MotoGP News
Date: 31/May/2012
Marc Marquez’s 2013 MotoGP chances won’t suffer much if he is unable to join the factory Honda team.
That’s the opinion of seven time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi and current Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa.
Marquez, last year’s Moto2 title runner-up, has remained in the intermediate grand prix class for 2011 but looks certain to join MotoGP next year.
Long backed by Repsol, the official Honda team is an obvious match for the talented young Spaniard - especially following Casey Stoner’s retirement decision.
But a 2010 ruling prevents rookies going straight to a factory MotoGP team, instead forcing them to spend at least a season with a satellite squad.
The rule is designed to boost the health of the satellite teams. But, as Rossi pointed out, the rule places no restrictions on the specification of the machinery.
“If the rookie rule is changed Marc can start from the full factory team and if the rule remains Honda will give him a full factory bike anyway at satellite team. A bit like for me in 2000. So I think it’s not a big difference for Marc either way,” said Rossi.
Pedrosa, a potential team-mate for Marquez, also doesn’t think his fellow Spaniard would lose out by being outside the factory team.
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“If it is a factory bike anyway being in a satellite team doesn’t change much,” said Pedrosa. “Marquez could bring his own team with him from Moto2 and if you are a talented guy it doesn’t matter much.”
Spanish MotoGP stars talk pressure, friendship
MotoGP News
Date: 31/May/2012
Spanish MotoGP stars Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa gave a hint of the pressure they are already under in the 2012 title battle on the eve of their second home race of the season, at Barcelona.
Lorenzo, reigning champion Casey Stoner and his Honda team-mate Pedrosa will start this weekend’s Catalan round covered by 25 points after dominating the opening four events.
The trio have finished on the podium at every race, with the exception of a fourth for Pedrosa at the previous wet French GP. It thus looks increasingly likely that the rider who makes the fewest errors will prevail.
Yamaha’s Lorenzo, who currently holds an eight-point lead over Stoner at the top of the championship, explained:
“It’s been very tough this season with a lot of competition, especially in the front group with Casey and Dani. The races have been at a very high pace and are physically demanding.
“You can’t stop concentrating, you have to be at the limit all the time, and of course not crash. To do this is always difficult, but I’m a little bit older and more experienced than the previous years.”
Third in the points Pedrosa, who will be chasing his first win of the year this weekend, agreed.
“As Jorge says, it’s very important to keep your focus and keep the pace up. There is no chance to make a mistake or go slower. You must be on the limit all the time and ride well, or you could lose a lot of points.”
On a lighter note, Lorenzo and Pedrosa were also asked about how their relationship has transformed from bitter enemies to friendly rivals.
Lorenzo joked: “In 2003 we were enemies, in 2005 more, and then in 2008 even more. Now we hug [after the Qatar race]. Maybe in two or three years we can get married!”
Once the press room laughter had died down, Pedrosa added: “Before we were kids and possessed about winning. You get more mature and become more aware of other things. That probably made the change.
“We have better relations now. It’s great. But we still race against each other like before.”
The King of Spain famously forced Lorenzo and Pedrosa to shake hands on the podium at Jerez in 2008.
Date: 31/May/2012
Spanish MotoGP stars Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa gave a hint of the pressure they are already under in the 2012 title battle on the eve of their second home race of the season, at Barcelona.
Lorenzo, reigning champion Casey Stoner and his Honda team-mate Pedrosa will start this weekend’s Catalan round covered by 25 points after dominating the opening four events.
The trio have finished on the podium at every race, with the exception of a fourth for Pedrosa at the previous wet French GP. It thus looks increasingly likely that the rider who makes the fewest errors will prevail.
Yamaha’s Lorenzo, who currently holds an eight-point lead over Stoner at the top of the championship, explained:
“It’s been very tough this season with a lot of competition, especially in the front group with Casey and Dani. The races have been at a very high pace and are physically demanding.
“You can’t stop concentrating, you have to be at the limit all the time, and of course not crash. To do this is always difficult, but I’m a little bit older and more experienced than the previous years.”
Third in the points Pedrosa, who will be chasing his first win of the year this weekend, agreed.
“As Jorge says, it’s very important to keep your focus and keep the pace up. There is no chance to make a mistake or go slower. You must be on the limit all the time and ride well, or you could lose a lot of points.”
On a lighter note, Lorenzo and Pedrosa were also asked about how their relationship has transformed from bitter enemies to friendly rivals.
Lorenzo joked: “In 2003 we were enemies, in 2005 more, and then in 2008 even more. Now we hug [after the Qatar race]. Maybe in two or three years we can get married!”
Once the press room laughter had died down, Pedrosa added: “Before we were kids and possessed about winning. You get more mature and become more aware of other things. That probably made the change.
“We have better relations now. It’s great. But we still race against each other like before.”
The King of Spain famously forced Lorenzo and Pedrosa to shake hands on the podium at Jerez in 2008.
Webber makes it six with tense Monaco win
F1 News
Date: 27/May/2012
Mark Webber became the sixth different winner in as many 2012 F1 races with a tense victory in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The Australian, who began the world’s most glamorous motor race without a podium this season, maximised a pole position inherited from Michael Schumacher to take the lead into turn one.
Barring a shuffling of the order during pit stops, the Red Bull driver remained in command - but was kept in check by Nico Rosberg for most of the 78-laps around the steel-lined street circuit.
“The start was key, the pitstop was key, both of them went well,” said Webber. “I did a little bit of work in between and we got an incredible victory that I’m very, very happy with. Nico kept me honest. I had him under control, but he drove well.”
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Webber’s team-mate Sebastian Vettel homed-in on the leading pair in the closings stages - as drizzle began to fall - and the quartet crossed the finish line covered by just 1.3sec!
Webber explained the challenge he faced in the closing laps: “It’s always tricky when you’re the first guy arriving into corners and it’s sprinkling with rain.
“On other tracks you wouldn’t have to back off so much, but all of a sudden the car is wheel spinning, the front’s not biting, and around this place that’s not very encouraging.
“Particularly when you’re in the lead with only ten minutes to go. So it required me to really, really control the race and get the car home.”
A student of F1 history, Webber didn’t allow himself to relax until he exited the final turn.
“I watched the 1983 or ’82 Monaco Grand Prix. Prost was leading with two laps to go and he crashed,” explained Webber. “So you never get ahead of yourself around here, because you’ll get bitten in the arse really hard.
