Autoblog

Fiat and Yamaha officially part ways for 2011 MotoGP season

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Motorcycle

All good things must come to an end. Although the Fiat-Yamaha MotoGP collaboration has seemingly brought a great deal of success to both manufacturers since Fiat's sponsorship of the Yamaha team first began in 2007, the time has come for the two outfits to go their separate ways.

The biggest single reason why Italian automaker Fiat is pulling its support seems to stem from the lack of an Italian rider on the Yamaha factory squad now that Valentino Rossi is firmly entrenched in the Ducati paddock. Apparently, winning, as Yamaha convincingly did in 2010 with Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo in the lead, isn't all it's cracked up to be without that little extra bit of home-country star power.

At this point, it appears that Yamaha will begin the 2011 race season without a title sponsor, with Lorenzo and American teammate Ben Spies racing under its own banner. No hard feelings, of course.

[Source: Fiat-Yamaha via Asphalt & Rubber | Photo: Drew Phillips]

Fiat and Yamaha officially part ways for 2011 MotoGP season originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MotoGP 2010 Sepang: A tale of two champions [Spoilers]

Devon Brozek — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Motorcycle, Celebrities

Starting from pole position certainly has its advantages in GP racing, especially if you take to the track with the goal of potentially clinching your first World Championship and playing it safe is the name of the game. Just the opposite would be true when staring from the second row, entering turn one in the middle of the pack and racing like you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Such was the case with two very divergent Yamaha riders.

For Jorge Lorenzo, the goal of winning his first ever premier-class World Championship was on the line at Sepang. The Spaniard and his crew came to the race with a plan to run safe and clinch the title. As Lorenzo put it, "There was a possibility of injuring myself. So we had to make the race, make 20 laps, and finish it." He would admit that the fall from pole position to eventually finishing in third was not his best performance, however nerves and conflict avoidance both played a part in his uninspiring ride. In any case, as the checkers waved, Jorge Lorenzo became the 2010 MotoGP World Champion at the age of 23.

The day started off differently for The Doctor, as he came to Sepang with a completely different aim than teammate Lorenzo. Valentino Rossi was out for nothing short of victory, which would mark his 46th career win. If you must ask why this is so significant to the legendary Italian, well, just start by looking at he front of his motorcycle. As he was entering the first turn in 11th position, Valentino certainly had his work cut out for him! With the precision of a surgeon, The Doctor sliced through the pack with a very inspiring ride that he would later call "one of the best of my career" and landing himself square at the top of the podium. Rossi never ceases to amaze.

So goes the tale of MotoGP Champions past and present. And yes, there were other riders in Malaysia, like Ben Spies and Andrea Dovizioso, who both finished in the top five. You can make the jump for the complete list of top-ten finishers. Now lets see if anyone other than Casey Stoner shows up in Australia.

[Image: AP Photo/Ching Kien Huo]

Continue reading MotoGP 2010 Sepang: A tale of two champions [Spoilers]

MotoGP 2010 Sepang: A tale of two champions [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MotoGP 2010: Aragon adds fuel to the comeback fire [SPOILERS]

Devon Brozek — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Europe, Motorcycle, Racing

With racing action returning to Spain and the top two contenders being Spanish natives, MotoGP Aragon certainly became a highly competitive forum not only for the championship race, but also for bragging rights at stake in front of the home-country fans. For Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, added pressure came in the form of also being caught in a late season battle for the overall championship points lead. However, as the checkered flag waved, neither of the Spanish shoe-ins would emerge victorious.

Coming from pole position for the first time this season, Ducati-mounted Casey Stoner, rode quickly and consistently as he maintained control of the lead from start to finish, earning his first victory this season. The win also neatly advanced him into third place in the overall points standing. Giving chase, Dani Pedrosa struggled from the outset to find good grip, eventually making his way just behind Stoner. Unable to match his pace, Pedrosa would have to settle for second, which is exactly where things got interesting.

Click on the jump to see who was able to knock Lorenzo off the podium for the first time this year, in the process adding fuel to Pedrosa and Repsol Honda's comeback fire.

