Casey Stoner hit the 2011 season running. While most of pre-season (and a good chunk of early season) talk was about Honda’s new gearbox, Stoner got to business straight away, ominously gapping the field from the first race here at Qatar. This was a pattern that would be repeated…

Jorge Lorenzo upped his game, despite coming into the 2011 season as world champion. While the Honda had its gearbox to boost performance, the Yamaha only had its pilots to rely on – especially now Rossi had left the roost. 2011 saw some of Lorenzo’s finest ever riding, culminating in some memorable victories. But on the Yamaha, Lorenzo was always going to be a battle for first loser.

No amount of debriefing was going to cure the Ducati of its handling woes. Underlying just what a talent Casey Stoner is, Rossi jumped on the bike, uniting a nation in the process. But he wanted to jump straight off, the balance of the machine not suited to Rossi’s style. The lack of performance first caused headlines, but as this became the norm the Ducati’s relative uncompetitiveness soon became a non-story.

2011 was full of unfilled potential. Rivaling the Ducati story was Toni Elias circulating at the back of the grid. Having been bounced back into MotoGP after taking the first Moto2 crown, we were all expecting to see Elias as proof that the new feeder class was key to the sport’s future. But Elias’ struggle to get heat into the Bridgestone tyres haunted him all season long. But the question remains, how can someone who looks so fast in pictures languish at the back of the pack?

Cal Crutchlow had a real James Toseland of a season. Racing out of the gate, Cal impressed in his initial few rides, and could have got a podium at a wet Jerez were it not for a crash. But Crutchlow peaked too soon, and after a crash at Silverstone in front of his home fans (Toseland, again), Cal’s head went somewhere and soon he was looking at tyres as the reason for his slump – much to the team’s annoyance. The one saving grace was seeing the quietly impressive Karel Abrahem off for the rookie of the year title, giving Cal a platform to build on next year.

And it’s goodnight from them. Yup, the near season long debate of will they, won’t they, ended up with Suzuki taking a sabbatical from MotoGP in 2012. The cash strapped manufacturer teased us and the team as to its plans, but having already downsized to just Alvaro Bautista, Suzuki plumped for pulling the plug. And this decision came at a time when Suzuki seemed to have finally got to grips with the 800. Bautista recovered well from breaking his leg at Qatar, and shone in races towards the end of the season. But that effort now appears to be all for nothing.

And so to the end of the season when Ben Spies threatened to take his second victory of the year under a cloudy Valencia sky. But who should come and steal Spies’ thunder (after leading for much of the race, granted). Yup, fittingly, Casey Stoner stuck on the afterburners and took victory in the last race of the year.

But the 2011 season will forever be remembered for one man’s tragic death. Marco Simoncelli had the world at his feet and possessed equal amounts of talent and potential. But the outpouring of grief after his death was not because of his championship standing or number of podiums, but rather because of the combination of his care free attitude and happy spirit allied to steely determination whenever he put his helmet on. The world goes on, of course, but he will forever cause us to pause, reflect and smile from time to time.

Related posts:

1. Midwest Enduro – Season Finale

MV Agustas have won 34 TT races and taken 61 podiums between 1952 and 1972.The first race win came in the 1952 Ultra-Lightweight race, won by Cecil Sandford, whilst the last was the 1972 Senior won by Giacomo Agostini. While Agostini is the most successful MV Agusta rider at the TT with 10 wins to his name, some of the greatest names in the event’s history have also raced on MVs including John Surtees (6 wins), Carlo Ubbiali (5 wins), Mike Hailwood (4 wins) and Tarquinio Provini (3 wins). Other race winners have included Gary Hocking (2 wins) while John Hartle, Bill Lomas, Cecil Sandford and Les Graham have also stood on the top step.

The late Martin Finnegan was the last high profile rider to campaign an MV Agusta at the TT, finishing 4th in the 2007 Superstock TT race, lapping at 125.685mph.

Neil Haslam, Team Boss, World Performance Racing commented: “World Performance Racing represents a passion for motorcycle racing and the desire to bring MV Agusta, the iconic motorcycle brand with a unique heritage, to the celebrated Isle of Man TT races in 2012. We aim to restore MV Agusta back to winning ways and ensure that the 2012 TT will be another chapter in this great Italian’s brand’s history.”

Paul Phillips, TT and Motorsport Development Manager, added: “MV Agusta is one of the truly iconic names in the TT’s history and I’m sure many fans will be eager to see the much anticipated return of a factory supported outfit. I’m really pleased that we will see yet another factory backed outfit at next year’s TT and it is further confirmation of the event’s growing strength and appeal.”