“After the last corner was when I thought I was going to win. That’s Monaco.”
Shanghai winner Rosberg began the race alongside Webber on the front row of the grid and held second place for much of the race.
“My engineer and my team gave me a great start - the problem was Mark had a great start too,” he said. “And from then on Mark drove a really, really good race,
“I was hoping I might get a chance at the end, but my tyres were really struggling and also I had Fernando behind me.”
The final place on the podium went to Alonso, who has now broken free of reigning double champion Vettel by three points at the head of the standings.
The Spaniard initially relished the prospect of rain as a possible chance for victory.
“20 laps to the end they said ‘maybe rain is coming’. And I said, ’If rain is coming we have to attack’. There is always a better chance to overtake in the wet than in the dry. We were ready to take a risk, because victory in Monaco means a lot.”
But the ‘real’ rain never materialised and the spots that fell in the closing stages were the last thing the drivers needed.
“Five or six laps to the end with the drops of rain that we had, I think we were all praying ‘no more rain’ because it was so difficult,” said Alonso.
“You don’t know how the next corner will be. You have a little snap, a little problem in the corner before, you see all the drops on the visor on the straight and when you approach the next corner at 250kph, how wet will that corner be? You never know.
“At that point, five laps to the end, we all, I think, wanted to keep positions and finish the race as we were,” he confessed.
Reflecting on his leadership of the title chase, Alonso added:
“Our target obviously was to finish in front of Sebastian, in front of Lewis - they were nearest in the World Championship. And if you go race by race you concentrate on different drivers. The next one will be Mark, now he’s second in the championship.”
A canny tyre strategy helped Vettel lead for 15 laps during the middle stages, fuelling his rise to fourth from ninth on the grid. Vettel and team-mate Webber are now equal on points.
Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari) were also within sight of victory in fifth and sixth.
Webber joins Jenson Button (McLaren), Alonso, Vettel and Pastor Maldonado (Williams) in winning a race this season.
The likes of former world champions Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) and Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) will be seeking to extend that list to a ‘magnificent seven’ in the Canadian Grand Prix on June 10.
“You never know,” said Webber of a seventh winner.
Date: 27/May/2012
Mark Webber became the sixth different winner in as many 2012 F1 races with a tense victory in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The Australian, who began the world’s most glamorous motor race without a podium this season, maximised a pole position inherited from Michael Schumacher to take the lead into turn one.
Barring a shuffling of the order during pit stops, the Red Bull driver remained in command - but was kept in check by Nico Rosberg for most of the 78-laps around the steel-lined street circuit.
“The start was key, the pitstop was key, both of them went well,” said Webber. “I did a little bit of work in between and we got an incredible victory that I’m very, very happy with. Nico kept me honest. I had him under control, but he drove well.”
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Webber’s team-mate Sebastian Vettel homed-in on the leading pair in the closings stages - as drizzle began to fall - and the quartet crossed the finish line covered by just 1.3sec!
Webber explained the challenge he faced in the closing laps: “It’s always tricky when you’re the first guy arriving into corners and it’s sprinkling with rain.
“On other tracks you wouldn’t have to back off so much, but all of a sudden the car is wheel spinning, the front’s not biting, and around this place that’s not very encouraging.
“Particularly when you’re in the lead with only ten minutes to go. So it required me to really, really control the race and get the car home.”
A student of F1 history, Webber didn’t allow himself to relax until he exited the final turn.
“I watched the 1983 or ’82 Monaco Grand Prix. Prost was leading with two laps to go and he crashed,” explained Webber. “So you never get ahead of yourself around here, because you’ll get bitten in the arse really hard.
“After the last corner was when I thought I was going to win. That’s Monaco.”
Shanghai winner Rosberg began the race alongside Webber on the front row of the grid and held second place for much of the race.
“My engineer and my team gave me a great start - the problem was Mark had a great start too,” he said. “And from then on Mark drove a really, really good race,
“I was hoping I might get a chance at the end, but my tyres were really struggling and also I had Fernando behind me.”
The final place on the podium went to Alonso, who has now broken free of reigning double champion Vettel by three points at the head of the standings.
The Spaniard initially relished the prospect of rain as a possible chance for victory.
“20 laps to the end they said ‘maybe rain is coming’. And I said, ’If rain is coming we have to attack’. There is always a better chance to overtake in the wet than in the dry. We were ready to take a risk, because victory in Monaco means a lot.”
But the ‘real’ rain never materialised and the spots that fell in the closing stages were the last thing the drivers needed.
“Five or six laps to the end with the drops of rain that we had, I think we were all praying ‘no more rain’ because it was so difficult,” said Alonso.
“You don’t know how the next corner will be. You have a little snap, a little problem in the corner before, you see all the drops on the visor on the straight and when you approach the next corner at 250kph, how wet will that corner be? You never know.
“At that point, five laps to the end, we all, I think, wanted to keep positions and finish the race as we were,” he confessed.
Reflecting on his leadership of the title chase, Alonso added:
“Our target obviously was to finish in front of Sebastian, in front of Lewis - they were nearest in the World Championship. And if you go race by race you concentrate on different drivers. The next one will be Mark, now he’s second in the championship.”
A canny tyre strategy helped Vettel lead for 15 laps during the middle stages, fuelling his rise to fourth from ninth on the grid. Vettel and team-mate Webber are now equal on points.
Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari) were also within sight of victory in fifth and sixth.
Webber joins Jenson Button (McLaren), Alonso, Vettel and Pastor Maldonado (Williams) in winning a race this season.
The likes of former world champions Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) and Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) will be seeking to extend that list to a ‘magnificent seven’ in the Canadian Grand Prix on June 10.
“You never know,” said Webber of a seventh winner.
Schumacher fastest, but Webber pole in Monaco
F1 News
Date: 26/May/2012
Past Monaco master Michael Schumacher gave a timely reminder of his talents by setting the fastest time during qualifying for the 2012 event, but it will be Mark Webber that starts Sunday’s F1 grand prix from pole position.
Schumacher is carrying a five-place grid penalty imposed for colliding with Bruno Senna at the previous Spanish round, denying the Mercedes driver what would have been his first pole start since returning to F1 in 2010.
But there were no signs of regret from the seven time world champion.
Instead Schumacher cut a defiant figure, proud to have proven he still has the speed to beat the very best in Formula One and determined to fight for victory.
