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.
Itoh honoured by Ducati call.
Bridgestone test rider Shinichi Itoh had admitted he is honoured to be given the chance to race for the Ducati Marlboro Team in the inaugural Turkish Motorcycle Grand Prix this weekend.
Confirmed: Itoh to replace Capirossi in Turkey.
The Ducati Marlboro Team has told Crash.net that Bridgestone test rider Shinichi Itoh will ride the injured Loris Capirossi's factory Desmosedici GP5 in this weekend's inaugural Turkish Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Capirossi back home after `worst ever` accident.
Following his discharge from Melbourne's Cabrini Hospital, Loris Capirossi left Australia and - after a flight lasting almost 28 hours, including 24 in the air, with stopovers at Dubai and Rome Fiumicino - finally landed at Rimini airport at 14.45 today, Monday 17 October.
F1 at Phillip Island...
After watching Valentino Rossi take a narrow victory over Nicky Hayden in today's Australian Grand Prix, the 43,000 Phillip Island race fans got the chance to watch the season-ending Chinese Formula One Grand Prix on the big screens.
Capirossi to fly home tonight.
Loris Capirossi, who was ruled out of today's Australian GP when he fell heavily at turn one on Friday - sustaining chest injuries, including internal bleeding around his right lung - will return home to Europe tonight.
Kawasaki signs de Puniet for 2006.
Randy de Puniet will step up to the MotoGP World Championship in 2006 with the Kawasaki Racing Team, after agreeing terms with the Japanese factory squad at Phillip Island this weekend.
Stoner claims home 250 pole.
Casey Stoner will start his home 250cc Australian Grand Prix from pole position after setting the fastest ever lap of this circuit by a 250cc machine with a time of 1min 32.756secs in the second qualifying session for the quarter-litre class.
?Cool` pole for hot Hayden.
Nicky Hayden grabbed his third pole position of the season after becoming the fastest rider ever to lap the legendary Phillip Island circuit in today's qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix.
Internal bleeding sidelines Capirossi.
Double 2005 race winner Loris Capirossi will take no further part in this year's Australian Grand Prix following a huge high-speed accident at the 200kmh turn one during the latter stages of this morning's first practice session, run in cool and windy conditions.
200kph Roberts highside 'as bad as it gets`.
Team Suzuki MotoGP racer Kenny Roberts Jr will take no further part in this weekend's Australian Grand Prix - and perhaps the rest of the 2005 season - after breaking his left wrist in a huge morning highside at Phillip Island, Australia.
Bayliss: I`ll be back.
Troy Bayliss has declared he'll be back 'stronger and faster' once he recovers from the wrist injury that has sidelined him for the past four grands prix - including this weekend's Australian event at Phillip Island - Baylisstic's home race.
Assen carved up.
Work has now begun on the removal of much of Assen's famous North Loop, undertaken to allow 7,000 new car parking places, the creation of a 'TT World' complex and a reduction in track length from 5,997 to roughly 4,750 metres ahead of the 2006 season.
Australian GP wild-cards.
The wild-card riders who will race in the Australian Grand Prix, at Phillip Island this weekend, are the following: 250cc class: #81 - Mark Rowling AUS (Yamaha) #82 - Mick Kelly AUS (Honda) #83 - Ben Reid AUS (Yamaha)
Honda still waiting for 600th win.
The late Soichiro Honda would have been frustrated by the wait: The company he founded and took racing are on the verge of yet another historic milestone, but that final brick in the wall is proving difficult to cement into place...
Doohan: Rossi will be the greatest.
Former five times 500cc World Champion Mick Doohan believes that current MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi, who recently matched Doohan's premier-class title achievements, will now go on to become the greatest ever.
Rainey recalls `favourite` 1991 Australian upset.
After seeing local hero Wayne Gardner take victory for the first two years of the Australian Grand Prix in 1989 and 1990 at Phillip Island, hopes were high for another home victory when the series switched to a new venue at Eastern Creek on the outskirts of Sydney in 1991.
Free MotoGP screensaver!
MotoGP fans can now download their free 2005 screensaver from Crash.net . The screensaver contains alternating pictures from the MotoGP, 250GP and 125GP seasons to date and also provides a direct link to the latest MotoGP news on the Crash.net website.
Vermeulen confirmed at Camel Honda.
The Camel Honda Team has confirmed that World Superbike star Chris Vermeulen will make his MotoGP debut, replacing the injured Troy Bayliss, at his home Australian Grand Prix.
Byrne 'crossing everything` for Australia.
Shane Byrne has revealed he still has a slim chance of riding for Camel Honda in the Australian Grand Prix, on October 16 at Phillip Island, despite speculation that the seat will be given to WSBK star Chris Vermeulen.
Cartoon: KTM withdraws another engine.
Having suddenly withdrawn their supply of MotoGP engines for Team Roberts halfway through the 2005 season, KTM went one step further at last weekend's Qatar Grand Prix - by withdrawing their 250cc engine from their own factory team!
Biaggi: My hope is gone.
Max Biaggi has lost all hope of turning around his disappointing 2005 season with the Repsol Honda team, after yet another forgettable outing at Qatar on Saturday.
Rossi: What a race!
Valentino Rossi added the Losail International Circuit to his long list of grand prix conquests on Saturday as he banished the memory of his 2004 fall with his tenth victory of the season in the Qatar Grand Prix.
Warm-up times - Losail.
Full MotoGP warm-up times from the Qatar Grand Prix at Losail, round fourteen of the 2005 world championship.
KTM furious as 'wrong` rider takes 125 win.
Hungarian rider Gabor Talmacsi won the 125cc Qatar Grand Prix in a controversial photo-finish ahead of Red Bull KTM team-mate Mika Kallio at the Losail Circuit today.