[Source: MotoGP.com | Image: Mirco Lazzari/Getty]

Continue reading MotoGP 2010: Aragon adds fuel to the comeback fire [SPOILERS]

MotoGP 2010: Aragon adds fuel to the comeback fire [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MotoGP 2010: Winds of change blow into the Brickyard [Spoilers]

Devon Brozek — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Motorcycle, Celebrities, Racing

The hype, the drama and one final chance to perform in front of the home town crowd made Indianapolis Motor Speedway a forum for several American riders to "leave it all out on the track " before MotoGP departed the U.S. for the remainder of the season. But with so much happening off the racetrack, when all the cast members were in place, who really had what it took to steal the spotlight? Make the jump to find out.

[Source: MotoGP.com | Image: Mirco Lazzari GP/Getty Images]

Continue reading MotoGP 2010: Winds of change blow into the Brickyard [Spoilers]

MotoGP 2010: Winds of change blow into the Brickyard [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ben Spies moves to Yamaha MotoGP Factory Team

Zach Bowman — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Motorcycle, Racing

Shocking, we know. What's been called the second-worst kept secret in MotoGP has officially been confirmed. MotoGP rookie and current World Superbike champion Ben Spies (shown at right, with Yamaha's Lin Jarvis) will be saddling up with the factory Yamaha crew starting next year. Rumors to that effect have been buzzing around the inteweb for some time and were recently fueled by Valentino Rossi's departure from the Fiat-Yamaha stable in favor of the Ducati Corse team.

Spies has been an absolute terror on two wheels in MotoGP while riding with the Tech 3 Yamaha team. The Texan is currently 7th in the overall standings thanks to a slew of top 5 finishes, and even managed to podium at Silverstone. Not too shabby for the guy's first year out. There's some indication that he'll be riding alongside Jorge Lorenzo, though Yamaha hasn't solidified anything with the Spaniard just yet.

Those who follow the MotoGP world will have likely noticed the conspicuous lack of a certain prefix from this post. Interestingly enough, 'Fiat' was nowhere to be found in the Spies announcement. Odds are we'll be hearing something about that from the former Fiat-Yamaha team sometime soon. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

[Source: Asphalt and Rubber]

Continue reading Ben Spies moves to Yamaha MotoGP Factory Team

Ben Spies moves to Yamaha MotoGP Factory Team originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MotoGP 2010: Getting back on track in the Czech Republic [Spoilers]

Devon Brozek — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Motorcycle, Racing

For us, the mid-season break in GP action seemed reminiscent of the Monday night following the Superbowl, something is just missing. As the hot tires penciled in the fast lines around the Brno circuit, we remembered just what it was: lightning fast motorcycles of course! High winds and poor weather conditions slowed the race pace - the fastest lap of the actual race was over a second slower than Dani Pedrosa's fastest qualifying run.

For much of the field, the Czech Republic represented a chance to get back on track and realize the goals they have set forth, and for others those goals seem just out of reach.

Take, for example, the stark contrast of the top two finishers. For winning rider Jorge Lorenzo, the goal of clinching his first world championship seems solidified by his outstanding performance, leaving the Czech round with a 77-point buffer as the show heads back the States. For runner up Dani Pedrosa, the goal of not only emerging victorious but also putting the heat on Lorenzo seemed far off, as he cleared the checkers ahead of third place finisher Casey Stoner, but yielded almost 5.5 seconds to Lorenzo's Yamaha in the process.

Off the box, Ben Spies made good use of a front-row start, clinching fourth position by edging out Valentino Rossi, who rounded out the top five. If Spies lands in The Doctors' vacated Fiat Yamaha seat, as expected, he could become the man to watch in 2011. As the official news of Rossi's departure to Ducati (and subsequent Italian Stallionry) sets in, we can't help but wonder if we will continue to see reserved performances from Rossi for the remainder of this season as he focuses on staying healthy for his Desmo-debut.

Also worth noting was the performance of Randy de Puniet, who became the second rider this year (the other being Rossi, of course) to return from a badly broken leg and finish within the top ten, even if it was just barely. It's good to see the Frenchman back in the game. If its official results and championship standings you're after, click past the break. If you yearn for an up close look at the action, pack your bags and head to Indy for the next round August 29th!