“It’s the first pole of the second part of my career,” said Schumacher, whose Q3 lap put him 0.14sec ahead of Webber. “I’m delighted to finally get it together and be able to prove [I can still do it].
“Monaco to all of us is the track of the year and to manage pole here after what I have gone through in the past two-and-a-half years is just fabulous.”
The claustrophobic Monaco streets are notoriously hard to pass on, making the grid penalty especially harsh, but the 43-year-old remains convinced he has a real chance of his first F1 win since 2006.
“I said earlier in the weekend, my [plan] is pole, start the race in sixth and then win it,” he declared. “That’s what I’m here for and what I’m going to aim for.
“I’ve won from I don’t know what positions in the past. I will do as good as I can tomorrow. Overtaking is tough but we have DRS and KERS so you might as well try - and be sure I will,” he warned.
Schumacher - yet to claim a podium since his F1 return - is second on the all-time Monaco win list with five victories around the Principality, just one less than the late Aryton Senna.
Schumacher’s most recent Monaco win was in 2001, for Ferrari.
Webber’s inherited pole was the first of the season for the Red Bull driver, but the Australian made clear the day belonged to Schumacher.
“It’s Michael’s day,” said the 2010 Monaco winner. “Michael did a good lap, fair play to him - but it’s nice for me to move up a position.”
Webber will be seeking his first rostrum of the season on Sunday.
With Schumacher demoted to sixth, team-mate and Shanghai winner Nico Rosberg will join Webber on Sunday’s front row. “I’m very pleased, obviously, to start on the front row in Monaco,” said Rosberg. “That is a great place to start to have a good race.”
Row two will be formed by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Lotus rookie Romain Grosjean, with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso starting alongside Schumacher on row three.
Alonso is currently tied at the top of the standings with Red Bull’s reigning double champion and defending Monaco winner Sebastian Vettel, who will start ninth on the grid.
Five different drivers have won during the opening five rounds of this season - Jenson Button, Alonso, Rosberg, Vettel and Pastor Maldonado.
Button will start just twelfth while Maldonado faces an even greater struggle after being penalised ten places due to contact with Sauber’s Sergio Perez in final practice.
The Williams driver will start 19th with Perez 24th and last after an accident early in qualifying.
Date: 26/May/2012
Past Monaco master Michael Schumacher gave a timely reminder of his talents by setting the fastest time during qualifying for the 2012 event, but it will be Mark Webber that starts Sunday’s F1 grand prix from pole position.
Schumacher is carrying a five-place grid penalty imposed for colliding with Bruno Senna at the previous Spanish round, denying the Mercedes driver what would have been his first pole start since returning to F1 in 2010.
But there were no signs of regret from the seven time world champion.
Instead Schumacher cut a defiant figure, proud to have proven he still has the speed to beat the very best in Formula One and determined to fight for victory.
“It’s the first pole of the second part of my career,” said Schumacher, whose Q3 lap put him 0.14sec ahead of Webber. “I’m delighted to finally get it together and be able to prove [I can still do it].
“Monaco to all of us is the track of the year and to manage pole here after what I have gone through in the past two-and-a-half years is just fabulous.”
The claustrophobic Monaco streets are notoriously hard to pass on, making the grid penalty especially harsh, but the 43-year-old remains convinced he has a real chance of his first F1 win since 2006.
“I said earlier in the weekend, my [plan] is pole, start the race in sixth and then win it,” he declared. “That’s what I’m here for and what I’m going to aim for.
“I’ve won from I don’t know what positions in the past. I will do as good as I can tomorrow. Overtaking is tough but we have DRS and KERS so you might as well try - and be sure I will,” he warned.
Schumacher - yet to claim a podium since his F1 return - is second on the all-time Monaco win list with five victories around the Principality, just one less than the late Aryton Senna.
Schumacher’s most recent Monaco win was in 2001, for Ferrari.
Webber’s inherited pole was the first of the season for the Red Bull driver, but the Australian made clear the day belonged to Schumacher.
“It’s Michael’s day,” said the 2010 Monaco winner. “Michael did a good lap, fair play to him - but it’s nice for me to move up a position.”
Webber will be seeking his first rostrum of the season on Sunday.
With Schumacher demoted to sixth, team-mate and Shanghai winner Nico Rosberg will join Webber on Sunday’s front row. “I’m very pleased, obviously, to start on the front row in Monaco,” said Rosberg. “That is a great place to start to have a good race.”
Row two will be formed by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Lotus rookie Romain Grosjean, with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso starting alongside Schumacher on row three.
Alonso is currently tied at the top of the standings with Red Bull’s reigning double champion and defending Monaco winner Sebastian Vettel, who will start ninth on the grid.
Five different drivers have won during the opening five rounds of this season - Jenson Button, Alonso, Rosberg, Vettel and Pastor Maldonado.
Button will start just twelfth while Maldonado faces an even greater struggle after being penalised ten places due to contact with Sauber’s Sergio Perez in final practice.
The Williams driver will start 19th with Perez 24th and last after an accident early in qualifying.
Button beats the rain at Monaco
F1 News
Date: 24/May/2012
An aptly timed lap on super-soft tyres put Jenson Button on top of the Thursday practice timesheets for the Monaco F1 Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver, one of five different winners in the opening five rounds of this year, led the way courtesy of a flying lap early in the afternoon session.
Rain then cemented the Briton’s position at the head of the timesheets by 0.392s over Lotus driver Romain Grosjean. Ferrari team-mates Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso were third and fourth.
Button, eighth quickest in the morning session, said: “The most important job today was to try and get a decent high-fuel long-run on the super-soft tyre - which I don’t think anyone managed. We’ve got to see how the tyre works because its performance will play a considerable role in the race.
“Still, it was nice to briefly stick that tyre on and see how much grip it has - that gives you a bit of information to look over before Saturday, even though we’ll still get to run that compound again before qualifying.
“I definitely feel like the car improved from P1 to P2. We tried something different for this afternoon’s session and I was happier with how the car felt. There’s still room for improvement, but we know what direction we want to take.”
A Monaco winner for Brawn GP on his way to the 2009 world title, Button starts this weekend sixth in a close championship battle jointly led by Alonso and Red Bull’s reigning double title winner Sebastian Vettel.
Alonso had led the morning session, but both Button and rookie Grosjean surpassed the Spaniard’s lap time before the afternoon rain.
