Pedrosa says ‘unexpected’ MotoGP return pushed by «interesting» testing data
The retired 31-time MotoGP race winner stepped away from full-time racing at the end of 2018 but has made sporadic wildcard outings since joining KTM as a test rider. Pedrosa raced at the Spanish GP and San Marino GP in 2023, finishing fourth in the latter and seventh in the former in front of a […]
What is a wildcard in MotoGP and why is it used?
The 2023 MotoGP season had six riders enter selected grands prix as a wildcard entry, which is a concept that has a long history in the series. It dates back to the early years of grand prix motorcycling, when teams would enter a local rider for the race due to their greater knowledge of the […]
Yamaha to test completely new MotoGP bike at Jerez
The Iwata-based manufacturer has pulled out all stops to convince Quartararo that he won’t be better off at a rival outfit, having managed to renew its contract with the French rider in a move that caught half the paddock by surprise. Although it is clear that a lucrative €12 million financial offer played a significant part […]
Kawasaki to shut down factory WSBK team at end of 2024
From next year, the Japanese manufacturer will not be represented with a full works team in WSBK, but will continue to have an involvement in the championship as an official partner to the resurrected Bimota operation. As part of the arrangement, Kawasaki will supply the engine from its existing Ninja-10RR to a Bimota chassis, while […]
Raul Fernandez set to get 2024 Aprilia MotoGP bike at Jerez
Fernandez was the only rider within the Aprilia contingent to start the season with last year’s bike, with team-mate Miguel Oliveira getting the latest-spec machinery in 2024 following the takeover of RNF Racing by American outfit Trackhouse. Originally, it had been communicated to Fernandez that he would move to the upgraded RS-GP at this weekend’s […]
Could Acosta get a Verstappen-like mid-season promotion to KTM in MotoGP 2024?
But ahead of the fifth round of the season in Barcelona, Red Bull took a bold decision to instigate a driver swap, promoting Verstappen to its primary team at the cost of Kvyat, who was shuffled down to Toro Rosso. The sudden change in the two line-ups attracted criticism from some quarters, but Red Bull’s […]
Quartararo stresses ‘quality over quantity’ with upcoming Yamaha MotoGP update
The start to the 2024 MotoGP season has not been easy for Yamaha having scored just 19 points in the opening three rounds, with a best of eighth for Fabio Quartararo in the Portuguese Grand Prix. Despite this, Yamaha has been able to snare Quartararo to a new two-year contract and has big updates planned for the coming races. […]
Rossi-like Acosta can’t be ruled out of MotoGP title fight
Ahead of the fourth event of the season at Jerez this weekend, Acosta is fourth in the standings, just two points behind third-placed Maverick Vinales and five points behind second-placed Enea Bastianini. The Spaniard is the best-placed of the four KTM riders, with factory man Brad Binder five points behind him in sixth and Jack Miller […]
Honda ‘doesn’t need to be pessimistic’ about MotoGP form
Honda’s downturn in performance has continued into the new campaign, with the RC213V still lagging behind rivals despite the work that went into upgrading the bike over the winter. The Japanese manufacturer returned empty-handed from last weekend’s Americas GP, with Luca Marini finishing 16th and last in the sole-surviving Honda, as Zarco, LCR team-mate Takaaki […]