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

Buster Roberts passes away

28 October 2002

THE Grand Prix racing paddock is in mourning after the death of one of its biggest personalities. Buster Roberts, father to Kenny Roberts Snr, passed away last night (October 27) in hospital in California after a brief illness. He was 81. Buster was the driving forced behind the dynasty which has seen two generations of Roberts win GP world titles, having put Kenny Snr on a bike before his eighth...

Telefonica rings changes at Suzuki

28 October 2002

Telefonica Movistar, the Spanish mobile phone giant, has ended its two-year association with the Suzuki MotoGP squad. This weekend’s Valencia GP will be the last time Suzukis will sport the famous...

Bayliss to debut Ducati at Valencia

28 October 2002

Troy Bayliss will give Ducati’s new MotoGP machine its public debut at the Valencia Grand Prix on November 3. He’ll be riding the Desmosedeci V4 four-stroke on a few demonstration laps ahead of the...

Rossi wins in Oz

21 October 2002

Valentino Rossi continued his amazing season with victory in Australia. He finished at the head of five Hondas, sharing the podium with Alex Barros and Tohru Ukawa. Daijiro Katoh and Jurgen van den Goorbergh took fourth and fifth. Max Biaggi was the leading non-Honda, ahead of Nobuastsu Aoki who finished seventh on the Proton KR. Eighth was Olivier Jacque, ninth Kenny Roberts Jr and tenth Jeremy...

Barros back on top, Down Under

21 October 2002

Alex Barros has continued his excellent run of form on the Honda RCV with a provisional pole start in Friday’s qualifying ahead of the Australian MotoGP round on Sunday. The West Honda rider ‘s time of 1’33.002 around the 2.78 mile Phillip Island circuit was just a tenth ahead of home favourite Garry McCoy on the Red Bull Yamaha YZR two-stroke. As if to prove the strokers have one last hurrah left...

Rossi warms up for rally debut

21 October 2002

Valentino Rossi has been warming up for his rallying debut in next month’s Rally of Great Britain with a special test of his World Rally Championship (WRC) – spec Peugeot 206. There’s a rare personal...

McWilliams takes pole in Phillip Island

21 October 2002

Jeremy McWilliams has put the Proton KR on pole position for Sunday’s MotoGP in Australia. He qualified 0.4 seconds ahead of Australian Gary McCoy. The other Proton KR of Nobuatsu Aoki qualified in...

Biaggi scraps for Sepang victory

14 October 2002

Max Biaggi finally broke his four-stroke duck with a win in the searing heat of Sepang in Sunday’s Malaysian round of the MotoGP calendar. The Malboro Yamaha rider benefited from the three-way scrap...

Barros builds with Sepang pole

14 October 2002

Alex Barros is emerging as the unlikely challenger to the dominance of Valentino Rossi in MotoGP after taking pole in Sepang today ahead of Sunday’s Malaysion Grand Prix. Despite only having sat on...

2003 Grand Prix Calendar

14 October 2002

The FIM has just released the details of dates and venues for the 2003 Grand Prix calendar. Round 1: April 6, Suzuka, Japan Round 2: April 27, Welkom, South Africa Round 3: May 11, Jerez, Spain Round...

Pitt to ride ZX-RR at Sepang

07 October 2002

Aussie Andrew Pitt will replace the injured Akira Yanagawa on Kawasaki’s ZX-RR MotoGP machine for the rest of the season, starting with the Malaysian GP in Sepang on October13. The 2001 World...

Ukawa leads Honda charge in Sepang

07 October 2002

Tohru Ukawa blazed to provisional pole in Sepang today, setting himself at the head of an all-Honda four-stroke front row ahead of Sunday’s MotoGP round in Malaysia. The Japanese rider’s time of...

Abe lands M1 for Phillip Island, Valencia

07 October 2002

It has been confirmed by the factory that Norick Abe will get a four-stroke M1 MotoGP machine from Yamaha to contest the final two rounds of the season. Abe, the leading Yamaha two-stroke rider in the...

McWilliams and Aoki re-sign for Roberts

07 October 2002

Jeremy McWilliams will continue to partner Nobuatso Aoki in the Proton/Kenny Roberts set-up in 2003 it has just been announced. The pair will ride the new Proton/KR V5 four-stroke currently under...

Kato grabs provisional pole in Motegi

01 October 2002

Daijiro Kato put on a show for his home fans with a last gasp stunner to take provisional pole at the Twin Ring in Motegi today. With just a few minutes remaining in the session, Yamaha’s Max Biaggi...

Barros makes good on RCV in Motegi

01 October 2002

Alex Barros repaid Honda and team boss Sito Pons’ faith with a win in Motegi on his debut ride on the West Honda RCV four-stroke as Honda took a one-two-three in today’s MotoGP race. A tense race-long...

Katoh confirms Motegi pole

01 October 2002

Daijiro Katoh will start from pole position in Sunday’s Japanese round of the MotoGP championship after no-one challenged his time of 1.49.052, set during Friday’s qualifying, in Saturday’s...