WPR is a family run business based in Chesterfield who, in association with Chorley-based Moto GB, will be taking the new MV Agusta F3 and F4 machines to compete at the TT next year.

No related posts.

The TT Circuit Assen is considered the most historic motorcycle racing circuit in the world, having hosted the premier class World Championship every year since 1949 and it is acknowledged as “The Cathedral” of motorcycling. With the appeal of the MCE Insurance BSB Championship expanding beyond the UK with International riders, worldwide television coverage and World Championship pedigree teams, this is a natural progression for the championship to have visibility in Continental Europe yet remaining accessible to the legions of British BSB fans.

The 2012 season commences at Brands Hatch on its traditional Easter weekend slot in April before heading to Thruxton one week later and Oulton Park in May. BSB then returns to the Snetterton 300 circuit, following a record attendance at last year’s debut event on the new 3-mile layout, before visiting Knockhill for the annual Scottish round in June and Oulton Park for the second time in early July. The summer Brands Hatch round on the Grand Prix circuit has been brought forward to 20-22 July to avoid a clash with the London Olympic Games.

Two weeks after the August Bank Holiday ‘Party in the Park’ at Cadwell Park, Donington Park in Leicestershire will now host the critical final round of the Main Season on 7-9 September, where the 32 riders will home in on the critical top six positions in advance of the Showdown phase.

The Showdown will take place at two current MotoGP venues with the Silverstone Arena GP circuit following Assen on 28-30 September, before concluding at the hallowed Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, scene of the epic title decider between Tommy Hill and John Hopkins last month, with a triple header finale on 12-14 October.

Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive, MotorSport Vision said:  ”The 2012 BSB calendar is the strongest ever and this is a tribute to the extraordinary health of BSB amidst tough economic conditions that are a major challenge to many other series. It has always been a priority for MSVR to drive down the costs of competing in BSB with sport-leading technical regulations whilst driving up the quality of the show.  As a result BSB is becoming ever more attractive to manufacturers, teams, riders, sponsors, circuits and fans, which means 2012 is likely to be BSB’s best year yet.”

2012 MCE Insurance BSB Calendar:

Related posts:

1. Rossi, Ducati and 2012
2. Paul Bird in BSB 2012 – Dream Team?

Qualifying ninth, the Honda TT Legends team, comprising John McGuinness, Keith Amor and Glen Richards (Richards was drafted in at the last minute after Cameron Donald injured himself falling down the stairs – true story), were running as high as second, before the more established endurance teams made their experience pay.

Richards started the race (well, could you imagine McGuinness running?!), and eight hours later it was John McGuinness that crossed the line to score fifth overall – the team’s third fifth-place finish of the season. Given the race fielded such luminaries as David Checa, Matthieu Lagrive, Sebastien Gimbert, Katsuyaki Nakasuga (fresh from MotoGP) and Steve Martin in various teams, this fifth place is a decent result.

Click here for a decent YouTube post on the Honda TT Legends race.

Here’s what the team had to say on it. Head to the Honda TT Legends website for more.

Neil Tuxworth

Our aim for this year was to finish sixth in the championship, but to be honest we are more than happy with seventh. It’s a great achievement in our development year and I think the whole team can be proud of what we have achieved. We have learned an incredible amount over the season and we will take all that into 2012 with the aim of becoming competitive enough to fight for the podium.

John McGuinness

We’ve finished three races this year with three fifths and I think that’s a fantastic achievement. Looking at the race results, you’ve got teams with massive experience and world championship titles above us so we’re the best of the rest if you like! We strung eight hours together no problem and as a team we bought the bike home. It was quite a experience to finish the race here and the 8 Hours of Qatar is another thing to tick off my list of things to do. I have to mention all the boys in the team – they’ve worked mega hard and there has been a lot going on behind the scenes with the ABS project amongst other things, so thank you to them.

Keith Amor

It was quite an eventful end to the championship in the end. I’m really happy that the team has been able to move up to the seventh in the championship as we’ve had a few unlucky breaks this year. Glen and John did really, really well. It’s was tough to learn this track but overall it’s been a good year. I feel privileged to be part of the official Honda outfit.

Glen Richards

I am really happy that I’ve been able to do a half decent job. It’s always the fear of the unknown when you haven’t ridden the bike before but it’s all worked very well. The team has been fantastic and the bike was really good. We managed to get fifth in the race and move up in the championship, which the team are very happy about so I’m happy.

No related posts.

One podium is a shocking return on the multi million pound investment in Rossi, although this is the sum total of Ducati’s efforts over the last two years if you take Casey Stoner’s efforts out of the equation – so maybe this is a reflection of the bike’s performance.

