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| Kropotkin Thinks | ... that Ducati always find a way to surprise |
Submitted by David Emmett on
Below is a round up of all the Moto2 press releases we have received so far from the teams present at the Estoril test:
Submitted by David Emmett on
Below is a selection of press releases received after the latest Moto2 test at Valencia:
Marc Márquez sets record pace in Valencia
Submitted by David Emmett on
The fears that the MotoGP grid would once again be short of full strength at Estoril have been allayed, at least for the time being, with the news that Loris Capirossi is to attempt to race in Portugal, despite the pain from his fractured foot. The veteran Italian is far from healthy, with a torn adductor muscle in his leg and multiple fractures in his right foot, but Capirossi heads to Estoril hoping that he will be able to race despite his injuries. In a statement in the Rizla Suzuki press release, Capirossi said that the fractured cuboid and metatarsal in his foot should not be an issue, as he had ridden with the injured foot at Phillip Island. The bigger question mark is over the Italian's thigh muscle, which ruled him out of the race in Australia.
Submitted by David Emmett on
It was an open secret for some time, but now it has been officially announced: Mika Kallio is to leave the Pramac team with immediate effect, and miss the last two races of the season at Estoril and Valencia. Speculation has been rife all year about problems for Kallio, including reports of personal problems in the Finnish media. The press release and Kallio put the Finnish rider's problems down to a nagging shoulder injury that Kallio picked up in a crash at Le Mans, earlier this year. Kallio is to return to Finland from Australia and seek treatment for his shoulder, in preparation for next season, which will probably find him in Moto2.
Submitted by David Emmett on
Although MotoMatters.com's very own photographer Scott Jones is unable to make the long trek across the Pacific to Phillip Island, we have some help from a local. Andrew Gosling of TBGSport is on hand, braving the elements to bring us shots from the edge of the Bass Strait. We think you'll like them:
Cold, wet, windy. About as much fun as it sounds
Submitted by David Emmett on
As the season winds towards its conclusion, the effect of the engine rules is starting to become clear. With 15 out of 18 races already having been run, reliability problems have been given plenty of time to rear their head, and what's been remarkable is the fact that there's been so few problems in this regard - with the exception of the Suzukis, who will will be glad that they got their permitted engine allocation expanded to 9 engines instead of 6.
Submitted by David Emmett on
After a promising rookie year in MotoGP, Mika Kallio has struggled in 2010 on the Pramac Ducati. So mediocre has his form been the past six month, that Kallio has decided to call it quits early. According to reports in the Spanish media, Kallio will not be riding the last two races of the season for the Pramac Ducati squad, and his season will end after Sunday's race at Phillip Island.
Submitted by David Emmett on
The dwindling of the MotoGP grid has accelerated to a full-scale hemorrhage. Earlier in the week, it emerged that Hiroshi Aoyama's Interwetten Honda team is on the verge of pulling out for 2011, and yesterday, news leaked from Suzuki suggests that the factory Suzuki team will cut its involvement to just a single bike for next season. With two bikes gone from the already sparse MotoGP grid, only the addition of Karel Abraham and the Cardion AB team have saved MotoGP's modesty, bringing the probable line up for next year to 16.
Submitted by David Emmett on
Ever since the introduction of the six-engine rule in MotoGP, keen MotoGP watchers have been wondering when the engine limits might bite. After FP1 at Misano, the 12th round of MotoGP, the answer seems to be about now.
A host of riders were left pulling old motors off the shelf to use to work on their race setup. Six riders went out on their #1 engine, which first saw action back in Qatar, while two more took out their #2 engines. Even the newer engines being used had racked up the miles. Both Mika Kallio and Casey Stoner took out engines for their 32nd sessions, Marco Melandri put the 30th session on his #2 engine, Aleix Espargaro's Ducati Desmosdici engine saw its 28th session, while the Suzuki of Loris Capirossi and the Honda of Andrea Dovizioso saw action for the 27th time.
Submitted by David Emmett on
The press office of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway continue to do an outstanding job, collecting the following notes and quotes from the riders in today's MotoGP race. For quotes from the podium riders, see the separate news item.
MotoGP POST-RACE NOTES:
