 factory YZR-M1 800 machine. While the main criticism of Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi has focused on...

MotoGP: Michelin man admits poor effort

MotoGP: Michelin man admits poor effort

Michelin boss Jean-Philippe Weber admits the French company simply hasn’t work hard enough to fend off Bridgestone. In a brutally honest assessment of Michelin’s performances in the new 800cc era,...

Message for Rossi

Hey Rossi, until now I have admired and enjoyed your riding success in MotoGP, but now you are just a dead set w*nker. Stop f*ckin’ crapping on about tyres and bullshit excuses and get out on the track and ride ya bike hard. Too bad if you keep getting whipped by Stoner, he has got it, you have lost it!

MotoGP: John Hopkins to complete night test in America

MotoGP: John Hopkins to complete night test in America

John Hopkins has confirmed he is to take part in a special test session under floodlights in America later this year as part of the assessment into plans to stage the 2008 Qatar MotoGP race at...

Me and Aoyama

Me and Aoyama

Just got back from Misano. A bit disappointed with Valentino not getting going but met Hiroshi Aoyama in our hotel the next day.

Rossi: Tax and his home town

The taxman is investigating a claimed £40 million in unpaid revenue, he’s being caned on the track by Casey Stoner and has virtually given up on the title. Matthew Birt went to his home town of Tavullia to find out what the locals make of the situation.

MotoGP: February test key for Qatar night race plan

MotoGP: February test key for Qatar night race plan

Next February’s MotoGP test in Qatar will be make or break on whether the Middle East venue will create motorcycling history by becoming the first to be run at night under floodlights. The...

MotoGP: Kawasaki focus on more horsepower for 2008

MotoGP: Kawasaki focus on more horsepower for 2008

Kawasaki’s Technical Director Ichiro Yoda said the key focus of winter development for the Japanese factory is going to be on reducing the horsepower gap to rivals Ducati. Preparing for the arrival of...

MotoGP: Illness rules Chris Vermeulen out of Misano MotoGP test

MotoGP: Illness rules Chris Vermeulen out of Misano MotoGP test

Factory Suzuki rider Chris Vermeulen has taken only a minor part in today’s Misano MotoGP test session having been sidelined by illness. Less than 24 hours after his impressive second place finish...

MotoGP: Qatar night race plan angers Marco Melandri

MotoGP: Qatar night race plan angers Marco Melandri

Italian Marco Melandri has said it is ‘terrible’ MotoGP riders were not consulted before last weekend’s announcement the 2008 Qatar MotoGP will be run at night under floodlights. Dorna and Qatar...

MotoGP: 2008 MotoGP calendar revised

MotoGP: 2008 MotoGP calendar revised

The 2008 provisional MotoGP calendar has been revised with the dates of four races changed for next year’s 18-round world championship. The Estoril clash in Portugal has been moved forward a week and...

Misano MotoGP Reaction: John Hopkins takes third behind Aussie duo in Misano

Misano MotoGP Reaction: John Hopkins takes third behind Aussie duo in Misano

John Hopkins scored his second successive podium in Misano this afternoon, but admitted he was powerless to fight with Suzuki team-mate Chris Vermeulen and dominant race winner Casey Stoner. Like in...