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.

Year: ALL

Martinez talks 2008 MotoGP plans

09 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Martinez, boss of the biggest team operating outside of the MotoGP world championship, has revealed he is locked in negotiations to join the premier class next season. Martinez, who runs five...

Hayden backs Honda to improve struggling 800s

08 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Nicky Hayden has backed Honda to drastically improve its struggling factory RC212V 800 after the American’s woeful start to 2007. The defence of Hayden’s world crown has been a...

Nieto favourite over Hodgson for Kawasaki ride

08 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Neil Hodgson’s hopes of a shock return to the MotoGP world championship in the French GP could be crushed. A verbal agreement between Kawasaki MotoGP bosses and PSG-1 Kawasaki World Superbike rider...

Three wins out of four for Stoner

06 May 2007 by Rob Hull

Casey Stoner has continued his superb start to the season by taking his third win of the season at the Shanghai GP at China. Stoner stretches his lead in the title race to 15 points over Valentino...

Lorenzo extends 250 Championship lead

06 May 2007 by Rob Hull

Defending 250cc World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo, celebrated his birthday weekend with a dominant performance, taking pole and the win in China. Despite a mistake early on in the race Lorenzo, who...

First 125 win for Pesek

06 May 2007 by Rob Hull

Czech rider Lucas Pesek scored his first Grand Prix victory this morning at the fourth race of the season in China. The Derbi rider took the win in front of a freight train of around ten riders all in...

Rossi storms to Shanghai pole

05 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi will start tomorrow’s China GP from pole position after an awesome qualifying display this afternoon saw him smash the Shanghai pole record. The Italian clocked the only sub 1.59 lap...

Hopkins praises Bridgestone

04 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

American John Hopkins has praised Bridgestone’s new 800 tyres after he topped the timesheets in Shanghai today. The factory Suzuki rider topped an incredibly close second free practice session this...

Pasini sits on provisional pole for 125s

04 May 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Italian Mattia Pasini has put himself on provisional pole position for Sunday’s 125 race in Shanghai. The Polaris World man has failed to finish a race so far this year on his Aprilia but is hoping...

Hodgson ready if Kawasaki come calling

04 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Neil Hodgson has told MCN he is ready and willing to replace factory Kawasaki rider Olivier Jacque if the Frenchman is forced to miss forthcoming MotoGP races through injury. Jacque suffered a deep...

Lorenzo on provisional 250 pole

04 May 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Jorge Lorenzo has secured provisional pole this afternoon in Shanghai by going fastest in the first qualifying practice sessions. The Spaniard was second quickest this morning in free practice, but...

Talmacsi continues impressive form in 125s

04 May 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Current 125 championship leader Gabor Talmacsi continued his run of good form this morning in Shanghai by posting the fastest time. The Hungarian Aprilia rider recorded a time of 2:14.777 just a...

Barbera quickest for 250s in Shanghai

04 May 2007 by Sarah Carnell

Aprilia rider Hector Barbera recorded the fastest time of the first practice for the 250s in Shanghai. The Spaniard, whose best result so far this season was a third place at the opening race in...

Arm injury rules Jacque out of Shanghai clash

04 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Olivier Jacque’s nightmare return to the MotoGP world championship continued in Shanghai today when a crash in this afternoon’s second free practice session left him with a serious puncture wound in...

Hopper springs Shanghai surprise

04 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

American John Hopkins topped the timesheets in this afternoon’s second free practice session in Shanghai to show top speed isn’t everything in the MotoGP world championship. The factory Suzuki rider...

No new Suzuki motor until Le Mans

03 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Factory Suzuki duo John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen will have to wait until the French GP at Le Mans before they can get their hands on Suzuki’s new GSV-R motor. As expected, this weekend’s Shanghai...

Edwards fit and ready with engine upgrade

03 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards reckons a painful right knee injury won’t be a severe hindrance in this weekend’s Shanghai GP. This is as he prepares to run the upgraded Yamaha YZR-M1 engine Valentino Rossi used last...

Stoner: Ducati start a dream come true

03 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner has admitted the start to his Ducati career has been like a ‘dream come true’ as he goes in search of a third win in four races in this weekend’s China...

