2008

Felipe Massa has played down suggestions that McLaren may have closed the gap on Ferrari in recent Formula One tests, the Brazilian claiming that the Prancing Horse remains the best bet for success.

The proposed Indonesian round of the World Superbike Championship and its support events has been canned, reducing the senior calendar to 14 rounds in 2008.

Former national Fiesta champion Andy Neate has expressed his disappointment at missing out on the chance to join Team RAC for the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

Eurosport is to become something of a 'one-stop shop' for bike racing fans after securing exclusive live rights to the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

Reigning Spanish Supersport champion Graeme Gowland registered the first points of his 2008 World Championship season at the weekend, coming home a fighting 13th at Phillip Island.

Despite already being regarded as the biggest domestic superbike series in the world, new commercial rights holder Jonathan Palmer has expressed his desire to make the British Superbike Championship even bigger and better over the coming seasons.

The 2008 season will see the British Superbike Championship enter a new era, with Jonathan Palmer's Motorsport Vision group taking over the commercial rights to the series at the start of a ten-year deal to run the biggest domestic bike series in the world.

The AT&T WilliamsF1 team has released the first images of the livery that will adorn its 2008 challenger - the Toyota-powered FW30 this season.

AT&T Williams has revealed that it has agreed to an extension of its sponsorship partnership with Hamleys, the iconic international toy store, to cover another season.

The Dick Johnson-run Jim Beam Racing team has revealed the signing of Steve Owen and Warren Luff for the 2008 V8 Supercar endurance events later in the year.

Alain Prost has spoken out against the new breed of Formula One which, despite ridding itself of electronic driver aids this season, he reckons is nowhere near as difficult as in his day.

With Robby Gordon's appeal against his 100-point penalty dished out by NASCAR for failing pre-race inspection at Daytona hot on the agenda it seems like the penalty review board will be busier than usual this week when UAW-Dodge 400 winner Carl Edwards saw his #99 Roush-Fenway Ford fail post race

When Bruton Smith decided to completely remodel the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway two years ago he did it with a view to improving the somewhat insipid racing that had generally been the norm since NASCAR made its first trip to Sin City in 1998.

There wasn't much in it in the end for the ex-Superbike racer - and previous winner at Phillip Island - Josh Brookes, but the Aussie was happy enough with second place to Andrew Pitt and now leads the World Supersport championship for Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport.

Team Pedercini endured a terrible day in Australia, highlighted by Vittorio Iannuzzo injuring his left wrist in a startline accident with Michel Fabrizio.

Italian Michel Fabrizio won his first podium in race one for Xerox Ducati despite a big start-line collision that ripped off his boot.

1. Troy Bayliss AUS Ducati 1098 F08 22 laps 2. Troy Corser AUS Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 +04.221secs 3. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati 1098 F08 +04.738secs

Superbike race action at Phillip Island was halted almost as soon as it had started after a startline accident involving Xerox Ducati's Michel Fabrizio. The sudden appearance of the red flags then created another incident at Lukey Heights that decimated the Honda contingent.

Having finished the Jerez test fastest of all, with a qualifying tyre, Nicky Hayden says Repsol Honda has been 'brought back to reality' after a tough final pre-season outing at Qatar.

Bridgestone has confirmed the compound allocations for the first nine rounds of the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Speculation over the number of potential entries in the newly unified Indycar Series was dealt a blow when Forsythe Racing announced that it would not be taking up a place on the grid.

Contrary to claims that he had been forced out of the company he has fronted through thick and thin in Formula One, Ron Dennis remains at the helm of McLaren with the backing of those around him.

The first night of the first ever MotoGP night test, held at the Losail circuit in Qatar, has been dominated by world champion Casey Stoner.

by Rob Wilkins TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW IN FULL WITH HENNING SOLBERG: CLICK HERE