“We weren’t able to fit the Supersoft and only Button was able to find the right window to make the most of the Option, which is how he set the fastest time,” confirmed Alonso.
The unique Monaco schedule means a day off on Friday, followed by final practice and qualifying on Saturday.
“Now, we must see what the weather will be like on Saturday morning: if it turns out to be dry then maybe we will do more laps than usual, but even if it rains we will have to do work aimed at the race,” said Alonso.
“We can’t control the weather, we can only adapt to it as it changes. Let’s say the weekend has got off on the right foot for us: now we must try and keep going down this path.”
Vettel, last year’s Monaco winner, was ninth and tenth fastest in Thursday’s interrupted track sessions.
Date: 24/May/2012
An aptly timed lap on super-soft tyres put Jenson Button on top of the Thursday practice timesheets for the Monaco F1 Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver, one of five different winners in the opening five rounds of this year, led the way courtesy of a flying lap early in the afternoon session.
Rain then cemented the Briton’s position at the head of the timesheets by 0.392s over Lotus driver Romain Grosjean. Ferrari team-mates Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso were third and fourth.
Button, eighth quickest in the morning session, said: “The most important job today was to try and get a decent high-fuel long-run on the super-soft tyre - which I don’t think anyone managed. We’ve got to see how the tyre works because its performance will play a considerable role in the race.
“Still, it was nice to briefly stick that tyre on and see how much grip it has - that gives you a bit of information to look over before Saturday, even though we’ll still get to run that compound again before qualifying.
“I definitely feel like the car improved from P1 to P2. We tried something different for this afternoon’s session and I was happier with how the car felt. There’s still room for improvement, but we know what direction we want to take.”
A Monaco winner for Brawn GP on his way to the 2009 world title, Button starts this weekend sixth in a close championship battle jointly led by Alonso and Red Bull’s reigning double title winner Sebastian Vettel.
Alonso had led the morning session, but both Button and rookie Grosjean surpassed the Spaniard’s lap time before the afternoon rain.
“We weren’t able to fit the Supersoft and only Button was able to find the right window to make the most of the Option, which is how he set the fastest time,” confirmed Alonso.
The unique Monaco schedule means a day off on Friday, followed by final practice and qualifying on Saturday.
“Now, we must see what the weather will be like on Saturday morning: if it turns out to be dry then maybe we will do more laps than usual, but even if it rains we will have to do work aimed at the race,” said Alonso.
“We can’t control the weather, we can only adapt to it as it changes. Let’s say the weekend has got off on the right foot for us: now we must try and keep going down this path.”
Vettel, last year’s Monaco winner, was ninth and tenth fastest in Thursday’s interrupted track sessions.
Monaco F1: Could it be six?
F1 News
Date: 24/May/2012
After five different winners from the opening five rounds, the 2012 Formula One World Championship heads to the most glamorous event in motorsport this weekend - Monaco.
While three of this year’s race winners - Jenson Button (McLaren), Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) - are no surprise, debut victories for Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and Pastor Maldonado (Williams) have highlighted an early season full of unpredictability.
Those yet to triumph include former Monaco winners Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen - and few will be surprised if another new name is added to the 2012 victory list on Sunday.
“I think there can be six different winners. Of course, why not?” said Red Bull driver Webber, winner at Monaco in 2010. “And it would be nice if it’s me!”
Schumacher is still seeking his first podium since returning to F1 in 2010, but is second on the all-time Monaco win list behind only the late Ayrton Senna (six victories).
“I think quite a few of us who have not won yet have the capacity to win this race,” said the Mercedes driver, who will start with a five-place grid penalty after a collision with Bruno Senna at Catalunya.
Fellow former world champion Hamilton begins the weekend third in the championship, just eight points from joint-leaders Vettel and Alonso.
The Englishman believes victory is ‘wide open’, especially since the unique nature of the Monaco street circuit allows drivers to rise above the limits of their machines.
“It’s massively tight between quite a lot of teams,” added Hamilton, a Monaco winner in 2008. “I think it’s wide open. Particularly at this race, where the driver can make more of a difference.”
Hamilton also spoke about the need to balance speed and endurance with the ‘delicate’ Pirelli tyres, the performance limitations of which have recently been criticised by the likes of Schumacher.
“I really enjoy the racing that we have now, as I’ve enjoyed it every year,” began Hamilton. “There are some points in the race where you can really push, but not for very long and perhaps it is more about endurance, to try and make these tyres last.
“But it is still a challenge to extract the most out of the tyres for a longer period. It requires skill, technique and finesse - I’m still trying to get that fine touch sorted.
“Nonetheless, it’s still Formula One, it’s still fun and there’s more overtaking which is what people like to see.”
“I think people are enjoying it,” Hamilton added of the season so far. “I notice people asking a lot of questions about how there’s been five different winners and the fans I’ve met said this is a fantastic season, so I hope that continues.”
The final words on the challenge of Monaco go to seven-time world champion Schumacher, who has conquered the event five times whilst driving for Benetton (’94, ’95) and Ferrari (’97, ’99, ’01).
“Monaco is certainly special and there’s something about you and the car that you just have to get every detail together,” he explained. “If you have the rhythm, the flow, the momentum it pays out much more here than at other tracks, because everything is so critical and difficult here.”
And is Monaco still a circuit where the driver makes more difference than any other circuit?
“Absolutely,” replied Schumacher.
As is traditional, practice at Monaco starts on Thursday. Friday is then a day off before the action continues with final practice and qualifying on Saturday, then the race on Sunday.
Date: 24/May/2012
After five different winners from the opening five rounds, the 2012 Formula One World Championship heads to the most glamorous event in motorsport this weekend - Monaco.
While three of this year’s race winners - Jenson Button (McLaren), Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) - are no surprise, debut victories for Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and Pastor Maldonado (Williams) have highlighted an early season full of unpredictability.
Those yet to triumph include former Monaco winners Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen - and few will be surprised if another new name is added to the 2012 victory list on Sunday.
“I think there can be six different winners. Of course, why not?” said Red Bull driver Webber, winner at Monaco in 2010. “And it would be nice if it’s me!”
Schumacher is still seeking his first podium since returning to F1 in 2010, but is second on the all-time Monaco win list behind only the late Ayrton Senna (six victories).
“I think quite a few of us who have not won yet have the capacity to win this race,” said the Mercedes driver, who will start with a five-place grid penalty after a collision with Bruno Senna at Catalunya.
