MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks - ... that 2010 starts today

FIM President: World Superbike Contract No Obstacle To Production Engines In MotoGP

David Emmett — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:09:08 +0000

The momentum behind a return to 1000cc for the MotoGP class has been building throughout the year. On Saturday, news emerged from the Grand Prix Commission that the manufacturers had dropped their opposition to the plan, making backing for the 1000cc formula unanimous inside MotoGP's rulemaking body. As a consequence, the proposal is almost certain to be adopted for the 2012 season of MotoGP.

Under the new proposed rules, the current requirement that four-stroke motorcycles must be prototypes will be either dropped or defined far more loosely. This would allow both teams and manufacturers to use engines based on production powerplants, greatly reducing the cost of research and development and paving the way for new teams to enter the class. The aim is to cut the cost of running a team roughly in half, from around 10 million euros for a two-rider satellite team down to between 5 and 6 million euros. Using production-based engines and allowing more engineering and maintenance to be done by the teams should be a major contributing factor in making this happen.

Rossi: "Yamaha Have To Decide Between Me And Lorenzo"

David Emmett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:59:53 +0000

The Rossi-to-Ducati saga continues apace, with maneuvering for the 2011 contract negotiations taking place even on the grid of the final race of 2009. Interviewed for BBC television, Valentino Rossi got in a powerful blow, demanding that Yamaha make a decision about which of their two star riders they want to build their future on. "Yamaha have to choose between me and Jorge for 2011," Rossi told the BBC.

The Italian freely admitted he had been approached by Ducati, and that he had an option to ride there. "I could change bike, ride for Ducati and try to win the world championship with an Italian bike. That would be a great motivation," Rossi said.

At the same time, Rossi underlined his strong relationship with Yamaha. "I prefer at this moment to stay with Yamaha because the love between me and Yamaha, our relationship, is something special."

Rumors of Ducati's courtship of Rossi have triggered a feeding frenzy in the Italian media, who are desperately keen for the match up to take place. However, plenty of room for doubt remains over how serious Rossi is in considering leaving Yamaha, as the Italian is renowned for making public statements to achieve a desired effect, either from a team, a factory, a rival or even the sport of MotoGP itself. Rossi's statements fit neatly into this pattern of putting pressure on one party, in order to achieve the goals he set himself for the future.

Stoner Crash Officially Put Down To "Cold Tires"

David Emmett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:19:00 +0000

The 2009 MotoGP weekend at Valencia will be one that features in motorcycle racing trivia contests for many, many years to come. Both the 250 and the MotoGP races started with grids slightly different from those set during qualifying. While the alteration to the 250 grid was understandable - Alex Debon was in too much pain to race from the pole position he set on Saturday - the events leading up to the modified MotoGP grid were just plain bizarre.

As the pack sat on the grid waiting for the red lights to dim, one spot remained empty. Casey Stoner, always the last rider to arrive on his starting position, failed to appear. So surprising was his absence that Dani Pedrosa, sitting 2nd on the grid, failed to close his visor in time for the race to start. It didn't hinder him, though, as he entered the first corner in the lead, as is his wont.

So where was Casey Stoner? In an incident as bizarre as it was unexpected, the Australian had highsided off during the warm up lap, being tossed off his bike as he pitched it into Turn 2. After Stoner's crash speculation immediately turned to the cause. The consensus of opinion in the press room was that Stoner had got in too hot on cold tires, and this had thrown him off. The assembled press looked forward to hearing from Stoner himself the reason for his crash in the customary press debrief.

2009 Final MotoGP World Championship Standings After Round 17, Valencia, Valencia

David Emmett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:47:19 +0000

2009 Final 250cc World Championship Standings After Round 17, Valencia, Valencia

David Emmett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:42:22 +0000

1	ROSSI Valentino	ITA	306
2	LORENZO Jorge	SPA	261	-45
3	PEDROSA Dani	SPA	234	-72
4	STONER Casey	AUS	220	-86
5	EDWARDS Colin	USA	161	-145
6	DOVIZIOSO Andrea	ITA	160	-146
7

2009 Final 125cc World Championship Standings After Round 17, Valencia, Valencia

David Emmett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:38:53 +0000

1	AOYAMA Hiroshi	JPN	261
2	BARBERA Hector	SPA	239	-22
3	SIMONCELLI Marco	ITA	231	-30
4	BAUTISTA Alvaro	SPA	218	-43
5	PASINI Mattia	ITA	128	-133
6	DE ROSA Raffaele	ITA	122	-139

2009 Valencia MotoGP Race Result - Warm Up Incident Throws Result In Air

David Emmett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:51:09 +0000

Result and summary of the final MotoGP round of 2009 at Valencia:

2009 Valencia 250cc Race Result - Title Settled In Chaotic Race

David Emmett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:02:56 +0000

Results and summary of the last ever 250cc race, in which the World Champion is crowned:

2009 Valencia 125cc Race Result - Last-Lap Duel Settles Final Honors

David Emmett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:31:28 +0000

Results and summary of the 125cc race at Valencia:

2009 Valencia MotoGP Warm Up Result - Stoner Dominates, Spies 5th

David Emmett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:19:10 +0000

Results:

2009 Valencia 250cc Warm Up Result - Simoncelli Readies For Battle

David Emmett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:13:12 +0000

Alex Debon went out for a test lap, but was in too much pain. So the final 250 race ever will start with a different polesitter. Debon qualified on pole, but because he won't be starting, Marco Simoncelli will be starting from pole, alongside Hector Barbera, Ratthapark Wilairot and Hiroshi Aoyama, who moves up onto the front row.

