Pesek takes final place on 2013 MotoGP grid

MotoGP News

Date: 22/December/2012

All planned places in next year’s MotoGP World Championship have been taken, following the announcement that Lukas Pesek will ride the second IodaRacing entry.

Pesek brings the number of confirmed riders to 24, three more than this year. His seat, alongside Danilo Petrucci, had been the only ‘to be announced’ ride on November’s provisional entry list.

Czech rider Pesek finished fourth in the 2007 125cc World Championship for Derbi, but left grand prix after eleven races of the inaugural 2010 Moto2 season.

Pesek will be one of seven rookies on next year’s grid, which will be an equal 50/50 split between manufacturer and privateer CRT machines.

Pesek said: "I'm very happy to get this opportunity. I have to thank [Ioda boss] Giampiero Sacchi, with whom I share some great memories of my 125cc years.

"Racing in MotoGP is definitely not an easy task, I'll be up against the best riders in the world - it's a big step for sure but I'll give my best!"

Petrucci was Ioda’s only rider during its debut MotoGP season, which they began with their own Aprilia-powered bike, before switching to the Suter-BMW.

The rookie Italian took a best finish of eighth in the wet final round at Valencia and was ranked sixth out of eleven riders in the CRT standings.

Ioda will be the only team using the Suter-BMW package next year, with Forward Racing switching to FTR-Kawasakis.

A MotoGP winter testing ban is now in place, with the first official test of 2013 scheduled for Sepang, Malaysia in early February.

2013 MotoGP entry list

Manufacturer riders:

#4        Andrea Dovizioso       ITA     Ducati Team (Ducati)

#6        Stefan Bradl                GER    LCR Honda MotoGP (Honda)

#11      Ben Spies                    USA    Pramac Racing Team (Ducati)

#19      Alvaro Bautista           SPA     Go & Fun Honda Gresini (Honda)

#26      Dani Pedrosa               SPA     Repsol Honda Team (Honda)

#29      Andrea Iannone*        ITA     Pramac Racing Team (Ducati)

#35      Cal Crutchlow             GBR    Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (Yamaha)

#38      Bradley Smith*           GBR    Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (Yamaha)

#46      Valentino Rossi           ITA     Yamaha Factory Racing (Yamaha)

#69      Nicky Hayden             USA    Ducati Team (Ducati)

#93      Marc Marquez*           SPA     Repsol Honda Team (Honda)

#99      Jorge Lorenzo             SPA     Yamaha Factory Racing (Yamaha)

Privateer (CRT) riders:

#5        Colin Edwards                       USA    NGM Mobile Forward Racing (FTR Kawasaki)

#7        Hiroshi Aoyama          JPN     Avintia Blusens (FTR)

#8        Hector Barbera            SPA     Avintia Blusens (FTR)

#9        Danilo Petrucci           ITA     Came IodaRacing Project (Ioda-Suter)

#14      Randy de Puniet         FRA    Power Electronics Aspar (ART)

#17      Karel Abraham            CZE    Cardion AB Motoracing (ART)

#33      Michael Laverty*        GBR    Paul Bird Motorsport  (PBM)

#41      Aleix Espargaro          SPA     Power Electronics Aspar (ART)

#67      Bryan Staring*            AUS    Go & Fun Honda Gresini (FTR Honda)

#68      Yonny Hernandez       COL    Paul Bird Motorsport  (ART)

#71      Claudio Corti*                        ITA     NGM Mobile Forward Racing (FTR Kawasaki)

#?        Lukas Pesek*              CZE    Came IodaRacing Project (Ioda-Suter)

* Rookie.

Lotus retains Grosjean, Kobayashi admits defeat

F1 News

Date: 18/December/2012

The last seat with a race-winning 2012 F1 team has been decided for next season with Lotus F1 confirming that Romain Grosjean has been retained alongside Kimi Raikkonen.

Grosjean proved fast but flawed during his first full year in grand prix, claiming podiums in three events - including runner-up in Canada - but gaining an unwelcome reputation as a serial first-lap offender.

