MotoGP News
We’re first for the latest MotoGP news. Motorcycle racing’s elite competition is a fast paced, ever-evolving beast and here you’ll find all of the MotoGP news you could wish for. We cover everything from interviews with the major players, updates on machine reveals, team news and more. See brand new content from MotoE and insightful ‘first look’ features showing the forthcoming MotoGP season’s riders in their new colours.
Criville crashes, girlfriend ordered home.
Two years ago Spaniard Alex Criville won the World 500cc Championship after finishing sixth in the Rio race. Two years later his return to Brazil was not so happy.
53 years of 500 GP's comes to an end.
The 500cc World Championship bowed out in Rio after a 53 year history. Next year the introduction of the four-strokes spells the end of the 500cc maximum capacity, which started, with the birth of Grand Prix racing in 1949.
Red Bull Yamaha: We didn't do much right.
Red Bull Yamaha riders Garry McCoy and Nori Haga completed the World Motorcycle Championship season with little to celebrate following today's Rio Grand Prix.
Rossi makes last 500 championship fastest ever?
This year's 500 World Championship is the last in history and fittingly, also the fastest. Lap and race records have tumbled throughout the season, which has also seen some of the most dramatic racing in memory.
No reward for Van den Goorbergh's efforts.
Proton Team KR rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh retired from today's Rio GP, last race of the 2001 GP season, after rare mechanical trouble struck on the first lap of a race that was stopped just three laps later when it started to rain.
McCoy leads, crashes and plummets.
Red Bull Yamaha team leader Garry McCoy endured an eventful first qualifying session for the Rio Grand Prix, suffering the highs and lows of bike racing in one single hour.
Marlboro Yamaha men on second row at slippery Rio.
Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi quickly got to grips with the slippery Jacarepagua circuit this afternoon, clocking sixth and eighth quickest times in the opening qualifying session for the season-ending Rio GP.
Marlboro Yamaha men on rows two and three at Rio.
Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi battled throughout this afternoon's torrid final qualifying session, ending the day seventh and tenth quickest, giving them starts from the second and third rows.
Preparations underway in Rio for the last 500cc.
Riders, teams and officials have this week made their final long distance trip of the season and today descended on the Nelson Piquet circuit in Rio, Brazil, in preparation for the last race of the 2001 calendar.
Kenny's cap raises $1500 for US relief effort.
The New York Fire Department baseball cap that reigning World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr wore on the podium at Valencia in September has been auctioned for $1500, with all proceeds going to the relief aid in America.
Mixed day for Nobby Ueda in 125cc class.
The final round of this 2001 MotoGP World Championship is here in Brazil at the Nelson Piquet circuit on the outskirts of the colourful city of Rio de Janeiro.
Facts and trivia from 53 years of the 500cc class.
The Rio Grand Prix will be the last ever GP under the rules of 500cc maximum capacity which have been in place since 1949. The following are some records, facts and trivia from this 53 year history:
Yamaha boys nuts about Brazil.
The Jacarepagua circuit has been hosting rounds of the motorcycling world championships on and off since the mid-nineties, having taken over on a permanent basis from rivals across the country.
West tops V-twins
Australia's Ant West easily emerged top rider on a V-Twin machine and recorded his 10th points-scoring result from 13 starts in his first 500cc motorcycle world championship season yesterday in Malaysia.
Petronas makes glorious sound.
Let's hope the Petronas GP1 bike makes it to the MotoGP grid in the next couple of years - if only because it makes such beautiful noise.
Katoh clinches 250cc World Championship.
Daijiro Katoh claimed his first world crown in sensational style at Sepang today when he took victory in the 250cc Malaysian Grand Prix by a massive 15.6secs, to give him an uncatchable 34 point lead with one round to go.
Top Yamaha man McCoy slides into third.
Red Bull's Garry McCoy emerged as the top Yamaha rider in the Malaysian Grand Prix, finishing third after dropping as low as eighth, after an average start from the front row.
Edwards crashes in first qualifier.
After the disappointment in Australia, Stuart Edwards (250cc) went to Malaysia with changes to be made and would be using the free practice session to find a set-up for the qualifying in the afternoon.
Moto Grand Prix 2002 race calendar.
The calendar for the 2002 season of the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the following:
Jamieson's leaving present.
Garry McCoy's crew chief Hamish Jamieson received the leaving present of a lifetime from his team at Phillip Island - a ride on the two -seater Yamaha grand prix bike with Randy Mamola on Friday afternoon.
Gardner and Sheene join hall of fame.
Two riders who have done as much to promote grand prix motorcycle racing in their respective countries than anybody else joined the MotoGP Hall of Fame at Phillip Island on Saturday morning.
The race goes on at Sepang.
This year's 500 World Championship may already have been decided but the action will be as fast and furious as ever at Sepang on Sunday. Marlboro Yamaha Team duo Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa will be racing just the same as they do on every Grand Prix weekend - to win.
Reaction from team Red Bull Yamaha.
Nori Haga finished the Australian Grand Prix in 8th position after a good battle at the front. Here's how the race went for him: "I got a good start and was straight up with the leaders.
Jurgen van den Goorbergh finishes tenth.
Proton Team KR rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh made sure of yet another top ten finish in yesterday's Australian GP, fending off former World Champion Alex Criville's Honda over the line, in spite of losing time through problems of his own earlier in the race.