Moto GP

[Rev004]

Well it's good to see that some people appreciate this little bit of fun that I enjoy doing. Busakid08 I have never said at any time that I write this info out, it comes from different webistes including the one that you have mentioned that I go to just to find out what the goss is. The one thing I like is that some of the info that I have posted on here has generated some good discussion points and from time to time a war of opinions but I like seeing everyones point of view on the subject. Now I'm not sure who you are calling a POM because I am certainly not one, not that I have anything against them and if you don't care what a POM thinks why comment at all..

Anyway back to business here is some more info as we get ready for the next lot of testing to kick of under lights at Qatar..


MotoGP returns to Qatar floodlights for second test of 2009
Friday, 27 February 2009

The 2009 MotoGP field head to the Losail International Circuit in Qatar this weekend to commence their second test since the winter break, with three evening sessions awaiting them under the floodlights at the desert track from 1st-3rd March.


World Champion Valentino Rossi will be hoping to further familiarise himself with his 2009 Yamaha M1 machine and the new-generation Bridgestone tyres at a circuit where he found the going tough last year, during MotoGPâ€s first ever night time Grand Prix.

Rossi qualified seventh and finished fifth in last yearâ€s season-opening Losail race, just one of two non-podium finishes for the Italian in 2008, and is therefore keen to increase his competitiveness around the Middle Eastern circuit. The MotoGP title-holder started 2009 in good form at Malaysia despite stitches in his left hand and foot following a domestic accident.

The man who got closest to Rossi in 2008 and the fastest rider at the aforementioned first test of 2009 at Sepang, Casey Stoner, will be testing the condition of his left wrist which was operated on last November and which caused him discomfort in Malaysia, preventing him from undertaking long runs on the Desmosedici GP9. Stoner is a top performer at Qatar having won the last two MotoGP races there.

Another rider looking to increase test his stamina levels at Losail is Dani Pedrosa, the former 250cc and 125cc World Champion, who left Sepang on the second of the three days of the test, due to pain in his left knee which he hurt in Australia late last season and had surgery on in December.

Pedrosaâ€s compatriot Jorge Lorenzo aims to up his game too having made improvements on the last day of the Malaysia test. Last season in Qatar Lorenzo sensationally took pole at his very first MotoGP event and rode a brilliant race to finish second, so he will be looking forward to making further improvements to his Fiat Yamaha M1 package there as of Sunday.

Andrea Dovizioso was also impressive in Qatar last year, finishing fourth on his MotoGP debut, and he anticipates the second test of 2009 as a chance to further evolve his new factory Honda RC212V package.

Having impressed in his first two tests with Ducati Marlboro at the end of 2008 in Valencia and Jerez, Stonerâ€s new team-mate Nicky Hayden was off the pace in Malaysia and will hope for an improved rhythm this time out.

Colin Edwards, meanwhile, was highly satisfied with the test results at Sepang as he finished the last day in fourth place, just 0.370s off pace-setter Stonerâ€s best, as the Tech 3 Yamaha squad got their first experience of the new M1 prototype. Edwards was more than 2.5 seconds quicker than his colleague James Toseland who had a heavy crash on the first day in Malaysia and now looks to rebuild his confidence.

The opening test of the year was considered a positive outing for Rizla Suzuki colleagues Loris Capirossi (fastest on the first day) and Chris Vermeulen, who now strive to confirm the apparent increased competitiveness of the GSV-R800 at a second track.

Although veteran rider Sete Gibernau misses the test due to a recurrence of a shoulder injury his fellow satellite Ducati riders Mika Kallio and Niccolo Canepa will be present, alongside San Carlo Honda Gresini pair Toni Elias (the fastest Honda rider at Sepang) and Alex de Angelis, LCR Hondaâ€s Randy de Puniet and Scot Racing Team rookie Yuki Takahashi.

In addition, Marco Melandri gets back on Kawasaki machinery for the first time since his Valencia and Phillip Island practice runs at the end of 2008, as he returns to MotoGP testing. Although Kawasaki announced the withdrawal of their factory team from the World Championship early in January, they will nonetheless provide material for Melandri to run in MotoGP this season and the Italian star will therefore test the 2009 bike which Olivier Jacque recently debuted in a private test at Eastern Creek.

The 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship will commence in Qatar with the first GP of the year on 10th-12th April.


Elias fit and ready for Qatar test
Friday, 27 February 2009

Preparing for his fifth season in the premier class, Toni Elias has been working as hard as ever on his physical fitness ahead of the Official MotoGP Night Test in Qatar.


Making his final preparations for the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship Toni Elias this week invited motogp.com to join him for some cycling and motocross training sessions close to his home town of Manresa, on the outskirts of Barcelona.

In his fifth year in the MotoGP class, Elias this year returns to the Honda Gresini team he rode for in 2006 and 2007 having spent last season on Ducati satellite machinery. He has been given a factory RC212V for 2009 and started the preseason as the fastest Honda rider at the Malaysia test having worked hard on his fitness over the winter – following an operation in December.

