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

Capirossi tops 203mph in first session

03 June 2003

Lorris Capirossi has already topped the 200mph mark in the first practice at the fifth round of the MotoGP world championship in Mugello, Italy. After 14 laps of the first practice session Capirossi...

Rossi steals pole position

03 June 2003

Valentino Rossi has snatched the pole position for Sunday’s MotoGP fifth round at Mugello, Italy. Just beating Loris Capirossi’s time on his last lap. Capirossi didn’t manage to better his time from...

Gibernau takes victory in Le Mans

20 May 2003

Spaniard Sete Gibernau has won the French GP, benefitting from new rules which have abolished combined, overall times, and resulted in a 13-lap dash to the finish. He battled hard with reigning...

Melandri impresses in MotoGP practice

20 May 2003

The threat of a wet weekend for the fourth round of the MotoGP World championship saw all the riders trying to get their best times in a dry first qualifying session at Le Mans. Top of the pile again...

Ducati stays on at Jerez

13 May 2003

Ducati MotoGP riders Troy Baylis and Loris Capirossi stayed behind after Sunday’s race in Jerez to give their Desmosedici V4s a full workout in a private test session at the Spanish circuit...

Two-strokes ride again at Jerez

06 May 2003

Kenny Roberts’ Proton team will once again resort to their KR3 two-strokes for Sunday’s Spanish GP at Jerez. The Proton team had hoped to have its new V5 four-stroke machine up and running for...

Gibernau on provisional pole

06 May 2003

Sete Gibernau has topped the time sheets for the first qualifying session at the third round of the MotoGP World championship in Jerez. The Spanish rider put in over 20 laps to ensure he took the top...

Ducati duo first and second on grid for Jerez

06 May 2003

The Ducati duo of Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss have taken first and second places on the grid for tomorrow’s MotoGP race at Jerez in Spain. Capirossi topped the time sheets with a 1:41.993s, 10...

Rossi reigns in Spain

06 May 2003

Valentino Rossi has triumphed at the Spanish MotoGP at Jerez today, finishing the race in front of rival Max Biaggi, and emerging contender Troy Bayliss. Rossi, riding the factory Honda RCV, crossed...

Kiyonari to join Gibernau in MotoGP

06 May 2003

Reigning Japanese Supersport champion Ryuichi Kiyonari has been selected as Sete Gibernau’s new team-mate in the Gresini Racing Telefonica Movistar team. Gibernau was chosen as the replacement for the...

Ducati duo collided in warm-up

06 May 2003

Troy Bayliss’ third place at his third MotoGP is even more remarkable, considering he’d just had a 160mph collision with team-mate Loris Capirossi. ” I led on the warm-up lap, and didn’t want to...

Sombre mood for Welkom GP

22 April 2003

This weekend’s second round of the MotoGP world championship at the Phakisa Freeway in Welkom, South Africa, will not have the usual celebratory atmosphere. Instead the sport will collectively bow its...

Gibernau honours Kato with pole

22 April 2003

Sete Gibernau offered a fitting tribute to his team-mate Daijiro Kato by taking the pole position at the second round of the MotoGP championship in Welkom, South Africa. Gibernau continuously improved...

Burns’ WCM fails FIM inspection

22 April 2003

Chris Burns’ GP dream has been dealt another blow this weekend after his Harris WCM machine was banned from taking part in the South African GP. An FIM technical team inspected the R1-derived...

Rossi takes provisional pole at Welkom

22 April 2003

Valentino Rossi has continued his dominance at the Welkom GP by taking the provisional pole at the end of the first qualifying session. The factory Honda rider – who was wearing a black armband in...

McWilliams fifth fastest on two-stroke at Welkom

22 April 2003

Jeremy McWilliams has taken his two-stroke Proton KR3 to the fifth fastest time in the first practice session at the Welkom MotoGP on what is potentially the last appearance of a two-stroke bike in...

Gibernau honors Kato with Welkom win

22 April 2003

Sete Gibernau took the win at the second round of the MotoGP world championship as a fitting memorial to his late team-mate Daijiro Kato. The start of the race was delayed by 50 minutes after Kenny...

Kato succumbs to injuries

15 April 2003

Daijiro Kato, the former 250cc World Champion, has died in hospital in Japan. Kato passed away at 00:42 local time today, Sunday April 20, in the Yokkaichi Central Hospital. Kato, 26, had been in a...

Mugello test for Ducati GP team

15 April 2003

Ducati is continuing its policy of getting closer to the public after opening the gates to its latest private test at the Mugello circuit in Italy this week. More than 500 fans watched Ducati riders...

Kato shows slight improvement

08 April 2003

Daijiro Kato is still in a serious condition after his horrific crash in the early stages of the first MotoGP race on Sunday. The hospital has not made any official statement but it is known that the...

Ukawa releases statement on Kato

08 April 2003

The Camel Pramac Pons team have issued a statement to the press on behalf of rider Tohru Ukawa, which mysteriously retracts his earlier statements about the crash which seriously injured Daijiro...

Kato stable, Gibernau to race on

08 April 2003

Daijiro Kato showed some signs of improvement yesterday but is still in a critical condition after his accident at the first round of MotoGP on Sunday, in Suzuka, Japan. With the rider making it...

Rossi grabs provisional pole

01 April 2003

The first round of the MotoGP world championship kicked off the struggle for supremacy with Italian rivals Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi finishing the opening qualifying session separated by just 0.2s on Friday. The morning’s free practice saw Ducati rider Loris Capirossi topping the time sheets with a time of 2:04.604, 0.02s ahead of Valentino Rossi. All that changed for the qualifying session...