Fellow former world champion Hamilton begins the weekend third in the championship, just eight points from joint-leaders Vettel and Alonso.
The Englishman believes victory is ‘wide open’, especially since the unique nature of the Monaco street circuit allows drivers to rise above the limits of their machines.
“It’s massively tight between quite a lot of teams,” added Hamilton, a Monaco winner in 2008. “I think it’s wide open. Particularly at this race, where the driver can make more of a difference.”
Hamilton also spoke about the need to balance speed and endurance with the ‘delicate’ Pirelli tyres, the performance limitations of which have recently been criticised by the likes of Schumacher.
“I really enjoy the racing that we have now, as I’ve enjoyed it every year,” began Hamilton. “There are some points in the race where you can really push, but not for very long and perhaps it is more about endurance, to try and make these tyres last.
“But it is still a challenge to extract the most out of the tyres for a longer period. It requires skill, technique and finesse - I’m still trying to get that fine touch sorted.
“Nonetheless, it’s still Formula One, it’s still fun and there’s more overtaking which is what people like to see.”
“I think people are enjoying it,” Hamilton added of the season so far. “I notice people asking a lot of questions about how there’s been five different winners and the fans I’ve met said this is a fantastic season, so I hope that continues.”
The final words on the challenge of Monaco go to seven-time world champion Schumacher, who has conquered the event five times whilst driving for Benetton (’94, ’95) and Ferrari (’97, ’99, ’01).
“Monaco is certainly special and there’s something about you and the car that you just have to get every detail together,” he explained. “If you have the rhythm, the flow, the momentum it pays out much more here than at other tracks, because everything is so critical and difficult here.”
And is Monaco still a circuit where the driver makes more difference than any other circuit?
“Absolutely,” replied Schumacher.
As is traditional, practice at Monaco starts on Thursday. Friday is then a day off before the action continues with final practice and qualifying on Saturday, then the race on Sunday.
Jorge Lorenzo: How I tamed the rain
MotoGP News
Date: 23/May/2012
Yamaha MotoGP star Jorge Lorenzo has revealed the secrets behind his evolution from a wet-weather lame duck to premier-class grand prix winner.
Lorenzo admits he used to be scared of the wet after countless accidents, but overcame his phobia by putting in a determined effort to learn the secrets of rain-riding.
That worked paid off with a first rain podium in 2008 and first win in 2011. But Lorenzo best wet performance yet was undoubtedly in Sunday’s French Grand Prix, which he won by almost ten seconds.
Lorenzo, the 2010 world champion, said: “I used to hate racing in the rain. I was so scared when I was younger, because 90% of the time I would crash.
“After five or six years I thought ‘I have to improve my riding in the wet’. So I went to some go-kart tracks, watered the track and rode with small motorcycles. I kept training, training and training until finally I got it.
“I became faster and more consistent. Wet conditions are now more normal for me. Less risky. I’ve kept the skills I learnt and I’m quite competitive in the rain.”
Lorenzo’s victory means he now leads the 2012 world championship standings by eight points from reigning double world champion Casey Stoner (Honda).
Date: 23/May/2012
Yamaha MotoGP star Jorge Lorenzo has revealed the secrets behind his evolution from a wet-weather lame duck to premier-class grand prix winner.
Lorenzo admits he used to be scared of the wet after countless accidents, but overcame his phobia by putting in a determined effort to learn the secrets of rain-riding.
That worked paid off with a first rain podium in 2008 and first win in 2011. But Lorenzo best wet performance yet was undoubtedly in Sunday’s French Grand Prix, which he won by almost ten seconds.
Lorenzo, the 2010 world champion, said: “I used to hate racing in the rain. I was so scared when I was younger, because 90% of the time I would crash.
“After five or six years I thought ‘I have to improve my riding in the wet’. So I went to some go-kart tracks, watered the track and rode with small motorcycles. I kept training, training and training until finally I got it.
“I became faster and more consistent. Wet conditions are now more normal for me. Less risky. I’ve kept the skills I learnt and I’m quite competitive in the rain.”
Lorenzo’s victory means he now leads the 2012 world championship standings by eight points from reigning double world champion Casey Stoner (Honda).
Rossi careful after past Stoner controversy
MotoGP News
Date: 22/May/2012
When Valentino Rossi caught arch-rival Casey Stoner in the early laps of Sunday’s wet French Grand Prix at Le Mans, thoughts instantly turned to last year’s clash between the pair at Jerez.
In an almost identical scenario, Rossi had used the slippery Jerez conditions to charge towards the front, but couldn’t contain his enthusiasm at the thought of a possible first Ducati podium.
The seven time MotoGP champion rushed a pass on Stoner, promptly lost the front of his Desmosedici and wiped-out the Australian as he slid across the track.
Stoner was livid. Even more so when Rossi was able to rejoin, while the Australian was forced to park his RC212V after a failed bump start following minimal assistance from the marshals.
Rossi’s attempt to apologise after the race only resulted in Stoner taunting the Italian with the words “Did your ambition outweigh your talent?”
Eager to avoid a repeat of such controversy - and keep a rare Ducati podium chance alive - a visibly cautious Rossi held station behind Stoner during the early Le Mans laps.
Rossi, 33, said: “I was always thinking about last year’s mistake! Unfortunately, last year I had a special chance in Jerez to fight for the podium, but I made a mistake because I behaved like a young rider! Unfortunately I also took Casey down.
“This time when I was behind Casey, I stayed behind him. I knew Casey had a good pace and my idea was to stay with him and try to catch Lorenzo in the lead.”
Reigning double world champion Stoner, looking a more relaxed figure since the shock announcement that he will retire from MotoGP at the end of this year, claimed he could tell Rossi was taking things carefully.
Stoner, 26, said: “I knew that Valentino was thinking about Jerez. I heard Valentino getting on the gas very early and expected to see his bike coming up the inside at any moment. But he didn’t, so I knew Valentino was thinking about it!”
The early caution looked to have cost Rossi a shot at second position as he then dropped back from Stoner.
However the Italian megastar later explained that he had been struggling with vision problems from a fogging visor and, once fixed, was able to break free from Tech 3 Yamaha riders Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso and reel Stoner back in.
Stoner, struggling with an overheating rear tyre by the end of the race, was forced to concede second place to Rossi on the very final lap.