He has kept the pace up since then with various forms of training and explained his regime saying, “I try to vary my fitness work as much as possible and do something different every day so that it doesnâ€t get boring. I go to the gym and go cycling and running and do motocross.”

“This year the Championship will be as intense as ever and we wonâ€t have much time to come home and train,” continued the Catalan. “The most important training sessions are the races themselves so between the GPs it is just keep fit, whereas now we are really working hard to increase fitness levels. Iâ€m actually still coming back from my operation, so I havenâ€t reached 100% yet.”

Summarising the winter scene for the MotoGP riders as a whole he added, “During the break all the riders take maximum advantage to get over old injuries and have any surgery required like Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and myself have done this time. Itâ€s tough to be back at 100% for the first test, but I think everyone will be totally ready for the first race of the year.”

The San Carlo Honda Gresini Team rider also made reference to the recent cost reduction moves in MotoGP which have seen testing and practice sessions reduced, saying of the three preseason tests at Sepang, Losail and Jerez, “As there are less tests we have to plan things differently, almost treating them like Grands Prix weekends. You have to be completely organised in order to get things done properly in the three days. With these three tests we have to be ready for the first race. If it helps to make things less expensive then it is a good thing.”

Elias, who has one GP win to his name at Estoril in 2006, previewed the 2009 season, revealing, “I donâ€t want to get ahead of myself but I realise I have a big chance this year. I have set myself certain goals to aim for and I only have myself to answer to.”


Bulgaria to stage MotoGP races from 2012
Friday, 27 February 2009

The FIM MotoGP World Championship will arrive in Bulgaria as of 2012, following a preliminary agreement reached between the Bulgarian Motorcycle Federation and Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder for MotoGP.


The new five year deal, which will take MotoGP to Bulgaria from 2012 to 2016, was signed in Sofia by Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and the President of the Bulgarian Motorcycle Federation Bogdan Nikolov, in the presence of the Chairman of the Bulgarian Grand Prix Organizing Committee Rumen Petkov and the President of the Bulgarian State Agency for Youth and Sports Vessela Letcheva. Following the press conference, an additional meeting was held between Carmelo Ezpeleta and the Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev to further discuss the project.

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta commented, “This is the first step in bringing MotoGP to Bulgaria, which is an exciting project for us. The Bulgarian government demonstrated great interest in bringing a Grand Prix here and it will be an important development for us, having never staged a race here before. We are highly confident in Bulgariaâ€s ability to host and organise Grands Prix efficiently and safely.”

The meeting in Sofia also saw the announcement that Bulgarian free-to-air national broadcasters BNT will have exclusive live television rights to the FIM MotoGP World Championship from 2009, which will see all MotoGP races broadcast live in Bulgaria.




And this one if for the POMS out there that might be heading home for some reason if you want to keep track of events within the MotoGp paddicks.

MotoGP to enjoy most extensive coverage ever in UK
Thursday, 26 February 2009

MotoGP fans in the UK will be able to enjoy the most complete coverage ever of the sport, thanks to agreements for 2009 between the championshipâ€s commercial rights-holders Dorna Sports and both the BBC and British Eurosport.


More than 23 million UK viewers watched live coverage of MotoGP during 2008, and thanks to the combined efforts of the two networks to increase their broadcast hours in 2009, that figure is set to rise.

The BBC coverage is the public broadcasterâ€s biggest ever offering of the worldâ€s premier motorcycling championship, with all the scheduled 18 rounds of the MotoGP World Championship to be shown live on BBC television. Additionally, all the rounds from the ultra-competitive 250cc and 125cc World Championships will be shown live via the BBCâ€s Red Button, as well as full coverage of all three of Saturdayâ€s qualifying sessions (MotoGP, 250cc and 125cc).

There is also a return for the popular MotoGP Extra programme, on the Red Button, immediately following the majority of European rounds, which brings the immediate reaction from the experts and the riders themselves.

For those unable to catch the races live, the BBC will continue to offer the action via its popular iPlayer platform for seven days following each event. (Additionally the live coverage will be looped on the Red Button on the evening of the race in question.)

Philip Bernie, BBC, Head of TV Sport Editorial, said: “We are delighted to be offering more than ever of the worldâ€s leading motorcycle series. Our coverage of MotoGP, the 250s and 125s means that BBC viewers will be able to get the most comprehensive view of this spectacular sport. Combined with our new F1 contract, this means the BBC is now showcasing fully the best motor sport on both two wheels and four wheels.”

In order to complement the BBCâ€s coverage, British Eurosport will also broadcast MotoGP extensively this year. The UK arm of Europeâ€s popular digital sports network will air all practice and qualifying sessions live from the Friday and Saturday of each Grand Prix weekend, followed by live coverage of the 125cc and 250cc races on Sundays. The MotoGP races will also be available on the channel on a same-day-delayed basis.

Furthermore, the British Eurosport transmissions will be available as video on demand for seven days via the Eurosport Player at the Eurosport.yahoo.co.uk website.

With Briton James Toseland battling Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner for glory in the MotoGP class, and his compatriots fighting for the title in the 125cc class, including the youngest ever Grand Prix winner Scott Redding, 2009 is set to be a bumper year for MotoGP in the UK.