[Source: motogp.com | Image: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images]

Continue reading MotoGP 2010: Getting back on track in the Czech Republic [Spoilers]

MotoGP 2010: Getting back on track in the Czech Republic [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MotoGP 2010 USA: Live action from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca [Spoilers]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Motorcycle, Racing

MotoGP action from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Click above for high-res image gallery

We're live from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca today for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, and we just witnessed some awesome racing action. Well, awesome for some riders, less so for others. For instance, we're certain that Factory Honda rider Dani Pedrosa isn't particularly pleased with his result.

After leading the race for the first 11 laps, Pedrosa crashed out at turn five. Yamaha-mounted Jorge Lorenzo, who had positioned himself in second position following Pedrosa, inherited first place. He would not relinquish his grip on the lead for the remainder of the race, earning his sixth win of the 2010 season and his first at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The rest of the field sorted itself out over the course of the race, with Ducati (for now, at least) rider Casey Stoner finding himself in second place behind Lorenzo by 3.5 seconds. Third position was claimed by Valentino Rossi, who made his second start of the season riding with a broken leg.

Andrea Dovizioso relinquished third position to Rossi with just five laps left to go in the race, and he ended up finishing in fourth place. American riders managed to take the next three slots, with Nicky Hayden edging out Ben Spies and Colin Edwards (in that order) for fifth. Check out our high-res image gallery below and see the full finishing order after the break.

Gallery: MotoGP 2010: Race action from Mazda Raceway

Continue reading MotoGP 2010 USA: Live action from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca [Spoilers]

MotoGP 2010 USA: Live action from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MotoGP 2010 Sachsenring: Shake-up, crack-up and the return of The Doctor [Spoilers]

Devon Brozek — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Motorcycle, Celebrities, Racing

Call it a feeling of shear uncertainty, nervousness if you will... or better yet anticipation. That is exactly what the German round of MotoGP racing provided for fans around the globe. Not only was the Sachsenring round the mid-marker of this season's racing schedule, but more importantly it would give life back to the shake-up that can only be described as "The Rossi Factor." A turn-nine crash by Randy de Puniet, which would take out two other riders culminating in his motorcycle bursting into flames, didn't hurt the action either.

Just as the rest of the field were settling into their respective places in the championship fight, and only six weeks after the brutal high-side that would leave a bone poking through his skin, Valentino Rossi - who had to hobble out to his bike using crutches - returned to racing with the goal of salvaging valuable championship points and proving that no one should relax just yet. As racing reached blastoff - and after the Puniet crash and re-start of the abbreviated 21-lap race - Jorge Lorenzo was able to fall into a familiar position at the front of the pack, but Repsol Honda pilot and runner-up in overall points Dani Pedrosa was not about to let Lorenzo run away with the German round.

After swapping positions several times, Pedrosa finally took firm control of the lead and proceeded to set a blistering pace around the Sachsenring circuit, setting a track record only to best that time two laps later on his way to a 3.5-second margin of victory. Lorenzo admitted to happily playing it safe on his way to second place, collecting valuable championship points, when he said, "Dani was very, very strong and I was at the limit trying to stay ahead."

Stoner, Rossi and Dovizioso competed the top five in just that order, with Rossi almost edging his way on to the podium as he and Stoner had a wonderful battle that would last right up to the final turn. Hit the jump for the full top ten results, including that of Spies and Hayden. To put it mildly, we can't wait to see what develops as the action comes Stateside. See you at Laguna!

[Source:Motogp.com | Image: JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images]

Continue reading MotoGP 2010 Sachsenring: Shake-up, crack-up and the return of The Doctor [Spoilers]

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MotoGP 2010: Tire choice plays a key role for top finishers at Assen [Spoilers]

Devon Brozek — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:38:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Motorcycle, Racing

The sixth round of GP racing for 2010 from the Assen circuit marked not only the 80th anniversary of the Dutch TT but also the further dominance of Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo. With Rossi still out, Lorenzo's winning ways seem untempered by any of the fields competitors. The Spaniard's start-to-finish victory also places him within an elite grouping of riders who have taken victory in three unique (125cc, 250cc and Premier) classes at the Dutch track.

As right wrist exercises began, Lorenzo secured the starting lead, with a confident Ben Spies following closely behind. The young American, still charged from his podium finish at Silverstone, would flicker early in the race allowing himself to be passed by a heavy-handed Dani Pedrosa - who was making his way forward from a seventh place start - but also the Ducati of Casey Stoner to fill the top three positions and chase the series points leader.

