Valencia Grand Prix 2016

Year: ALL

Andrea Dovizioso seeking smoother Yamaha acceleration

26 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso believes the key to being a consistent podium challenger at Yamaha in 2012 will depend on how much he can improve acceleration and rear stability on the new YZR-M1 1000cc...

Qatar podium unlikely admits Valentino Rossi

26 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has conceded his chances of starting the new 1000cc MotoGP era with a rostrum in Qatar next month are remote after he ended pre-season testing in sixth place on the timesheets in...

Ben Spies: Yamaha is ready to race for wins

26 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies is confident Yamaha’s impressive new factory YZR-M1 machine is capable of winning the season’s opening race in Qatar next month after he completed his 2012 preparations by setting the fourth...

Cal Crutchlow ends pre-season in style with fantastic fifth

26 March 2012

Cal Crutchlow will head to the first race of the new 1000cc MotoGP era in Qatar next month brimming with confidence after he ended the pre-season testing schedule with the fifth fastest time in...

Jerez test: Casey Stoner ends pre-season testing on top

25 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Casey Stoner’s domination of winter testing was complete today when he topped the timesheets at the end of the final pre-season session in Jerez A lap of 1.38.780 in the final...

Jerez test: Nicky Hayden quickest during rain-hit second day

24 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden took advantage of the best conditions on a rain-hit second day of MotoGP testing at Jerez to set the fastest time on board the new factory Ducati GP12. After heavy rain and gusting winds...

Cal Crutchlow continues dazzling winter form

23 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow’s brilliant winter testing campaign continued today (Friday) when the British rider clocked the fifth quickest time at the start of the final pre-season test in Jerez. The Monster Yamaha...

Front-end woes continue to haunt Valentino Rossi

23 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

The front-end problems that turned Valentino Rossi’s debut season with Ducati into a disaster show no sign of improving after the Italian finished the opening day of testing in Jerez in a lowly ninth...

James Ellison’s 2012 MotoGP livery revealed

23 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

The Paul Bird Motorsport squad, which will run James Ellison in the 2012 MotoGP world championship, has shown off a patriotic red, white and blue livery in Jerez. Bird is determined to make his new...

Cal Crutchlow shows off new Tech 3 Yamaha livery

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow has shown off the new Monster Yamaha Tech 3 livery he will race in the 2012 MotoGP world championship at the Jerez circuit in Spain today. The former World Supersport...

Yamaha unveils 2012 factory YZR-M1 bike

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

This is the new factory YZR-M1 1000cc machine that Yamaha hopes will claim back the MotoGP world title from rivals Honda in 2012. Unveiled during a special presentation on the eve of the final winter...

Ben Spies targets consistent victory challenge in 2012

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies is confident he can challenge for more podiums and victories in 2012 after a series of impressive winter testing performances on Yamaha’s new factory 1000cc YZR-M1 machine. The Texan has...

Jorge Lorenzo expects title challenge from Ben Spies in 2012

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo believes factory Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies will pose a serious title threat in the inaugural 1000cc MotoGP world championship in 2012. The Texan has won only one race in MotoGP but...

James Ellison: “I need to be thrown in at deep end”

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

James Ellison says he’s ready to be thrown in at the deep end in Jerez this weekend when he takes to the track with the likes of Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi for the first time...

Danny Webb aggravates old shoulder injury in Jerez spill

22 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

A disastrous Moto3 test in Jerez ended in painful fashion for British rider Danny Webb after he aggravated an old right shoulder injury in a crash on the final day of winter testing. Webb, who turns...

Danny Kent storms to superb second after big crash

21 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent bounced back superbly from a high-speed crash on the final day of Moto3 testing in Jerez to finish second quickest on the overall timesheets. Kent was three-quarters into a planned...

Gino Rea delighted with set-up progress in Jerez

21 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Gino Rea declared himself delighted with progress made with the set-up of the Gresini Moriwaki Moto2 machine he will campaign in 2012 at the end of a three-day test at the Jerez circuit in Spain. The...

Bradley Smith escapes injury in 120mph Jerez crash

21 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith was fortunate to walk away with just bumps and bruises after his winter testing schedule ended with a 120mph crash at the Jerez circuit in Spain today. The Tech 3 Racing rider had just...