The Frenchman, 26, retired from seven rounds, most notably after triggering the first-turn pile-up in Spa, for which he was banned from the following Monza round. Grosjean finished eighth in the World Championship, five places behind race-winning team-mate Raikkonen and is determined to do better in 2013.

Grosjean, who won Sunday’s Race of Champions event in Bangkok, said: “It’s fantastic for me to be continuing with Lotus F1 Team for 2013. It’s superb to have the support of everyone at Enstone. I’m really looking forward to rewarding their faith when we take to the track in Australia.

“I learnt a lot in my first full season in Formula 1 and my aim is to put these lessons into practice with stronger and more consistent performance on track next year. There are a lot of exciting developments occurring behind the scenes at Enstone and I am very excited with the prospect of the E21.”

But while Grosjean was toasting his new deal, Kamui Kobayashi has stated that his chances of remaining in F1 next season are over.

The Japanese took his first F1 podium with an emotional third place in front of his home fans at Suzuka this year, but still lost his seat at Sauber - where he has raced for the past three seasons.

The only remaining 2013 seats are at Force India, Caterham and Marussia, all of which are oversubscribed. In an open letter, Kobayashi thanked his fans for their support and said that he will now focus on 2014.

Kobayashi, who had raised 8 million euros in backing from Japanese companies, said:

“I am not able to secure a seat with a competitive F1 team for 2013. I have to admit that it is very sad and I feel sorry for fans and Japanese companies who supported me. But I am still confident to make it happen in 2014.

“I have no interest to race in any other categories,” he added. “I will make an announcement as soon as I make a decision for 2013.”

Sauber is to run an all new line-up of ex-Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Esteban Gutierrez next year - Kobayashi’s 2012 team-mate Sergio Perez having sealed a dream move to McLaren in place of the departing Lewis Hamilton.

MotoGP moves for F1

MotoGP News

Date: 11/December/2012

MotoGP has been forced to revise its 2013 calendar in order to avoid a direct clash between the German F1 and motorcycle grands prix.

F1 recently moved its German GP date to July 7, the same day as the Sachsenring MotoGP event, in order to make room for a further ‘to be announced’ European round.

MotoGP has now responded by moving its German race to July 14, with a new contract for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez also announced by commercial rights holders Dorna Sports.

Jerez traditionally starts the European MotoGP season and boasts weekend attendance of over 200,000 fans, but had been in doubt due to financial issues. However the circuit is now safe until at least 2015.

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta commented: “It’s with great pleasure that I can announce the extension of the Jerez Grand Prix for a further three years. It is one of the key stops on the MotoGP calendar with an atmosphere bar none that attracts huge crowds from near and afar. It is also a popular venue with the riders, as the track’s nature makes it a great spectacle for some of the best racing in the world.”

The revised 18-round MotoGP calendar can be seen below.

2013 MotoGP Calendar

7 April             Qatar               Losail*

21 April           Americas         Austin

5 May              Spain               Jerez

19 May            France                         Le Mans

2 June              Italy                 Mugello

16 June            Catalunya        Catalunya

29 June            Netherlands     Assen**

14 July             Germany         Sachsenring

21st July          United States  Laguna Seca***

18 August       Indianapolis    Indianapolis

25 August       Czech Rep.      Brno

1 September    Great Britain   Silverstone

15 September San Marino      Misano

29 September Aragon            Aragon

13 October      Malaysia          Sepang

20 October      Australia          Phillip Island

27 October      Japan               Motegi

10 November Valencia          Valencia

* Evening race

** Saturday race

*** Only MotoGP class

MotoGP announces 2013 line-up

MotoGP News

Date: 26/November/2012

MotoGP plans to expand from 21 to 24 full time riders next season. However the growth will come not from factory participants, but increased privateer entries.

The provisional line-up announced by the FIM contained few surprises, with the twelve manufacturer machines - divided equally between Honda, Yamaha and Ducati - known well in advance.

The only new information was the naming of the two Paul Bird Motorsport riders. PBM joined MotoGP under the new privateer ‘Claiming Rule Team’ regulations this season and is expanding to two entries for 2013.