This is where tire choice began to play a key role in the action. As Pedrosa and Stoner began to reel in Lorenzo in the beginning, it became clear that the softer tire compound was paying early dividends for the runners-up. As lap-after-lap action continued though, the Yamaha shod with a firmer compound rubber held up well and was said to be a critical component in the overall victory by a margin of just under three seconds. Pedrosa would go on to hold off a very driven-looking Casey Stoner (who must have wanted to prove us wrong for calling his performances thus far marginal) to hold on to second place, stationing the Aussie on the last tier of the podium.

The final two spots in the top five belong to the Repsol Honda of Andrea Dovisioso and the non-factory Yamaha of Ben Spies. If Spies keeps this pace up though, future descriptions of his ride will probably not include the term non-factory for long. The sun has set on round six, and it would appear that a clear direction is forming in the championship hunt. Just remember, we are only one third of the way through this great season, and there will be a whole lot more opportunity for thrills, spills and good or bad tire choices to come. For now you can click past the break for a full listing of the top ten finishers, but don't fear, we'll see you next round in Catalunya!

[Source: motogp.com | Vincent Jannink/AFP/Getty Images]

Continue reading MotoGP 2010: Tire choice plays a key role for top finishers at Assen [Spoilers]

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MotoGP 2010: Momentum and surprises from Silverstone [Spoilers]

Devon Brozek — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:21:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Motorcycle, UK, Racing

We came away from the Italian GP round with the feeling that anything was possible. The season had settled into a blistering pace and drama had definitely begun to unfold. Departure from Mugello left many heads spinning as we saw defending champ Valentino Rossi leave on a stretcher following a nasty get-off and the subsequent end of Yamaha's ownership of the top spot on the podium. We have a feeling that did not sit too well with the boys in blue, as Jorge Lorenzo showed up at Silverstone to put a punctuation on his championship points lead... a 6.743 second punctuation to be exact!

The race launch gave birth to a hungry pack of racers, and although Lorenzo held the top honors, there would be no runaway (at least not at first) as Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa gave early chase with the lead swapping between riders as early as lap one. As the laps ticked off though, Jorge had found his way to a comfortable lead, leaving the real battles behind him. Andrea Dovisioso and Randy de Puniet pushed hard to round out the podium, while a pair of patient young Americans named Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies lay in wait just outside the top three.

As the rubber boiled in Great Britain and the laps wound down to just three, Dovisioso made his move pulling away from the battle with de Puniet. Just as this was happening, Spies also found his speed and was able to make another pass stick on the Frenchman, riding inside the top three for the first time this year. Nicky Hayden also managed to put his Ducati in front of de Puniet and would pass the checkers in the number four spot for the fourth time since Qatar. After suffering an extremely poor start and having to work his way up the ranks from the very last position, Casey Stoner pulled up the caboose of the train that would pass de Puniet prior to the finish line and round out the top five.

So there we have it folks, Jorge Lorenzo is taking care of business, both for Yamaha and for his championship hopes. Andrea Dovisioso is quickly becoming a solid runner up, and all the while Ben Spies finally found his groove and got a bottle of champagne in the process. We can only hope Hayden can break his fourth place curse one of these rounds. As for his teammate Casey Stoner... well, his results remain marginal at best this season, and it remains to be seen if that is going to change.

Next stop: the Netherlands. We can only imagine that it is still anyone's game at Catalunya! Click past the break for the top ten results.

[Source: MotoGP.com | Image: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

Continue reading MotoGP 2010: Momentum and surprises from Silverstone [Spoilers]

MotoGP 2010: Momentum and surprises from Silverstone [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MotoGP 2010: Italian round opens door to endless possibilities [SPOILERS]

Devon Brozek — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:15:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Motorcycle, Racing

Racing into the first turn at Mugello - Click above to see a video of Rossi's crash and the finishing results after the break

The streak has ended, the defending champ is on the bench with a broken leg... oh, the humanity! The fourth round of world-class two-wheeled racing may just go down as the definitive turning point in a season that up to this point has been high on excitement seeing the one-two punch of team Fiat-Yamaha dominate the podium.