There’s certainly no live web feed from this year’s Valencia test, no coverage on BBC’s red button and no rush to see what Rossi and the bike will do. But this is the important year. Rossi, Burgess and Co couldn’t really do much with the bike during the season, stymied by inherent design issues and a degree of stubbornness on Ducati’s part. And let’s not forget that Honda and Casey Stoner did an absolutely top job throughout 2010. But this year should be different.

The latest incarnation of the machine has ditched the carbon frame in favour of a more conventional aluminium twin beam to house the new 1000cc v-four motor. But beyond that, there’s not much more we can add to the technical details of the machine. It’s already had run outs at Mugello and Jerez, but the work starts in earnest now.

Here’s what the protaganists (or not in the case of Nicky Hayden who broke his wrist in the race crash on Sunday) had to offer on the Valencia test.

Valentino Rossi: “This bike is nicer to ride than the 800, even if we’re only just starting our work. You can say that it’s improved in some respects, while in others, it’s very similar to the other bike, but that’s exactly what we expected. We know we’re doing preparatory work for the bike that we’ll use in the 2012 winter tests, which are very important. The engine seems to be pretty good already. It’s fast, although I never really found myself with the others to do a direct comparison. On the other hand, I’m a little slower in mid-corner, and we also have to try to improve rear grip because for now, we’re not able to get the power to the ground and take full advantage of it. But it’s not bad for a first taste, and the really important thing is that we can work more freely, changing the bike’s balance, the weight distribution, the measurements, and whatever we need as we prepare for the important next three months of work.”

Related posts:

1. 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale
2. 2012 Ducati 848 EVO Corse Special Edition
3. Paul Bird in BSB 2012 – Dream Team?

Paul Bird will also be fielding James Ellison in MotoGP, running a one-man CRT team in the fledgling series.  It’s going to be a busy time…

This is a real shot in the arm for the BSB series, having lost Crescent Suzuki to WSB, and should make great use of the machinery and experience learned from the team’s four year WSB experience that ended at the Portimao race. Having won the title four times, and raced with Byrne extensively in the past (while Easton was using essentially a PBM bike under MSS colours until his big NW200 crash), the team isn’t short of knowledge, and should be right up there at the season’s start.

Shane Byrne:  “It’s a bit like coming home as this will be the third time I’ll have ridden for Paul and it’s quite funny as you spend five minutes with the team and it’s as if you’ve never been away! The team always puts out competitive bikes and the Kawasaki will be a major threat I reckon. You know Paul wouldn’t be coming back to BSB if he didn’t think he could win it so I think we’ll have a real good shot at the title.”

Stuart Easton:  “My injuries are healing well and everything should be sorted in time for me to start testing with the team as planned. It’s great to be back with PBM and I appreciate the support they have given me this year whilst I was out. We have enjoyed so much success together in the past, I’m really looking forward to this challenge and if we can replicate that it will be great.”

Paul Bird, Team Owner:  “When we decided to return to British Superbikes, signing both Shakey and Stuart was always the plan and I’m delighted they’ve come on board with us. We’ve won British championships as well as World championship races together and for me it’s my dream team. We have proved that the Kawasaki ZX-10R is a fantastic bike and have won on it at BSB in 2010 so we know what we need to do. I promised Stuart a deal straight after his crash and he’ll be back to full fitness very soon and with Shakey keen to make up for missing out this year, we are ideally placed.”

The season starts at Brands Hatch over Easter with the team planning a test schedule in Spain during March.

No related posts.

No related posts.

The MotoGP event marks the end of the 800s era – and good riddance we say. The electronics arms race was matched by an ever increasing reliance on uber-technical solutions that put MotoGP beyond the reach of all but the elite. Formula One is now more interesting than this racing – and indictments don’t get much more damning than this. Lorenzo won’t be racing, replaced by Yamaha tester Kakasuga, who will have American Josh Hayes to try and beat – as the AMA champ has landed Colin Edwards’ ride while he recovers from his Malaysia injuries.

Hiroshi Aoyama won’t do a Sete Gibernau and win the race for his fallen team-mate (as the Spaniard did after Daijiro Kato’s death in 2003. Instead, Casey Stoner or Dani Pedrosa will win, pulling the curtain on one of the dullest season’s of racing ever. Honda should be congratulated for spending the most amount of money on its bikes and being clever enough to see Casey Stoner’s obvious potential. Well done Livio Suppo and all the engineers.

