Full qualifying times from the Qatar Grand Prix, the first round of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship. Nicky Hayden suffered a huge highside at the end of the session and is presently being attended to by doctors. The American was conscious.
Full Saturday free practice times from the Qatar Grand Prix, the first round of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship. Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi, Loris Capirossi and Jorge Lorenzo close at the front - Marco Melandri fifth for Hayate!
Valentino Rossi or Casey Stoner have taken victory in 80% of the races held since the 800cc MotoGP era began in 2007. Between them, the pair have won 29 of the 36 races, with Stoner (Ducati) winning the 2007 title and Rossi (Yamaha) the 2008 crown.
The 2009 MotoGP World Championship begins under floodlights in Qatar this weekend. Here is a team-by-team preview, followed by a summary of the main rule changes, heading into the new 17-round season... Fiat Yamaha Team - Valentino Rossi (46), Jorge Lorenzo (99):
The final pre-season MotoGP test of 2009 has fallen to Casey Stoner, courtesy of a stunning lap time set during the 45-minute 'qualifying' shootout at Jerez on Sunday.
2009 MotoGP rookie and former Ducati test rider Niccolo Canepa has provided an insight into riding the Desmosedici grand prix machine, plus a glimpse of life inside the Ducati factory and the challenges he faces in balancing university with MotoGP.
Casey Stoner admits his wrist is continuing to prevent him from working on the set-up of the Ducati GP9, despite the former champion going quickest on the second day of MotoGP pre-season testing at Sepang, Malaysia.
Reigning six-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi expects 2008 runner-up Casey Stoner to be his number one rival during an "even more difficult" 2009 season.
Former Alice Ducati MotoGP rider Sylvain Guintoli has refused to blame the Italian factory for his tough 2008 season, and credits Ducati's 2007 world champion Casey Stoner for his success with the Desmosedici.
Crash.net recently asked for your MotoGP star of 2008, from a shortlist of ten riders provided, and - with voting having now closed - the time has come to reveal the results.
Casey Stoner is currently in recovery having undergone the wrist surgery he needed to stabilise an injury sustained back in 2003. Stoner struggled with the ailment in the latter stages of the 2008 season after aggravating the problem during falls in Brno and Misano.
Casey Stoner, winner of Sunday's season-ending grand prix at Valencia, joined almost all his 2009 rivals in returning to the track for the start of a post race test on Monday - and continued to dominate, this time on next year's Ducati Desmosedici GP9.
Casey Stoner ended Valentino Rossi's five-race run of MotoGP victories by winning his home Australian Grand Prix in dominant style, marking the Ducati Marlboro star's first win since the wet German GP in July.
1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 40min 56.643 secs 2. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 41min 3.147 secs 3. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 41min 3.848 secs
Casey Stoner may have lost the chance to defend his MotoGP title, but the Ducati star's raw speed is beyond doubt and the Australian secured the 2008 'MotoGP Best Qualifier' award, two rounds early, with a hard earned home pole position at Phillip Island on Saturday.
Ducati may never have won its home Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, but it has beaten the four Japanese manufacturers at their home grand prix for the last three years running.
Casey Stoner could be forced to miss some of the remaining MotoGP rounds after it was revealed his scaphoid injury could warrant an earlier than planned operation.
MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner finished his first race in three starts at Sunday's storm-lashed Indiapolis Grand Prix, despite 'destroying' his rear tyre.