The largest single piece of news from Italy comes not from who was racing, but rather who was not. With defending champ Valentino Rossi suffering a broken leg in practice (see image gallery below), the rest of the field no doubt felt a good bit of remorse for their fallen comrade but also likely a renewed sense of possibility, knowing that one less obstacle remained between each man and the championship. Would points leader Jorge Lorenzo extend his lead and take an unprecedented fourth win for the blue and white camp?

As the tires spun and the smell of burnt rubber signaled the start of racing, a new color graced the front of the pack, with Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa setting the pace under the Italian sun. Pedrosa never looked back as he developed a lead of over seven seconds at one point in the race, all the while setting a new circuit record on his way to a convincing start-to-finish victory in Mugello. Lorenzo held up well in the "first loser" position and was able to hold on to crucial championship points, however he posed little threat to Pedrosa's dominant performance.

Andrea Dovisioso challenged Lorenzo throughout the race but seemed to eventually fade comfortably into the the final podium position. This is where the action really heated up. Ducati claimed the number four position in as many rounds, but this time it was at the hands of Casey Stoner, who showed for the first time this season that he might just want to win something, holding off Marco Melandri and Randy de Puniet in a very close three-way battle. We'll see you June 20th at Silverstone as the action continues and the possibilities seem endless... what next?

Check out our high-res image gallery detailing the aftermath of Rossi's crash at Mugello and hit the jump to see a video of the accident as it unfolds along with the finishing order from the race.

Gallery: Valentino Rossi crashes at Mugello

[Image: Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images]

Continue reading MotoGP 2010: Italian round opens door to endless possibilities [SPOILERS]

MotoGP 2010: Italian round opens door to endless possibilities [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stoner crashes, Rossi wins: MotoGP 2010 is officially out of the chutes

Devon Brozek — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:05:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Motorcycle, Middle East, Racing

Yes, we can officially get, not just a little, but very excited by the first taste of Grand Prix action from the opening round of MotoGP, which happened over the weekend at Losail Raceway in Doha, Qatar. The Doctor, Valentino Rossi, continues to prove that his winning ways are no mere fluke, as he topped the podium at Losail followed by Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso.

On to the 64 thousand dollar question, where was Casey Stoner? After a marginal start that left him caught in traffic, he had successfully picked his way to the front of the pack by the start of lap three. By lap six however, the blazing fast Aussie would be victim to a turn four get-off that would have him finishing outside the top ten... or twenty, for that matter. This cleared the way for the Doctor to claim victory with the precision of a seasoned champ. Although Rossi saw some challenges before the checkers waived, in typical fashion, he was just as fast as need-be to emerge victorious.

One other highlight worth mentioning was the performance of that other Ducati guy, Nicky Hayden, who showed the speed to be a front-running contender this season after several years of mediocrity. Good to see you back in it Nicky! Yamaha's Ben Spies rounded out the top five, offering up the first glimpse of the season that he'll be a contender before too long.

And there you have it folks, The 2010 MotoGP season is officially out of the chutes, and "backing it in" to steal a position at the front of our limited attention span, so far looks like it could be one of the best seasons ever. Hit the break to see the full top ten results.

[Source: Motomatters.com | Image: Mirco Lazzari GP/Getty]

Continue reading Stoner crashes, Rossi wins: MotoGP 2010 is officially out of the chutes

Stoner crashes, Rossi wins: MotoGP 2010 is officially out of the chutes originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Not TiVoSafe] Motorsports Highlights: April 22-23

Stuart Waterman — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Quite a weekend! Ferrari returns, a new Nextel Cup points leader, a wild sports car race, a ton of motorcycle road racing, and some fence-climbing in Japan.

Formula 1:
At the front of the field, the San Marino Grand Prix was a mirror-image of last year's race, this time with Michael Schumacher holding off Fernando Alonso instead of the other way around. Schumacher's victory capped a great weekend for the tifosi, with Felipe Massa redeeming himself for his miscues in previous races with a fourth place finish, and Michael qualfying on the pole. Alonso continued to build his championship lead with his second-place finish, and Juan Pablo Montoya brought his McLaren home in third. Full weekend coverage here. [Photo courtesy of Ferrari]

More after the jump.

Continue reading [Not TiVoSafe] Motorsports Highlights: April 22-23

[Not TiVoSafe] Motorsports Highlights: April 22-23 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Apr 2006 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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