Results:

2009 Valencia 125cc Warm Up Result - Marquez Off To A Strong Start

David Emmett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:39:12 +0000

Results:

Saturday Images From Valencia

David Emmett — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:29:09 +0000

Sadly, our regular photographer Scott Jones couldn't make it to Valencia. Fortunately, we ran into Israeli TV commentator Tammy Gorali, who also happens to be a pretty mean snapper herself. She was kind enough to allow us to use some of the shots she took today during qualifying.

Hello knees, hello toes

Robot dancing attracts a particular kind of groupie

Andrea Dovizioso has a specially designed helmet on this weekend

MotoGP Back To 1000cc From 2012

David Emmett — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:29:12 +0000

The 800cc formula is dead. MotoGP is set to return to 1000cc from 2012, according to a proposal submitted to the Grand Prix Commission at Valencia today. The 800cc bikes have received a deluge of criticism, almost from the moment they were introduced, and that deluge has finally buried them.

The decision has hinged upon a change of mind by the MSMA, the manufacturers association. So far, the manufacturers have been opposed to any changes to the MotoGP formula, partly because high costs of entry created a barrier to new entrants in the class, allowing the existing participants to dominate the class. But the high costs have taken their toll even on the existing manufacturers, and with the future of Suzuki in the class in doubt under the current rules, and even doubt about just how long Honda was prepared to continue, a change was almost inevitable. 2012 is the earliest date it is possible to make the change, as the current 5 year contract that exists between Dorna, the FIM and the MSMA expires at the end of 2011. That contract states that no changes may be made to the engine capacity without a unanimous decision by all of the manufacturers in the MSMA.

Rookies-Only Test Approved For November

David Emmett — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:38:23 +0000

The reduction in testing has been a double-edged sword in MotoGP, allowing costs to be cut on the one hand, but punishing the six rookies due to enter the class for the 2010 season. With so many rookies coming, the factories - or at least one of them - have been keen to bend the rules to help the incomers adapt to MotoGP. The request for more testing for the rookies faced a lot of opposition, and up until this morning, it looked like it would be denied.

Once in the Grand Prix Commission, held at Valencia this afternoon, things swung the other way. At the request of Suzuki, the MSMA put the request to the Permanent Bureau (consisting of Dorna CEO and FIM president Vito Ippolito), bypassing the Grand Prix Commission, and the Permanent Bureau approved one extra test to be held at Estoril in the middle of November. This was a compromise proposal, as the MSMA had initially requested one extra test for the rookies, plus one day extra prior to the three official MotoGP tests to be held at Sepang and Qatar in February and March of 2010. The Permanent Bureau rejected the extra day of testing for the rookies at the three official tests, but allowed two days of testing at Estoril.

2009 Valencia 250cc QP Result - Polesitter Crashes In Final Minute

David Emmett — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:53:48 +0000

Results of qualifying for the 250 class at Valencia:

2009 Valencia MotoGP QP Result - Pole Taken With Comfortable Advantage

David Emmett — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:20:40 +0000

Results of qualifying practice for the MotoGP class:

2009 Valencia 125cc QP Result - Pole Settled By Four Thousandths

David Emmett — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:48:27 +0000

Results of Qualifying Practice for the 125cc class:

2009 Valencia 250cc FP2 Result - Di Meglio Disrupts Valencian Fiesta

David Emmett — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:15:08 +0000

Mike di Meglio topped the timesheets in the second session of free practice for the 250cc class, relegating the Valencian riders into a battle for 2nd. Alex Debon was the fastest of the local boys, edging out Hector Barbera by just fifteen hundredths of a second. Championship leader Hiroshi Aoyama finished the session in 4th, in good shape for this afternoon's qualifying. Marco Simoncelli, the only man capable of denying Aoyama the final 250 crown, had a more difficult time, ending the session in 8th.

Results:

Poncharal: Extra Test For Rookies A Waste Of Money

David Emmett — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:49:44 +0000

The testing limits imposed at the beginning of the season have caused much debate throughout the year. The number of winter tests were cut to just 6 days in total (plus 2 days after the final Grand Prix at Valencia) in order to restrict engine mileage and severely cut costs. But since the announcement that there will be six new riders entering the MotoGP class next season, lobbying has started for extra testing time to allow the rookies to get up to speed.

Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider Herve Poncharal had previously expressed his opposition to the extra tests for the rookies, despite having Ben Spies joining Monster Tech 3 as a rookie for 2010. MotoMatters.com caught up with Poncharal to ask him to explain his opposition.

Herve Poncharal: At the moment this is an MSMA proposal [to allow two extra days of testing for the rookies, MM] that will be on the agenda of this weekend's Grand Prix Commission. Me personally, as Monster Tech 3 Yamaha owner, I am against it. We will talk about it in the IRTA committee meeting to give an official position in the Grand Prix Commission. I have a feeling the committee will reject it, but it is only a feeling.

1	SIMON Julian	SPA	289
2	SMITH Bradley	GBR	223.5	-65.5
3	TEROL Nicolas	SPA	179.5	-109.5
4	ESPARGARO Pol	SPA	174.5	-114.5
5	GADEA Sergio	SPA	141	-148
6	CORTESE Sandro	GER	130	-159