Valencia
Ducati test ban would hurt Valentino Rossi
Source: | Motorcycle Sport | MotoGP - Wednesday, 1st September 2010, 11:01 GMTCasey Stoner reckons Yamaha could deal a massive blow to rivals Ducati by banning Valentino Rossi from testing for the Bologna factory immediately after the final race in Valencia. Ducati and Rossi are anxiously waiting to hear if Yamaha management... Read article
Rossi: “I Think Lorenzo Has His Own Jorge Beside Him Next Year”
Source: MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks - ... that Ducati out of WSBK is almost as big as Rossi to Ducati - Saturday, 28th August 2010, 22:10 GMTValentino Rossi was far from happy with his qualifying position at the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, his worst position since Valencia 2008. His attempt to improve his qualifying position had been hampered by a crash with just a few minutes left in the session, the Fiat Yamaha rider going down at Turn 6, a corner that has caught out a lot of riders so far this weekend. Speaking to the Italian press after qualifying, Rossi complained about the surface of the track in that corner, saying "if it hadn't have been for that hole in Turn Six ... We asked for that hole to be filled in two years' ago in the Safety Commission." The crash was Rossi's second of the day, something that hadn't happened since his first season back in 1996, Rossi claimed. The cause, Rossi explained, was the rear suspension being set too hard, making it impossible for Rossi to catch the bike once it started to slide. read more Read article
Rossi not giving up on Ducati test bid
Source: MOTOGP news - autosport.com - Friday, 27th August 2010, 15:09 GMTValentino Rossi remains optimistic that Yamaha will relent and allow him to ride for new employer Ducati in the post-season Valencia test even though his Yamaha contract will not have run out by then Read article
Valentino Rossi expects to make Ducati debut in Valencia
Source: | Motorcycle Sport | MotoGP - Tuesday, 17th August 2010, 15:56 GMTValentino Rossi expects to make his eagerly anticipated Ducati debut at Valencia in November. The 31-year-old is confident he will be released from his Yamaha contract to begin testing for Ducati immediately after the final race of the season in... Read article
Valentino Rossi expects to make Ducati debut in Valencia
Source: | Motorcycle Sport | MotoGP - Tuesday, 17th August 2010, 15:56 GMTValentino Rossi expects to make his eagerly anticipated Ducati debut at Valencia in November. The 31-year-old is confident he will be released from his Yamaha contract to begin testing for Ducati immediately after the final race of the season in... Read article
Ducati Press Conference Transcript: Ducati CEO Talks About Signing Rossi
Source: MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks - ... that finally the whole charade is over. - Monday, 16th August 2010, 9:35 GMTGabriele del Torchio: Once again welcome here. You have seen recently our press statement, we are very happy and glad to announce that next year, for the coming two seasons, 2011 and 2012, Valentino Rossi will join our team and will ride the Ducati bike in the MotoGP championship. We are very proud of that, we believe this is a very important accomplishment. I am personally glad of the choice that Valentino has made, and I believe that his decision is due to the fact of the excellent relations between Rossi and [Ducati Corse general manager] Filippo Preziosi. They worked well together and they established a very good relationship, very solid relationship. Those are the solid pillars on which we will build our new racing season for next year. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Alessandro Cicognani [director of Ducati's MotoGP project], because Alessandro played a very important role in the negotiations. Q: Can you say whether Valentino be released from his contract with Yamaha in time to start testing with you in Valencia in November? read more Read article
Neukirchner makes set-up breakthrough
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Friday, 6th August 2010, 9:49 GMTFor a rider who was on the podium as recently as Valencia in 2009, and was a strong race winner in 2008, recent times have been tough for the most successful German rider in WSB history, Max Neukirchner. Frequent serious injuries to his leg and back saw his promising 2009 season fall apart after the first big crash at Monza, and insult was added to injury by the fact that it was bad luck and not rider error that put the brakes on his climb up the ladder. A move to the Ten Kate Honda team for 2010 was a dream move, the team having taken several riders who had come to a crossroads in their careers and helping them to move upwards again. As the results of his team-mate Jonathan Rea have indicated, the Honda appears to be a top package one weekend yet a more challenging one next time, until recently at lest. Neukirchner and his team made a real breakthrough for raceday at Silverstone, going from 18th on the grid to 11th in race one. But for a technical DNF in race two he would have been on course for another finish in the points, closing in as he was on the top ten. Speaking on Sunday night Max was buoyed by his raceday change of fortune, with even his no-finish a mere addendum to his positive train of though. "Yesterday we were nowhere and we made some good improvements today," said Max. "The first race was brilliant, and I was able to ride some good laps, but in race two the bike just stopped. I think it would have been possible to get into the top ten. That was the first time this year I feel I have had a very good feeling from the bike and I could fight with some other guys." Read article
Casey Stoner to make Honda debut at Valencia test
Source: | Motorcycle Sport | MotoGP - Wednesday, 28th July 2010, 11:02 GMTCasey Stoner will make his factory Honda debut immediately after the final race of the season in Valencia. Ducati has agreed to release the Australian to begin testing a factory RC212V machine after the 24-year-old completed his expected switch to... Read article
Davies goes for silver at Silverstone
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Wednesday, 21st July 2010, 9:52 GMTTriumph ParkinGO rider Chaz Davies is currently settling down in his first full World Supersport championship season and so far, out of nine races this year, the Welshman has stepped onto the podium three times. After two thirds at Valencia and Kyalami, Chaz made it three podiums at Brno, after fighting for the win for almost two-thirds of the race with Sofuoglu and Lascorz. This result takes him into an overall fourth place in the standings, not bad at all for a rider at his first experience in the Supersport category. "It was an exciting race," said Davies. "I made a very good start and thought I could battle for the victory, but later on I felt the foot slipping, and realized it was an oil spill. I was expecting to high side any moment, but after a couple of laps I figured out it was only a wire drawing and felt comfortable again, although it was hard to push on the slippery footpeg in the right-hand corners. Rea gave me a hard time, but I managed to pass him." Davies' recent run of form gives the former AMA rider high hopes for the next round in the UK. "This a very important result for me as it comes before my home race at Silverstone, where hopefully many of my fans will turn up". Read article
Some Are More Equal Than Others: Suzuki To Get Extra MotoGP Engines
Source: MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks - ... that some manufacturers are more equal than others - Tuesday, 20th July 2010, 20:02 GMTJorge Lorenzo's huge engine blow-up during qualifying at the Sachsenring showed the extent to which manufacturers are finding the limits with engine life, but Yamaha's problems are nothing compared to Suzuki's. The Rizla Suzuki riders are heading rapidly towards the end of their allocation of six engines to last the season, with Alvaro Bautista already having taken his 5th engine so far, while Loris Capirossi is nearing that moment very quickly. After just 8 of the 18 races, it is clear that there is no way that Suzuki is going to make it through to the end of the season without taking a penalty. According to Motorcycle News' Matt Birt, the pressure on Suzuki is about to be eased. MCN is reporting that the manufacturers have agreed to give Suzuki an extra three engines per rider, to ensure they make it to the end of the year without incurring a penalty. To take such a penalty once - starting from pit lane 10 seconds after the rest of the field have started - might have been overlooked, but Suzuki was on schedule to have one of their riders starting from pit lane almost every race from Indianapolis onwards. With an allocation of nine engines instead of six, MotoGP's smallest and least well-funded factory has a chance to make it to Valencia without being forced to use engines outside of the imposed limits. read more Read article