Stoner said: “I knew by the end of the race Valentino wasn’t going to worry about Jerez. I tried to hold on but we had nothing for him. I did everything I could to stay in front, but I couldn’t even keep up with him on the last lap. I think he pulled a second and a half on me.”
Second place behind runaway winner Lorenzo (Yamaha) marked Rossi’s best ever result as a Ducati rider and only his second podium appearance in ‘red’, following a fortuitous third place - due to incidents ahead - in last year’s dry French event.
“The Desmosedici always has a good feeling in the wet and I am happy because this is my best result for Ducati,” smiled Rossi. “This time we didn’t throw anyway the chance of a podium.”
However Rossi is under no illusions about the amount of work still needed to turn the GP12 into a front-runner in the dry.
‘The Doctor’, winner of a record 79 MotoGP races for Honda and Yamaha between 2000 and 2010, admitted: “For sure if you want rain, you are in trouble! I know that rain gives me a special chance to fight for the podium, but we have to try to fight for this position in the dry.”
After a promising initial test on the new aluminium-frame GP12 in January, Rossi and his team lost their way over following tests and continued to struggle for a set-up at the start of the new racing season.
The turnaround came when Rossi switched to the kind of ‘long and low’ bike set-up favoured by team-mate Nicky Hayden.
“From Portugal we found a good base to work from,” Rossi confirmed. “This weekend was the best qualifying for us [seventh] and in the dry I was not so bad. But unfortunately we are still slower in the dry conditions than in the wet, so we have to fight for worse positions.”
A series of much-anticipated performance upgrades, included a smoother engine, are due to be introduced in phases between Silverstone and Laguna Seca, rounds six and ten.
Rossi and Hayden will prepare the modifications during three private test sessions at Mugello in May, June and July.
“Next week we will have an important test at Mugello to try new stuff,” said Rossi. “Our target now is to be closer to those ahead, especially to the Tech 3 Yamahas that are not a lot faster than us, and to improve our performance step-by-step.”
Rossi announced he will remain in MotoGP for at least the next two seasons, during the same press conference that saw Stoner reveal his shock retirement decision.
Date: 22/May/2012
When Valentino Rossi caught arch-rival Casey Stoner in the early laps of Sunday’s wet French Grand Prix at Le Mans, thoughts instantly turned to last year’s clash between the pair at Jerez.
In an almost identical scenario, Rossi had used the slippery Jerez conditions to charge towards the front, but couldn’t contain his enthusiasm at the thought of a possible first Ducati podium.
The seven time MotoGP champion rushed a pass on Stoner, promptly lost the front of his Desmosedici and wiped-out the Australian as he slid across the track.
Stoner was livid. Even more so when Rossi was able to rejoin, while the Australian was forced to park his RC212V after a failed bump start following minimal assistance from the marshals.
Rossi’s attempt to apologise after the race only resulted in Stoner taunting the Italian with the words “Did your ambition outweigh your talent?”
Eager to avoid a repeat of such controversy - and keep a rare Ducati podium chance alive - a visibly cautious Rossi held station behind Stoner during the early Le Mans laps.
Rossi, 33, said: “I was always thinking about last year’s mistake! Unfortunately, last year I had a special chance in Jerez to fight for the podium, but I made a mistake because I behaved like a young rider! Unfortunately I also took Casey down.
“This time when I was behind Casey, I stayed behind him. I knew Casey had a good pace and my idea was to stay with him and try to catch Lorenzo in the lead.”
Reigning double world champion Stoner, looking a more relaxed figure since the shock announcement that he will retire from MotoGP at the end of this year, claimed he could tell Rossi was taking things carefully.
Stoner, 26, said: “I knew that Valentino was thinking about Jerez. I heard Valentino getting on the gas very early and expected to see his bike coming up the inside at any moment. But he didn’t, so I knew Valentino was thinking about it!”
The early caution looked to have cost Rossi a shot at second position as he then dropped back from Stoner.
However the Italian megastar later explained that he had been struggling with vision problems from a fogging visor and, once fixed, was able to break free from Tech 3 Yamaha riders Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso and reel Stoner back in.
Stoner, struggling with an overheating rear tyre by the end of the race, was forced to concede second place to Rossi on the very final lap.
Stoner said: “I knew by the end of the race Valentino wasn’t going to worry about Jerez. I tried to hold on but we had nothing for him. I did everything I could to stay in front, but I couldn’t even keep up with him on the last lap. I think he pulled a second and a half on me.”
Second place behind runaway winner Lorenzo (Yamaha) marked Rossi’s best ever result as a Ducati rider and only his second podium appearance in ‘red’, following a fortuitous third place - due to incidents ahead - in last year’s dry French event.
“The Desmosedici always has a good feeling in the wet and I am happy because this is my best result for Ducati,” smiled Rossi. “This time we didn’t throw anyway the chance of a podium.”
However Rossi is under no illusions about the amount of work still needed to turn the GP12 into a front-runner in the dry.
‘The Doctor’, winner of a record 79 MotoGP races for Honda and Yamaha between 2000 and 2010, admitted: “For sure if you want rain, you are in trouble! I know that rain gives me a special chance to fight for the podium, but we have to try to fight for this position in the dry.”
After a promising initial test on the new aluminium-frame GP12 in January, Rossi and his team lost their way over following tests and continued to struggle for a set-up at the start of the new racing season.
The turnaround came when Rossi switched to the kind of ‘long and low’ bike set-up favoured by team-mate Nicky Hayden.
“From Portugal we found a good base to work from,” Rossi confirmed. “This weekend was the best qualifying for us [seventh] and in the dry I was not so bad. But unfortunately we are still slower in the dry conditions than in the wet, so we have to fight for worse positions.”
A series of much-anticipated performance upgrades, included a smoother engine, are due to be introduced in phases between Silverstone and Laguna Seca, rounds six and ten.
Rossi and Hayden will prepare the modifications during three private test sessions at Mugello in May, June and July.
“Next week we will have an important test at Mugello to try new stuff,” said Rossi. “Our target now is to be closer to those ahead, especially to the Tech 3 Yamahas that are not a lot faster than us, and to improve our performance step-by-step.”
Rossi announced he will remain in MotoGP for at least the next two seasons, during the same press conference that saw Stoner reveal his shock retirement decision.
Stoner shocks MotoGP by calling it quits
MotoGP News
Date: 17/May/2012
Reigning double World Champion and 2012 title leader Casey Stoner has announced he will retire from MotoGP at the end of this season.