The race will also be Loris Capirossi’s last. I maintain Capirossi had it in him to win the 2005 championship until he had his massive crash in 2006. He’s a great character and the paddock will miss him, but hey, life goes on. But who else will Valencia mean the end of the road. Suzuki hasn’t said what it’s plans for 2012 are, and no news needn’t be good news on this front. Why delay the announcement of something that’s happening?

There are other races happening, of course. Moto2 seems to be wrapped up now that Marc Marquez is all but ruled out, still suffering from blurred vision from his crash in Malaysia. This means the Stefan Bradl will become the sophomore Moto2 champion – and who can argue he doesn’t deserve it. Bradley Smith will race, having recovered from injury, hoping to repeat his win from last year in the 125 class, while we hope to see a strong finish to the year from mag favourite, Scott Redding.

So it’s the last 125cc race that will have most riding on it. The last ever world championship two stroke race will pit Nico Terol and Johann Zarco, but with a 20-point cushion the race really is Terol’s to lose.

So those are the main plots, but of course the abiding issue will be remembering Marco Simoncelli, and what finer way of doing this than a symphony of bikes revving their heads off for a minute. This will be held before the 125 race, so if you can join them, pay your respects and join in – the neighbours can go to hell!

No related posts.

A seemingly innocuous lowside swiftly turned into one of the most horrendous accidents we’ve seen in MotoGP, as Marco and his bike swung back across the track into the path of Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi. Neither rider had any chance of avoiding a collision with Marco, whose helmet also came off during the accident.

Michele Macchiagodena, Medical Director for MotoGP explains the circumstances of his passing: “I’m very sad to be here to report about the death of Marco Simoncelli, a friend. Because of the crash he had during the race, in which he was hit by other riders, he suffered a very serious trauma to the head, to the neck and the chest. When our medical staff got to him he was unconscious. In the ambulance because there was a cardiac arrest they started CPR (cardiac pulmonary resuscitation). Immediately in the Medical Centre, with the help also of the Doctor of our staff at the Clinica Mobile and local Doctors, he was intubated and it was possible to take off some blood from the thorax. The CPR was continued for 45 minutes because we tried to help him for as long as we thought it was possible. Unfortunately it was not possible to help him and at 16:56 (local time) we had to declare he was dead.”

You can watch the press conference here.

Shuhei Nakamoto, HRC Executive Vice President: ”I just don’t know what to say; words escape me. Marco was a very nice guy and a very talented rider. Sometimes I was a little harsh with him, for example after his first MotoGP podium in Brno when I told him, ‘Lucky podium!’ and he was so angry, but I wanted to motivate him as I knew he was able to do even more. I was thinking that when he won his first race we would have been able to celebrate together. Now I just want to say thank you to Marco, for what you gave me, and pass my sincere condolences to his family at this very sad time.”

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says: ”In a tragedy like this there is not much to say. I just want to give my condolences to his family and all the people who love him. I’ve been with his father and all we could do was to hug, nothing else matters. It was a fatal accident and everybody in the paddock remains in shock. Many times we ourselves forget how dangerous this sport can be and when you lose people on the way nothing has any meaning. It’s clear that we all do what we like, what we love, but on days like today nothing matters.”

Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso: ”In these circumstances, words don’t seem to be appropriate. I think of Marco’s family and all the people dear to him, in particular his father and mother. I also have a child and what happened today is the hardest situation you can imagine. I watched the images and I’m shocked. In a race you fight and push hard and disaster is often around the corner. Marco was a strong rider and he always pushed hard. We raced together since we were kids. I saw him always pushing to the maximum, he crashed many times, but without major injuries, he was seemed invincible. What happened today seems impossible.”

Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner: ”I’m so shocked and saddened by the loss of Marco. When things like this happen it reminds you how precious life is, it makes me feel sick inside. All I can say is how sorry I am for Marco’s whole family I can’t imagine what they are all going through and our thoughts and wishes are with them at this time. I hope they all stay close and pull through this tragedy together.”

We can only extend our deepest sympathies to Marco’s family, friends and team at this terrible time. Rest in peace Marco, we will not forget you.

If you’d like to leave a tribute to Marco, you can do so here.

No related posts.

The team has competed in wildcards over the years, including this season with John Hopkins, where Hopper took pole position at the Silverstone round.

Details are scant at the minute – mainly because Hopper’s waiting for a MotoGP contract, but if that fails to happen, he’s sure to be in the box seat – possibly with BSB protaganist Tommy Hill alongside him. With Alstare’s relationship with Suzuki turning increasingly strained, this would be Suzuki’s best chance to keep competitive in a series it last won with Troy Corser in 2005. Since then Suzuki has really just been making up the numbers and has never consistenly been at the front.

More details when we get them…

No related posts.