We should preface right off the bat that this is a photoshop’d render of the much anticipated MV Agusta F3 (that Castiglioni hopes will save MV Agusta), and not an actual image of what the final product will look like. Odd logos and checkered flags aside though (let’s do the time warp again), this photoshop by Russian website Motogonki.ru is a good start to imagining what the F3 will look like when MV Agusta drops the F4 camouflage later this year at Milan.
Handwritten and then reproduced by Fiat-Yamaha, Valentino Rossi included an open letter with the announcement of his departure from Fiat-Yamaha to Marlboro Ducati. In his own words Rossi documents his “relationship” with the Yamaha YZR-M1, and is quick to point-out that it was Rossi’s direction and input that turned the bike into the weapon of choice in MotoGP. Reading the letter, it might be a bit strange as to why the message was included with the official press release from Yamaha, but peering between the lines some parting words can be inferred from Rossi, and perhaps greater insight into what makes a nine-time World Champion.
Crashing during Saturday’s qualifying session at Brno, Nicky Hayden found himself in the gravel trap after losing the front-end of his Ducati Desmosedici GP10. Somewhere along the way of sliding over the asphalt and into the stones, Hayden broke off a portion of his radius bone in his left wrist, and had to be taken to Clinica Mobile for examination.
X-rays confirmed the break, but the American rider soldiered-on through the Czech GP with extra padding on his grip. Finishing the race in respectable form, Hayden will have to heal up over the next two weekends if he wants to be 100% for his hometown GP at Indy. More pictures after the jump.
The worst kept secret in the paddock is finally official, thus completing what MotoGP fans (especially Italians) have been waiting for: Valentino Rossi signing with Ducati Corse. The nine-time World Champion and Italian celebrity is finally paired up with Italy’s most iconic motorcycling brand for the 2011 season, an action that has been the subject of intrigue not only for the better part of this season, but for years inside MotoGP.
Announcing their partnership today, Rossi and Ducati have their work cut out for them in taking-on impressive up-start Jorge Lorenzo and the formidable Yamaha YZR-M1. Press releases from Ducati & Fiat-Yamaha after the jump, along with a quote from Valentino himself.
Toni Elias was banned from Free Practice 1 today at the Czech GP because he and his team, Gresini Racing, violated rules concerning when teams can test during the summer break. Holding a quick testing session at the Misano Circuit, Gresini and Elias were found to have broken the rules concerning testing, and were levied a €3,000 fine and banned from participating in today’s one-hour practice session. Gresini Racing opted not to appeal the ruling, saying they had not read the rules carefully enough regarding testing sessions. Whoops!
Here’s a little Friday Moment of Zen for you, and a reminder that good technology is only a supplement to a rider’s vigilance. This spoof has been making the rounds on the internet, and makes an obvious reference to the by BMW and Volkswagen, be sure to watch it all the way to the end to see how the crash detection system works in action.
Source: Motorcycle.com
Asked when he would announce his move to Ducati his future plans during the pre-race press conference today, Valentino Rossi confirmed that he would make an announcement after Sunday’s Czech GP race. The next few days will probably be the longest ever to occur in Italy, but we all must wait a little longer for the the arrival of V-Day, and to know what we already know.
Hiroshi Aoyama will test at Brno on Monday to see how his fitness is progressing from his highside at Silverstone, which broke the Japanese rider’s lower vertebrae. Aoyama has missed four GP starts so far this season because of the crash, and has seen Kousuke Akiyoshi and Alex de Angelis ride his Interwetten Honda during the interim of his absence. Deciding to let his T12 vertebrae fracture heal naturally, rather than go under surgery, Aoyama feels he is nearing the point where he can return to MotoGP.
Despite the fact that Suzuki will be sticking around in MotoGP for the 2011 season, veteran rider Loris Capirossi is seeing next season as his escape from the struggling factory team. In a move that seems all but signed, Capirex will likely take the #1 seat at Pramac Ducati next season, where Italian hopes to be more competitive with the pseduo-satellite Ducati team.
Honda is recalling certain 2010 Stateline and Interstate custom cruisers (VT1300CR, VT1300CRA, & VT1300CT) for an incorrect GAWR label. It seems Yamaha isn’t the only company to make a stupid mistake during assembly, as Honda’s GAWR labels (the little label that tells you how much weight you can pack on your bike) incorrectly states the Stateline and Interstate’s GAWR, meaning the bikes could be overloaded by an owner.
Two-stroke GP racing is expected to die next year, and the announcement of the Moto3 class is expected to occur during the GP Commission’s meeting at the Czech GP in a couple days. Scheduled to meet on Friday, the GP Commission has been hammering out the details on the 250cc single-cylinder four-stroke racing class that will replace 125GP in 2012, and will likely make an announcement after Sunday’s race.
Similar in concept to the Moto2 class, the most notable difference is the rumor that the Moto3 class will not be a spec-motor series, meaning any manufacturer can build a thumper and compete in the series. Considering the large number of manufacturers that already have experience racing 250cc singles, we can expect an array of bikes to be on the grid in 2012.