The Australian, 26, had strongly denied he was planning to walk away from the sport just two weeks ago, but performed a dramatic U-turn at the pre-event press conference for this weekend’s Le Mans round.
Stoner said: "At the end of this 2012 season I will be not racing in the 2013 Championship. I will be finishing my career at the end of this season in MotoGP and go forward in different things in my life.
"After so many years of doing the sport which I love, and which myself and my family made so many sacrifices for, after so many years of trying to get to where we have gotten to at this point, this sport has changed a lot and it has changed to the point where I am not enjoying it.
"I don't have the passion for it and so at this time it's better if I retire now. There are a lot of things that have disappointed me, and also a lot of things I have loved about this sport, but unfortunately the balance has gone in the wrong direction.
"And so, basically, I won't be continuing any more. It would be nice if I could say I would stay just one more year, but then when does it stop? So we’ve decided to finish everything as we are now."
Stoner has won more MotoGP races than any other rider since 2006, when he joined the top class, and presently leads the 2012 standings by one point.
Date: 17/May/2012
Reigning double World Champion and 2012 title leader Casey Stoner has announced he will retire from MotoGP at the end of this season.
The Australian, 26, had strongly denied he was planning to walk away from the sport just two weeks ago, but performed a dramatic U-turn at the pre-event press conference for this weekend’s Le Mans round.
Stoner said: "At the end of this 2012 season I will be not racing in the 2013 Championship. I will be finishing my career at the end of this season in MotoGP and go forward in different things in my life.
"After so many years of doing the sport which I love, and which myself and my family made so many sacrifices for, after so many years of trying to get to where we have gotten to at this point, this sport has changed a lot and it has changed to the point where I am not enjoying it.
"I don't have the passion for it and so at this time it's better if I retire now. There are a lot of things that have disappointed me, and also a lot of things I have loved about this sport, but unfortunately the balance has gone in the wrong direction.
"And so, basically, I won't be continuing any more. It would be nice if I could say I would stay just one more year, but then when does it stop? So we’ve decided to finish everything as we are now."
Stoner has won more MotoGP races than any other rider since 2006, when he joined the top class, and presently leads the 2012 standings by one point.
Shock Maldonado victory equals five from five
F1 News
Date: 13/May/2012
A shock debut F1 victory by Pastor Maldonado in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix means the 2012 championship has produced five different winners from the opening five rounds.
Maldonado’s win was also the first ever in F1 by a Venezuelan driver, and the first for the Williams team since 2004. The 27 year old had scored just a single point during his rookie 2011 season with Williams and Sunday’s victory also marked his first ever rostrum visit.
But he won in style, using his pole (after a post-qualifying penalty for Lewis Hamilton) as a springboard for a race long battle with Ferrari’s double World Champion Fernando Alonso - a fight Maldonado ultimately won by just 3.1s.
Maldonado said: “It’s an unbelievable feeling winning my first race! The car felt really consistent, was fantastic to drive and our pace was strong throughout. Alonso was chasing me hard but we looked after our tyres well and I managed to open the gap towards the end.
“The team has worked so hard all year and this win is for them. To be the first Venezuelan to win a Formula One race is a big honour and hopefully I will win more races in the future.
“It was so close [at the end]. We were looking to manage the tyre degradation so I wasn't pushing that hard, just to keep the tyres alive for the end of the race and Fernando got too close.
“There were some moments that he was so close, especially at the end of the straight. But I was managing the gap and controlling everything.”
The Williams victory celebrations later came to a dramatic end when a serious fire broke out in the team garage. Seven people were hospitalised, but fortunately there were no life threatening injuries.
Date: 13/May/2012
A shock debut F1 victory by Pastor Maldonado in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix means the 2012 championship has produced five different winners from the opening five rounds.
Maldonado’s win was also the first ever in F1 by a Venezuelan driver, and the first for the Williams team since 2004. The 27 year old had scored just a single point during his rookie 2011 season with Williams and Sunday’s victory also marked his first ever rostrum visit.
But he won in style, using his pole (after a post-qualifying penalty for Lewis Hamilton) as a springboard for a race long battle with Ferrari’s double World Champion Fernando Alonso - a fight Maldonado ultimately won by just 3.1s.
Maldonado said: “It’s an unbelievable feeling winning my first race! The car felt really consistent, was fantastic to drive and our pace was strong throughout. Alonso was chasing me hard but we looked after our tyres well and I managed to open the gap towards the end.
“The team has worked so hard all year and this win is for them. To be the first Venezuelan to win a Formula One race is a big honour and hopefully I will win more races in the future.
“It was so close [at the end]. We were looking to manage the tyre degradation so I wasn't pushing that hard, just to keep the tyres alive for the end of the race and Fernando got too close.
“There were some moments that he was so close, especially at the end of the straight. But I was managing the gap and controlling everything.”
The Williams victory celebrations later came to a dramatic end when a serious fire broke out in the team garage. Seven people were hospitalised, but fortunately there were no life threatening injuries.
Front to back for out of fuel Hamilton
F1 News
Date: 13/May/2012
Lewis Hamilton thought he had claimed his third pole position of the 2012 F1 season during a topsy-turvy qualifying in Catalunya, but was later excluded and will now start at the back of the grid.
The McLaren driver’s misery means a first ever grand prix pole for Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado and the first for sleeping F1 giant Williams since Nico Hulkenberg in Brazil 2010.
Hamilton had been ordered to park his car rather than try to return to the pits after claiming pole by over half-a-second, his McLaren team clearly feraing they had insufficient fuel on board to complete the necessary post-race checks.
The team put it down to an operational error, and hoped that by stopping the car on track they would at least be able to provide the necessary sample. However the FIA declared the incident was a clear breach of the rules.
An FIA statement read: “The Stewards received a report from the Race Director which stated that during post-qualifying scrutineering a sample of fuel was required from car 4, however, the car failed to return to the pits under its own power as required under Article 6.6.2 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations.
“The Stewards heard from the team representative Mr Sam Michael who stated that the car stopped on the circuit for reasons of force majeure. A team member had put an insufficient quantity of fuel into the car thereby resulting in the car having to be stopped on the circuit in order to be able to provide the required amount for sampling purposes.
“As the amount of fuel put into the car is under the complete control of the Competitor the Stewards cannot accept this as a case of force majeure.