Tech 3 surprised by Andrea Dovizioso’s early Yamaha pace

21 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso’s fast and encouraging start to his Yamaha career has surprised his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal and Japanese factory engineers. The Italian finished third quickest in...

Colin Edwards unveils 2012 Forward Racing livery

21 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards unveiled the new Forward Racing MotoGP livery in Jerez last night ahead of the final winter test session at the Spanish circuit this weekend. The American might have been nearly two...

Scott Redding and Bradley Smith make big progress in Jerez

20 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding and Bradley Smith made big moves up the Moto2 timesheets in Jerez today. Redding climbed up from 11th yesterday to fourth fastest this afternoon, despite a late crash at Turn 10 that he...

Danny Kent third but seeking more confidence

20 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent maintained his impressive pre-season testing form in the new Moto3 four-stroke class today when he ended the second day of the final test in Jerez with the third quickest time. The British...

Nicky Hayden: “I believe in myself and Ducati”

20 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden believes Ducati’s GP12 will be competitive to help the American and team-mate Valentino Rossi become consistent podium contenders in the 2012 MotoGP world championship. Ducati is looking...

Colin Edwards: “We’ve got 18 tests ahead”

20 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

American Colin Edwards reckons each race during the 2012 MotoGP campaign will be like an extension of winter testing as he tries to make the Suter-BMW CRT project a competitive package in the new...

Danny Kent: Jerez test good gauge for early season prospects

19 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

British teenager Danny Kent believes this week’s final Moto3 test at the Jerez track in Spain will give a clear indication of who is going to be competitive in the early part of the inaugural 250cc...

New chassis boost for Bradley Smith in Jerez

19 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

British rider Bradley Smith declared himself satisfied with the latest heavily revamped Tech 3 Moto2 machine in Jerez today, despite having to settle for a lowly 17th position on the timesheets. The...

Thomas Luthi sets pace as final Moto2 test begins in Jerez

19 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Swiss rider Thomas Luthi clocked the best time on the opening day of Moto2 testing at a sun-drenched Jerez circuit in Spain today, with Scott Redding, Bradley Smith and Gino Rea all outside the top...

Factory Ducati MotoGP livery unveiled

19 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

This is the new factory Ducati GP12 1000cc machine that the Bologna factory hopes will catapult nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi back to winning ways in MotoGP in 2012. This year’s new...

Jorge Lorenzo hints at long Yamaha career

16 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha’s desire to ensure Jorge Lorenzo remains on board a factory YZR-M1 beyond 2012 has been given a massive boost after the Spaniard indicated he’d be happy to end his career with the Japanese...

Yamaha ready to embrace lease price cap in MotoGP

16 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha believes it wouldn’t have to drastically reduce the technical specification of its YZR-M1 1000cc machine if new MotoGP rules mean factories can only lease machinery for a maximum price of...

Facebook launch for Ducati GP12

16 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden will officially unveil the Ducati GP12’s new livery with a special web launch on Facebook next Monday. MotoGP and Ducati fans will be able to watch live streaming of...

Gresini admits love for racing affected by Marco Simoncelli death

15 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Italian MotoGP team boss Fausto Gresini has admitted his love for motorcycle racing has been affected by the tragic death of his star rider Marco Simoncelli in Malaysia last October. Simoncelli was...

Colin Edwards: CRT pace not dangerously slow

15 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards has denied the gap in performance between the factory prototype machines and new CRT 1000cc projects will be dangerous in the 2012 MotoGP world championship. Several top riders like...

Alvaro Bautista looking to tap into Honda potential

15 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista believes he is yet to tap into the full potential of the new Honda RC213V machine as he prepares for the final pre-season MotoGP test in Jerez next week. The Spaniard, who launched the...

Ducati: Lease price limit means lower spec machinery

09 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

A 1m Euro (£830,000) cap on the cost of leasing a MotoGP bike in the future will make it impossible for Ducati to deliver the same high level of technology featured on its existing customer bikes. To...

Yamaha not worried by Casey Stoner’s testing dominance

09 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha has said the impressive speed shown by reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner in winter testing is not an early cause for concern ahead of the start of the 2012 campaign in Qatar next...