During these last few weeks, MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo has been oscillating between Fiat Yamaha (his current team) and Ducati Marlboro for the 2010 season. While Ducati’s multi-million dollar offer did sound tempting, Lorenzo has decided to renew his contract with Yamaha and will continue being Valentino Rossis’s skilled teammate. It seems that riding the best bike for the job is more important for a racing rider than any financial offer.
‘Today is a good day because I have decided to remain with the Yamaha factory team in 2010. It was a very important decision and that’s why I have had to take the last few weeks to make it, but I think that this is the best decision for me in this moment,’ said Lorenzo.
‘We have no doubt that he has the ability and drive to become MotoGP world champion and we are proud that he has decided to remain with Yamaha, despite having received some very serious approaches from some of our competitors. This timely decision now allows us to focus on the present championship and to make definitive plans for our 2010 MotoGP program,’ said Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing.
250cc Grand Prix racer Alvaro Baustista won third place last weekend at Brno after announcing a 2-year contract with MotoGP factory team Rizla Suzuki. These are more than enough reasons for a young racer to perform a wheelie during the celebration lap, but Baustista was most likely too enthusiastic for a maneuver that requires so much attention. See the result after the jump. > More
MotoGP rules are changing and starting to affect the post-race show. Because that often included burnouts and that is in contradiction with the new long-life engine rule, we’re disappointed to announce that smoky celebrations will probably no longer be seen. Valentino Rossi is already conforming.
Also, there will be no ride back together to the pits for crashed motorcycle and rider because dirt can be drawn into the engine and that sure doesn’t lengthen its life. In fact, Nicky Hayden says that “You’ll see people getting a scooter ride back rather than bringing the bike home,”
We know that wheelies aren’t that engine-friendly either and can’t even imagine where the new ruling will bring the MotoGP show.
MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi came in first this weekend in the Czech Republic and so managed to stand 50 points apart in the overall provisory top. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo wasn’t that lucky as he crashed out during his attempt to take the lead.
Dani Pedrosa was the second rider to pass the finish line and Toni Elias occupied the third position of the podium.
Casey Stoner’s health state has determined him and his medical staff from Australia to take the decision of missing from the next three MotoGP races. Ducati Marlboro team has made the news public together with the mention that Stoner will return to MotoGP racing in October, at the Portuguese GP. He will meanwhile be replaced by Mika Kallio on the Ducati Marlboro factory bike.
Apparently, the Australian MotoGP rider suffers from chronic fatigue determined by a virus – most likely caught during the Barcelona race – and also by the fact that Stoner pushed himself so hard during these last five races.
Together with this decision, Stoner is forced to give up to his current 3rd place in the Championship as well. Afflicted, he commented:
“After five extremely difficult races due to my health, I returned to Australia to visit the sports doctors who have looked after me for many years. We have taken the difficult decision not to contest the next three rounds of the championship, to allow my body time to recover from the recent stress. The doctors believe that during the Barcelona race I was suffering from a virus, and, that I subsequently pushed my body too hard, leading to problems that have caused my fatigue since then. The doctors are continuing with many tests to try to understand these problems and make sure it does not happen again. I have spoken with Ducati and thank them for their understanding at this time. I feel very sorry for the factory, my team, my sponsors and the fans and I am also disappointed because the bike in the last races has been very competitive. I will be doing everything possible to come back at full strength for Portugal.”
This year’s British Grand Prix was a surprise and, luckily, not one related to the weather. Andrea Dovizioso won his first MotoGP first place and it was followed by Colin Edwards and Randy de Puniet. How’s that for the Donington Park podium?
Valentino Rossi won the German MotoGP round after taking off from pole position. He was closely followed by teammate Jorge Lorenzo, while Dani Pedrosa had to comply with third place. > More
We recently made a post regarding the 2010 Ducati 848 Hayden Edition and now came across a video of one such special bike on the internet. It is located at Commonwealth Motorcycles in Louisville, Kentucky in expectancy of that also special future owner.
Here at Top Speed we love anything and everything that goes fast, so during our weekend on the Monterey peninsula we had to make a stop at the legendary Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the MotoGP Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. Once there we were pleasantly surprised when the track staff offered us the opportunity to take a ride around the prestigious racing circuit aboard one of Mazda’s modified safety cars. The lineup of matte black and white pace cars included an RX-8 four door sports coupe, a CX-7 crossover and the all new Mazda 6.
At first we were a little disappointed not to see a Miata wearing the pace car livery, equipped with the fancy amber light bar and beefier tires allowing the trio of Mazdas to corner like champions and stay ahead of the two wheeled racers. However, after a quick trip in the CX-7 and Mazda 6, we were absolutely convinced that the Miata’s fun to drive DNA runs rich throughout the entire automaker’s lineup.
When the track marshall told me to get into the CX-7, our thoughts were limited to, “what a bummer, we come all the way to California and we get stuck riding in the cow of the group", boy were we wrong. Inside the crossover everything was stock except for a circuit board to control the flashing lights and a roll bar that gave the bright blue Scroth 4 point racing harnesses a place to secure themselves to while we were strapped in tight to the leather wrapped seat. The only modification to the drive train of the Euro-spec CX-7 were a set of Brembo brakes and a set of plus sized forged TE-37 wheels from Volk Racing wrapped in sticky rubber.
Nevertheless, it seems that these basic modifications were enough to turn the CX-7 into a track day special. It was amazing how well the sports inspired crossover handled on the track. We were instantaneously blown away by how fast this little Sport-Utility could lap the circuit, and especially the way that the driver was able to tame the infamous corkscrew. We were surprised to find ourselves on the heels of the other safety cars, the driver was really hammering it. Truning in sharply, pumping the steering wheel like mad, clipping the apexes, pushing the CX-7 to its limit. The car did an amazing job of staying on track. Mazda has truly figured out a way to incorporate their zoom-zoom high performance attitude into even the most unlikely of products.
Check the gallery for more photos and details about each of the cars.
Before the MotoGP race at Mazda Raceways, and our lucky pre-grid visit. Yamaha gave us the opportunity to walk right in their secret garages (team Fiat and team Monster).
Located in the back of the garage, the storage area is packed with expensive supplies, all stored in travel cases that probably cost more than any street bikes. Tires are cooking on aluminum racks, and precious suspension bits are piled as if it was Christmas. In between the storage and the pit garage, a narrow engineering room offers just enough space to pack 5 or 6 engineers and their laptops. Behind all that you ’finally’ enter the dream garage, with only two bikes and not one bit of mess anywhere to be found. The floor is carpeted to the team colors and all tool boxes are shinning as if they were just getting out of the show room.
It certainly take more mess for anyone to change their oil than it takes those mechanics to change every single part on those bikes altogether. Simply amazing!
Also check out the Autoblog article made by our friend Drew Philips. He took some great shots during the same visit.
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