“The Stewards determine that this is a breach of Article 6.6.2 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations and the Competitor is accordingly excluded from the results of the Qualifying Session. The Competitor is however allowed to start the race from the back of the grid.”
Date: 13/May/2012
Lewis Hamilton thought he had claimed his third pole position of the 2012 F1 season during a topsy-turvy qualifying in Catalunya, but was later excluded and will now start at the back of the grid.
The McLaren driver’s misery means a first ever grand prix pole for Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado and the first for sleeping F1 giant Williams since Nico Hulkenberg in Brazil 2010.
Hamilton had been ordered to park his car rather than try to return to the pits after claiming pole by over half-a-second, his McLaren team clearly feraing they had insufficient fuel on board to complete the necessary post-race checks.
The team put it down to an operational error, and hoped that by stopping the car on track they would at least be able to provide the necessary sample. However the FIA declared the incident was a clear breach of the rules.
An FIA statement read: “The Stewards received a report from the Race Director which stated that during post-qualifying scrutineering a sample of fuel was required from car 4, however, the car failed to return to the pits under its own power as required under Article 6.6.2 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations.
“The Stewards heard from the team representative Mr Sam Michael who stated that the car stopped on the circuit for reasons of force majeure. A team member had put an insufficient quantity of fuel into the car thereby resulting in the car having to be stopped on the circuit in order to be able to provide the required amount for sampling purposes.
“As the amount of fuel put into the car is under the complete control of the Competitor the Stewards cannot accept this as a case of force majeure.
“The Stewards determine that this is a breach of Article 6.6.2 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations and the Competitor is accordingly excluded from the results of the Qualifying Session. The Competitor is however allowed to start the race from the back of the grid.”
Hayden’s Ducati thought it was somewhere else
MotoGP News
Date: 7/May/2012
The debate over advanced electronics in MotoGP was reignited at Estoril on Sunday after an unusual ECU malfunction for Ducati’s Nicky Hayden.
The Italian factory revealed that the American’s ECU ‘was subject to interference from a radio signal near the track’ during the race.
This meant that all of the electronic calibrations for his motorcycle - fine-tuned for each corner of the circuit - were running out of phase with Hayden’s actual position on the racetrack.
In other words, Hayden’s ECU thought it was somewhere else on the Portuguese circuit.
Hayden explained: “Starting from the first lap, there was an electrical problem and the bike didn’t know where it was on the track. I tried my best to ride around the problem and not make mistakes.
“It’s really a shame to work hard all weekend but not be able to take advantage of it with a result in the race. Of course I’m not saying I was going to fight for the win, but it would have been nice to at least have a decent race.”
Team Manager Vittoriano Guareschi confirmed: “We’re really sorry for Nicky because during the race, a radio signal interfered with our ECU’s transponder, forcing him to ride with the electronic calibration out of phase. Riding in those conditions is truly difficult, and he did a great job to finish the race.”
MotoGP is rumoured to be considering the introduction of a control ECU in the near future, in order to cut down on the amount of expensive electronic wizardry.
Date: 7/May/2012
The debate over advanced electronics in MotoGP was reignited at Estoril on Sunday after an unusual ECU malfunction for Ducati’s Nicky Hayden.
The Italian factory revealed that the American’s ECU ‘was subject to interference from a radio signal near the track’ during the race.
This meant that all of the electronic calibrations for his motorcycle - fine-tuned for each corner of the circuit - were running out of phase with Hayden’s actual position on the racetrack.
In other words, Hayden’s ECU thought it was somewhere else on the Portuguese circuit.
Hayden explained: “Starting from the first lap, there was an electrical problem and the bike didn’t know where it was on the track. I tried my best to ride around the problem and not make mistakes.
“It’s really a shame to work hard all weekend but not be able to take advantage of it with a result in the race. Of course I’m not saying I was going to fight for the win, but it would have been nice to at least have a decent race.”
Team Manager Vittoriano Guareschi confirmed: “We’re really sorry for Nicky because during the race, a radio signal interfered with our ECU’s transponder, forcing him to ride with the electronic calibration out of phase. Riding in those conditions is truly difficult, and he did a great job to finish the race.”
MotoGP is rumoured to be considering the introduction of a control ECU in the near future, in order to cut down on the amount of expensive electronic wizardry.
Stoner blasts MotoGP retirement rumours
MotoGP News
Date: 4/May/2012
Reigning MotoGP champion Casey Stoner blasted rumours that he is considering retiring at the end of the 2012 season.
The Australian, 26, is out of contract at the end of this year, but insisted there was no truth to a recent front page article in the Spanish print media suggesting he could walk away from grand prix racing to spend more time with his wife and young daughter.
“Don’t believe what you read in the press. Don’t read what you produce,” was Stoner’s blunt reply to the media, on the eve of this weekend’s Portuguese round.
“Everyone seems quite good at stories and making them up. I’ve said in the past that I’m not going to keep riding until my mid 30s. But I haven’t decided what I’m doing, so certainly no-one else is going to know
“A few people’s contracts end at the end of this year,” he continued. “There’s nothing to do with retirement at this point. I definitely have to think at some point about how many more years I want to race, but not right now.
“This is just another rumour and it has no fact.”
Stoner, a world champion for Ducati (2007) and then Honda (2011) starts this weekend’s Estoril event just four point from title leader Jorge Lorenzo.
Date: 4/May/2012
Reigning MotoGP champion Casey Stoner blasted rumours that he is considering retiring at the end of the 2012 season.
The Australian, 26, is out of contract at the end of this year, but insisted there was no truth to a recent front page article in the Spanish print media suggesting he could walk away from grand prix racing to spend more time with his wife and young daughter.
“Don’t believe what you read in the press. Don’t read what you produce,” was Stoner’s blunt reply to the media, on the eve of this weekend’s Portuguese round.
“Everyone seems quite good at stories and making them up. I’ve said in the past that I’m not going to keep riding until my mid 30s. But I haven’t decided what I’m doing, so certainly no-one else is going to know
“A few people’s contracts end at the end of this year,” he continued. “There’s nothing to do with retirement at this point. I definitely have to think at some point about how many more years I want to race, but not right now.
“This is just another rumour and it has no fact.”
Stoner, a world champion for Ducati (2007) and then Honda (2011) starts this weekend’s Estoril event just four point from title leader Jorge Lorenzo.
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