Michelin boss worried about China challenge

03 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Michelin tyre boss Jean-Philippe Weber has admitted he is ‘afraid’ ahead of the China GP in Shanghai following Valentino Rossi’s rear tyre disaster in the recent Istanbul race. Hard casing tyres will...

Engine lease deals way forward for MotoGP

03 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

More projects like Kenny Roberts’ Honda deal could be a two-fold solution to some of the current financial problems hitting MotoGP teams. Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta believes other teams following...

Ecclestone: Rossi would have been mad to leave MotoGP

03 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi would have been ‘stupid’ to have made a multi-million pound switch to Ferrari’s Formula One team for 2007. That’s the view of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone – the man who was desperate...

Seeing the difference

02 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

In today’s print MCN (available from Wednesday, May 2, 2007) Kenny Roberts’ team has revealed just how different the new generation of 800s are to ride compared to the bigger 990s from last year. We...

Dorna chief: 'Teams too weak in finding sponsors'

02 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP teams are currently too weak and not professional enough to secure big budget sponsorship deals that will safeguard their world championship future. In a brutally honest self assessment of the...

Melandri hoping early season nightmare is over

02 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Italian Marco Melandri is hoping his early season nightmare is behind him as he focuses on breaking his 2007 MotoGP world championship podium duck in Shanghai. Melandri has struggled so far on Honda’s...

Edwards hopeful of Rossi engine for Shanghai

02 May 2007 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards is hoping that he will get his hands on Yamaha’s new factory YZR-M1 motor for the Shanghai GP in China. Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi used the upgraded in-line four-cylinder...

Ilmor to focus on engine development

30 April 2007 by Matthew Birt

As revealed in last week’s MCN, the British-based Ilmor MotoGP team will focus solely on engine development with a track return in 2007 still in major doubt. Ilmor boss Mario Illien announced this...

Vermeulen fearful of Ducati threat

30 April 2007 by Matthew Birt

Aussie Chris Vermeulen is fearful that the Japanese factories will be humbled again by Ducati in this weekend’s Shanghai GP in China. The impressive Shanghai circuit has two huge straights, including...

Hopkins confident for China despite new engine fear

27 April 2007 by Matthew Birt

Factory Suzuki rider John Hopkins is confident he can run at the front in the China GP on May 6, 2007 despite fears that a new engine may not be ready for the Shanghai clash. The American cast doubt...

Dorna chief plays down MotoGP cash concerns

26 April 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has refuted suggestions that the current dire economic climate in world championship racing has reached crisis status. With only 19 riders on the grid and teams suffering...

Checa lined up to partner Hayden at Suzuka Eight-Hour

25 April 2007 by Matthew Birt

Reigning premier class world champion Nicky Hayden could be joined by fellow MotoGP rider Carlos Checa in one of Honda’s top factory teams competing in the prestigious Suzuka Eight-Hour endurance...

Q&A with Bridgestone boss following Turkish GP

25 April 2007

Bridgestone enjoyed its most successful race weekend to date at the Istanbul Park in Turkey at the weekend. This is a circuit which has previously offered the tyre manufacturer one of...

Rossi opposes Ecclestone's GP shake-up idea

25 April 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has spoken out against Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone’s suggestion the 125 and 250 GP classes should be stripped of their world championship status to help make MotoGP more...

Edwards seeks Michelin backlash

24 April 2007 by Matthew Birt

Double World Superbike champion Colin Edwards is confident Michelin will bounce back from its Turkey trouncing to turn the tables on tyre rivals Bridgestone in the Shanghai GP on May 6, 2007. The...

Hayden turns to US legend

23 April 2007 by Matthew Birt

Under pressure Nicky Hayden has turned to American racing legend Freddie Spencer in a bid to help prevent the defence of his MotoGP world championship crown turning into an embarrassing...

Michelin probe Rossi tyre vibe

23 April 2007 by Matthew Birt

With Valentino Rossi’s stinging criticism ringing in his ears, Michelin boss Jean-Philippe Weber flew back to France today to begin an immediate post mortem on the tyre disaster that struck the...

Stoner wins in Turkey

22 April 2007 by Rob Hull

Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner has won his second race of the season at the third round of the MotoGP championship at Istanbul. The young Aussie took a dominant win from fellow young-gun Toni Elias...