January

Year: 2007

Month: January

Alex thanks Alex

31 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Alex Hofmann has paid tribute to experienced D’Antin Ducati team-mate Alex Barros, as the German was the big surprise on the second day of testing in Phillip Island. Hofmann was fifth quickest in...

Shoulder relief for Hayden

31 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Nicky Hayden battled a front-end grip problem with his new factory Honda RC212V to finish sixth fastest in Australia today. Hayden was frustrated and disappointed with his...

Italian veteran Loris Capirossi believes that Ducati’s new 800cc GP7 is more physically demanding than the old 990cc machine. Capirossi was second fastest on race tyres on day two in Australia with a...

Geese stop play

31 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Two wild geese caused a short and surprise delay to the second day of MotoGP testing at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia. The birds were spotted between turns eight and nine, and circuit...

Barros continues form

31 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Alex Barros set the fastest time for the second day running at Phillip Island as Ducati and Bridgestone dominated in Australia. Ducati and Bridgestone riders logged four out of the top five best times...

Fiat/Yamaha deal close

31 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha seems poised to clinch a shock sponsorship deal with Italian car giant Fiat for the 2007 MotoGP World Championship. Although Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards are not currently testing at the...

Villagers condemn club

31 January 2007 by MCN

Village residents in a Shropshire village are protesting over Market Drayton Motocross Club’s plans to hold five race meets this year. Ollerton residents say the noise and increased traffic will...

Ill Nakano stops early

30 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Shinya Nakano’s tough start to his Honda MotoGP career continued in Australia today, as sickness restricted the Japanese rider to just 48 laps at Phillip Island. The illness left Nakano beating a...

Rossi: More to come

30 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Factory Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi says there’s plenty more still to come from him despite his impressive first outing of 2007 in Sepang. The seven-time world champion was fastest in the baking heat...

Suzuki off pace in Oz

30 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki suffered its worst day of the new 800cc MotoGP today as John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen were comprehensively outpaced on the opening day of testing in Phillip Island. Both were consistently a...

Rossi misses 990s

30 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi claims he still misses the brutal power of the old 990cc four-strokes as he continues to adapt to Yamaha’s new 800cc machine. Rossi was concerned that the switch to less powerful...

Barros fastest at PI

30 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Veteran Brazilian Alex Barros pulled off a big surprise in Australia today when he clocked the fastest time on the opening day of testing at Phillip Island. Back in MotoGP after a year out in World...

Motocrossing Marco

30 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Marco Melandri had a lucky escape on the first day of testing at Phillip Island today after he ran off the track flat-out in sixth gear at the Australian tracks perilous first corner. The Italian ran...

Pick your Fantasy teams for 2007

30 January 2007 by Richard Fairbairn

THIS IS NOW CLOSED CLICK HERE FOR THE 2008 FANTASY ROAD RACE Who cares who wins the MotoGP, WBS, or BSB titles… the real action will be taking place in office and mates’ mini-leagues around the...

Video: John Hopkins

29 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

We have exclusive footage from Sepang from MCN’s MotoGP writer Matthew Birt.

Video: Chris Vermeulen

29 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

We have exclusive footage from Sepang from MCN’s MotoGP writer Matthew Birt.

Video: Rizla GP riders

29 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

With Rizla Suzuki continuing to look like the team best prepared for the start of the season, here Chris Vermeulen talks in Sepang to our GP reporter Matthew Birt about the challenges he and the team...

World Endurance teams

29 January 2007 by MCN

There are just two British riders among the 17 teams that make up the permanent entry list for this year’s World Endurance championship. North West 200 double-winner and Macau GP winner Steve Plater...

Speedway's richest race

29 January 2007 by MCN

The Speedway Grand Prix promoters are billing the final race at the last round of this year’s World Championship as the richest minute in motorsport. The meeting will take place at Veltins-Arena,...

Champ relishes PI test

29 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Factory Honda rider Nicky Hayden is looking forward to this week’s Phillip Island test session to kick start the defence of his MotoGP world crown. Horsepower and electronic issues have hampered the...

Loris: We must find limits

29 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Italian veteran Loris Capirossi has refused to point the finger of blame at Ducati’s test team for failing to get a new engine management and electronic engine braking system up to speed...

Rossi wants more power

28 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha still needs to improve engine performance despite Valentino Rossi’s test topping performance in Sepang last week. The Italian said he expects further performance upgrades when he returns to the...

Kawasaki boss aims high

28 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki bosses have set an ambitious target to build an 800cc bike good enough to attract the cream of MotoGP talent by the end of 2009. Technical boss Ichiro Yoda said: “Our target to achieve a...

Hopkins: Suzuki are right

28 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki’s decision not to build a new 800cc bike that was a radical departure from its 2006 factory GSV-R 990cc machine is a key reason for the Japanese manufacturers blistering start to the new world...

Hayden gets used to 800

28 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden reckons he is finally getting accustomed to life on the new 800cc machines as he goes in search of recapturing his world title in 2007. Hayden was a big fan of the...

Ducati: no mpg worries

28 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi has denied persistent rumours that Ducati is on a knife-edge with the new fuel capacity regulations that come into force for the 2007 MotoGP world championships. As well as the...

No let up for Aussie star

28 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Chris Vermeulen is hoping that Suzuki continues to aggressively develop its new 800cc machine to keep the Japanese factory at the sharp end of the timesheets in winter testing. Vermeulen and John...

Blog: Sepang over

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Howdy folks, sorry I didn’t blog last night but I didn’t get back from the track until 10pm, grabbed some room service and crashed out in a crumpled heap. Firstly a quick update on the sunburn, which...

Vermeulen: 'PI test vital'

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Chris Vermeulen reckons the acid test of how far Suzuki has progressed with its new 800cc GSV-R will come at the next two tests in Australia and Qatar. Phillip Island was the worst track for Suzuki...

Stoner targets electrics

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner goes home to Phillip Island this week hoping to make some in-roads into solving some of the electronic and power delivery gremlins that have dogged him at the last two tests on board...

Rossi backs Edwards

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has backed factory Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards to make his big MotoGP breakthrough in 2007 – because the new 800cc bikes are more like a superbike. Double World Superbike champion...

GP champ's pain fades

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden is confident that his right shoulder will be restored to full fitness in time for the start of the 2007 MotoGP world championship in Qatar on March 10, 2007. Hayden returned to action in...

Loris wants fast start

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi is confident he can maintain the good form he showed at the end of the recent Sepang test session where he finished third fastest when he returns to the track on Tuesday at Phillip...

Hopper wants 16” tryout

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

John Hopkins said he would try a Bridgestone 16-inch front tyre in Australia this week if one became available. Despite Bridgestone bosses pledging not to follow rivals Michelin by switching to a new...

Pensioner for 2008 Dakar

27 January 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Tackling the Dakar Rally at 65 and becoming its oldest ever competitor was never going to be easy. But despite being forced out by freak sandstorms Scotland’s Robbie Allan is already targeting the...

Hayden rules out diet

27 January 2007 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden says he won’t go on a crash diet to help him adjust to Honda’s small new RC212V 800cc MotoGP mchine. Before Christmas Hayden had hinted he might need to shed weight to help him make the...