Latest Posts:
Asphalt & Rubber
Tag

contract

Browsing
MotoGP

MotoGP: 2016 Becomes Clearer as Brno Secures 5-Year Deal

By 1 Comment

The future of the MotoGP round at Brno has finally been secured. The regional authorities have stepped in to secure funding for the Czech Grand Prix for the next five years, starting from 2016.

A deal has been struck with the Czech Ministry of Education and Sports, the City of Brno, and the Moravian regional government to ensure that the Czech round stays for the foreseeable future.

The round had been in doubt for some time, as haggling over finances between the circuit, the city council and the regional government saw the sanctioning fee go partially unpaid for the past several years.

The rights to the round have now been placed with a new and separate organization, run by the various regional and national governments involved, who will organize the round at the Brno circuit. With the financing in place, the race will continue for at least the next five years, and probably beyond.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

MotoGP: Pol Espargaro Re-Signs with Yamaha for 2016

By No Comments

The first part of MotoGP’s truncated silly season has fallen into place. As expected, Yamaha today announced that it has extended its deal with Pol Espargaro for another year.

As such, Espargaro will race a factory-backed Yamaha M1 with the Monster Tech 3 M1 season in 2016.

The news had been widely trailed, and is a sensible choice for the Spaniard. Though Espargaro is rumored to be taking a significant pay cut for next season, signing a one-year deal puts him in step with the factory riders, whose contracts are all up for renewal at the end of 2016.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

MotoGP: Melandri & Aprilia Finally Get a Divorce

By 9 Comments

Marco Melandri has had his last race for Aprilia in MotoGP. The two parties have at last reached agreement to go their separate ways. As such, Aprilia test rider Michael Laverty will replace Melandri for the rest of the 2015 season.

Melandri had always been a reluctant participant in Aprilia’s MotoGP project at best. The Italian was halfway through a lucrative two-year deal with Aprilia in World Superbikes in 2014, when Aprilia announced the switch to MotoGP for the 2015 season.

Melandri’s priority was always to remain in World Superbikes and fight for the championship, and it was clear that Aprilia’s first season in MotoGP – a year earlier than anticipated – was going to be a transitional one.

At the time, Aprilia’s plan was to leave World Superbikes, only later lining up the Red Devils Roma team to run their factory operation. By then, it was too late for Melandri to make the change.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

MotoGP: Van Der Mark Will Not Replace Abraham at Assen

By 4 Comments

Michael van der Mark will now not be racing at his home MotoGP round of Assen. The deal to replace the injured Karel Abraham at the AB MotoRacing team has fallen through, the stumbling block being who would cover the cost of crash parts.

The deal came very close to fruition. Rumors that Van der Mark would take the place of Abraham first started over the weekend at Misano, emerging publicly on Monday afternoon.

HRC had put Van der Mark forward to replace the injured Abraham, and the AB MotoRacing team were very open to having the young Dutchman as a substitute.

Things soured on Monday, however, as discussions grew heated over who would pay for crash damage to the Open class Honda RC213V-RS if Van der Mark were to drop the bike.

Keep Reading
By
WSBK

Misano Extends World Superbike Contract thru 2019

By No Comments

After hosting the World Superbike Championship this weekend, the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” is happy to report that it will continue hosting WSBK for the next four years.

Dorna and Misano’s agreement means that the historic Italian track will continue to host the pinnacle of production motorcycle racing, adding to its already 23-year history, which makes Misano the venue with the third most WSBK rounds ever held there (behind Phillip Island and Assen).

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

Michael Van Der Mark Making His MotoGP Debut at Assen?

By 10 Comments

UPDATE: And it’s off again – Van Der Mark will not be replacing Abraham at Assen after all

Michael van der Mark looks set to make his MotoGP debut at Assen this weekend.

The 22-year-old Dutchman will be swapping his Pata Honda CBR1000RR World Superbike machine for the Open class Honda RC213V-RS of the AB MotoRacing team, where he is set to fill in for the injured Karel Abraham.

Abraham badly injured his foot, severly dislocating his toe, in a fall during FP4 in Barcelona.

Rumors that the Dutchman would get the chance to race a MotoGP machine at his home race started circulating in the Dutch media earlier on Monday.

Several sources close to the situation confirmed that the deal was very close to being sealed. There are just a few final details to be settled, including matters such as covering the cost of damage in case of a crash.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

MotoGP: Qatar Contract Extended for Another Ten Years

By 2 Comments

Qatar is to host a MotoGP race through 2026 — the Losail International Circuit has extended its current deal, which expires in 2016, for another 10 years.

The race is to remain a night race, and will stay as the season opener for the foreseeable future. The race is a lucrative one for Dorna, the fee paid by Qatar covering all of the costs of all of the flyaway races for all of the teams for the full season.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

MotoGP: Politics Put Brno Round Under Threat for 2015

By 10 Comments

The 2015 MotoGP round at Brno is still not certain to go ahead as a result of a battle for control of the race.

According to German-language website Speedweek, circuit owner Karel Abraham Sr. and South Moravian governor Michal Hasek have been arguing since August last year over who will organize the Czech round of MotoGP at the Masaryk circuit in Brno.

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has given them an ultimatum, saying that if the situation is not resolved by the first week of June, the 2015 Brno MotoGP round will be canceled.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo Will Remain With Yamaha for 2016

By 4 Comments

Jorge Lorenzo is to remain with Yamaha for the 2016 season. The Spaniard had an option to leave the Movistar Yamaha team at the end of 2015, but has decided not to exercise it, and will stay with Yamaha for next year.

The Movistar Yamaha team also had an option to end the two-year deal a year early, but Yamaha Racing director Lin Jarvis told the MotoGP.com website that both the team and Lorenzo and decided to see the contract through to the end.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

Silverstone Confirmed To Host British GP in 2015 & 2016

By 2 Comments

Within a day of the announcement that the British round of MotoGP would not be held at Donington Park comes confirmation that the race will be held at Silverstone.

The ending of the relationship between Donington and the Circuit of Wales meant that a replacement venue had to be found at short notice, and with only Silverstone currently capable of hosting a MotoGP round, the deal was quickly arranged.

Keep Reading
By