Roberts re-signs with Suzuki

01 October 2002

Kenny Roberts has just inked a new contract that will keep him with the factory Suzuki MotoGP squad for the next two years. It comes on the back of his maiden podium in the new class, scored at the...

Barros gets RCV for Motegi GP

30 September 2002

Alex Barros has been confirmed as the beneficiary of the sole RCV four-stroke available to the West Honda squad for the rest of the 2002 MotoGP season. Barros said: ” I am very excited about my...

MotoGP’s musical chairs

23 September 2002

The silly season is well and truly upon us. As contract time approaches, Yamaha and Suzuki both feature in the latest tranche of rumour and manoeuvre. Norick Abe is said to be on the verge of quitting...

Rossi to test BAR F1 car

23 September 2002

Valentino Rossi is lined up to test an F1 car at the end of the year. The boss of British American Racing (BAR) David Richards has reached an agreement with the 23-year-old’s Repsol Honda squad to try...

McWilliams cracks collarbone in Rio

23 September 2002

While Valentino Rossi was popping champaign corks to celebrate his win in Rio and new MotoGp title, Jeremy McWilliams was popping painkillers after his bike seized, spitting the Ulsterman off,...

Rossi takes the title with a win in Rio

16 September 2002

He’s been 125cc world champion, he’s been 250cc world champion and he’s been the 500cc world champion. Now Valentino Rossi can add the maiden MotoGP crown to his trophy cabinet after winning a soaking...

Max Biaggi signs for Honda

16 September 2002

Max Biaggi has just inked a three year deal to ride a Honda RCV V5-engined bike in MotoGP. Biaggi said: ” I was dreaming to race with Honda again and Pramac made my dream come true. ” ” I have...

Nakano and Jacque get M1s

16 September 2002

It’s just been announced that Olivier Jacque and his Tech 3 Yamaha teammate Shinya Nakano will get the four-stroke Yamaha M1 MotoGP machines from the Malaysian GP onwards. The Malaysian Grand Prix...

Biaggi claims provisional Rio pole

16 September 2002

Yamaha’s soon-to-be-ex rider Max Biaggi has slotted his Yamaha M1 on provisional pole at the Nelson Piquet Circuit in Rio ahead of Saturday’s Brazilian Grand Prix. His time of 1:51.854 pipped...

Don’t forget: Saturday is the Rio GP

16 September 2002

Free practice for the MotoGP class has just ended in Rio ahead of Saturday’s Grand Prix, and it’s Valentino Rossi topping the timing sheets. 1)V Rossi (1:52.359) 2)N Abe (1:52.712) 3)M Biaggi...

Bayliss and Capirossi on Ducati GP bike

16 September 2002

It has just been revealed that Troy Bayliss will join forces with Loris Capirossi on the Ducati MotoGP machine in 2003. The two riders have signed two-year contracts to ride the new Desmosedici V4 in...

Estoril GP results

09 September 2002

Valentino Rossi won the Portuguese MotoGP round at Estoril today after runaway leader Suzuki’s Sete Giberanu crashed in torrential rain. MotoGP: 1)V Rossi 2)C Checa 3)K Roberts 4)A Barros 5)M Biaggi 250: 1)F Nieto 2)M Melandri 3)S Porto…7)L Haslam 125: 1)A Vincent 2)S Sanna 3)S Jenckner Rossi extends his lead over his Repsol Honda teammate Tohru Ukawa in second place to 89 points with four rounds...

MotoGP on MCN

Buster Roberts passes away

Telefonica rings changes at Suzuki

Bayliss to debut Ducati at Valencia

Rossi wins in Oz

Barros back on top, Down Under

Rossi warms up for rally debut

McWilliams takes pole in Phillip Island

Biaggi scraps for Sepang victory

Barros builds with Sepang pole

2003 Grand Prix Calendar

Pitt to ride ZX-RR at Sepang

Ukawa leads Honda charge in Sepang

Abe lands M1 for Phillip Island, Valencia

McWilliams and Aoki re-sign for Roberts

Kato grabs provisional pole in Motegi

Barros makes good on RCV in Motegi

Katoh confirms Motegi pole

Roberts re-signs with Suzuki

Barros gets RCV for Motegi GP

MotoGP’s musical chairs

Rossi to test BAR F1 car

McWilliams cracks collarbone in Rio

Rossi takes the title with a win in Rio

Max Biaggi signs for Honda

Nakano and Jacque get M1s

Biaggi claims provisional Rio pole

Don’t forget: Saturday is the Rio GP

Bayliss and Capirossi on Ducati GP bike

Estoril GP results

Hayden will ride alongside Rossi

GP qualifying times from Estoril

Brits look forward to Estoril GP

Max power stops Honda in Brno

Rossi tops Brno free practice

Biaggi busts records for Brno pole

McWilliams claims provisional Brno sixth