Rumours linking Columbian Yonny Hernandez to PBM have proved correct, with the former Avintia rider listed on the English team’s Aprilia motorcycle, while the biggest surprise of the entry list is the appointment of Ulsterman Michael Laverty for the second seat.

Laverty, 31, is the older brother of World Superbike race winner Eugene and finished fifth in this year’s British Superbike Championship. He is to ride a ‘PBM’ bike - expected to compose of an Aprilia engine in a British designed chassis.

The only place still to be confirmed is a second IodaRacing entry, alongside Danilo Petrucci. Speed Master, which suffered funding problems during this season, is the only team not returning in 2013.

World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) intends to race with his #99 instead of the #1.

The 2013 MotoGP calendar is also close to completion, with the planned return to Argentina having been postponed by a year due to a travel warning issued by the Spanish government for Repsol employees.

Repsol is one of the biggest sponsors in the MotoGP paddock, but in dispute with the Argentinean government. Just two days after the calendar deadline, the Spanish government removed the travel warning - but it was too late to reinstate the event.

The season-opening Qatar round has been delayed by one week to help fill the gap. The 2013 calendar will now remain at 18 rounds, with Estoril in Portugal dropping away and being replaced by a new event in Austin, Texas.

2013 MotoGP entry list

Manufacturer riders:

#4        Andrea Dovizioso       ITA     Ducati Team (Ducati)

#6        Stefan Bradl                GER    LCR Honda MotoGP (Honda)

#11      Ben Spies                    USA    Pramac Racing Team (Ducati)

#19      Alvaro Bautista           SPA     Go & Fun Honda Gresini (Honda)

#26      Dani Pedrosa               SPA     Repsol Honda Team (Honda)

#29      Andrea Iannone*        ITA     Pramac Racing Team (Ducati)

#35      Cal Crutchlow             GBR    Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (Yamaha)

#38      Bradley Smith*           GBR    Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (Yamaha)

#46      Valentino Rossi           ITA     Yamaha Factory Racing (Yamaha)

#69      Nicky Hayden             USA    Ducati Team (Ducati)

#93      Marc Marquez*           SPA    Repsol Honda Team (Honda)

#99      Jorge Lorenzo             SPA     Yamaha Factory Racing (Yamaha)

Privateer (CRT) riders:

#5        Colin Edwards                       USA    NGM Mobile Forward Racing (FTR Kawasaki)

#7        Hiroshi Aoyama          JPN     Avintia Blusens (FTR)

#8        Hector Barbera            SPA     Avintia Blusens (FTR)

#9        Danilo Petrucci           IA        Came IodaRacing Project (Ioda-Suter)

#14      Randy de Puniet         FRA    Power Electronics Aspar (ART)

#17      Karel Abraham            CZE    Cardion AB Motoracing (ART)

#33      Michael Laverty*        GBR    Paul Bird Motorsport  (PBM)

#41      Aleix Espargaro          SPA     Power Electronics Aspar (ART)

#67      Bryan Staring*            AUS    Go & Fun Honda Gresini (FTR Honda)

#68      Yonny Hernandez       COL    Paul Bird Motorsport  (ART)

#71      Claudio Corti*                        ITA     NGM Mobile Forward Racing (FTR Kawasaki)

#??       ‘To Be Confirmed’     ???       Came IodaRacing Project (Ioda-Suter)

* Rookie.

2013 MotoGP Calendar

7 April             Qatar               Losail*

21 April           Americas         Austin

5 May              Spain (STC)    Jerez

19 May            France                         Le Mans

2 June              Italy                 Mugello

16 June            Catalunya        Catalunya

29 June            Netherlands     Assen**

7 July               Germany         Sachsenring

21st July          United States  Laguna Seca***

18 August       Indianapolis    Indianapolis

25 August       Czech Rep.      Brno

1 September    Great Britain   Silverstone

15 September San Marino      Misano

29 September Aragon            Aragon

13 October      Malaysia          Sepang

20 October      Australia          Phillip Island

27 October      Japan               Motegi

10 November Valencia          Valencia

* Evening race

** Saturday race

*** Only MotoGP class

(STC) = Subject to Contract