BMW X6 M debuts as MotoGP safety car

Coupes, sedans, convertibles, even sport-wagons... BMW's venerated Motorsport division – known to all the world by the letter M – has tuned all sorts of vehicles from the Bavarian automaker's lineup, but with the launch of the new X5 M and X6 M, this is the first time the tuning division has been tasked with tweaking a crossover or SUV... or anything with four-wheel-drive, for that matter. Purists might view it as a bridge too far for the garage that has turned out such precision driving tools as the original 3.0 CSL, the exotic M1 and the spectacular M3, but Munich's marketing department has evidently wasted no time in assuaging those doubts by putting the new X6 M on the track as quickly as possible, and in one of the most speed-crazed, testosterone-infused forms of motorsport on the planet: MotoGP.

Fresh off the floor of Manhattan's Javitz Center, where it debuted at the ongoing New York Auto Show, the X6 M debuts this weekend Qatar as the official safety car of the MotoGP race at Losail. The new M-tuned "sports activity coupe" joins a paddock full of vehicles provided by BMW to serve as safety cars and trackside VIP transports, including the M6, M5 Touring and M3. This marks the eleventh season in which BMW has partnered with MotoGP.

[Source: BMW via MotoGP]

Valentio Rossi's new helmet a scream

MotoGP is the pinnacle of motorcycle racing and could be considered the Formula 1 of the two-wheeled world. Current series point leader and seven-time Grand Prix World Championship title winner Valentino Rossi has a habit of debuting a new helmet design at the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, and this year's design did not fail to disappoint. Featuring a roughly life-size portrait of The Doctor himself in the middle of a scream, it was pretty hard to miss Rossi, even in the field of brightly colored riders and bikes. If you haven't watched the race and plan to, now would be the time to stop reading, otherwise, find out who won the event after the break, along with a link to the video of Rossi's debut of his unique new helmet design. Thanks for the tip, Gabriel!

Rossi managed to collect the win at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, followed on the podium by last year's series winner, Casey Stoner. Dani Pedrosa nabbed the third and final podium position. Rossi managed twenty-five points for his efforts and now leads the series by twelve points over Pedrosa. Stoner currently sits at fourth in the series standings.

See a video of Rossi's helmet debut here.

MOTO GP - Race results - Estoril.

Full race results from the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, round three of the 2008 MotoGP season.



1. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 45min 53.089 secs
2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 45min 54.906 secs
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 46min 5.812 secs
4. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 46min 10.312 secs
5. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 46min 16.841 secs
6. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 46min 19.777 secs
7. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 46min 25.720 secs
8. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 46min 29.471 secs
9. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 46min 31.357 secs
10. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 46min 32.565 secs
11. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 46min 54.395 secs
12. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 46min 56.956 secs
13. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 47min 2.614 secs
14. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 47min 2.723 secs
15. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 47min 4.631 secs
16. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 47min 16.718 secs

DNF:
Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 26min 23.675 secs
Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 24min

MOTO GP Race results - Jerez.

Full race results from the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, round two of the 2008 MotoGP season.

1. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 45min 35.121 secs
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 45min 38.004 secs
3. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 45min 39.460 secs
4. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 45min 45.263 secs
5. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 46min 2.645 secs
6. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 46min 2.929 secs
7. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 46min 3.417 secs
8. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Scot Team (M) 46min 3.570 secs
9. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 46min 7.690 secs
10. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 46min 10.212 secs
11. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 46min 17.344 secs
12. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 46min 19.619 secs
13. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 46min 20.928 secs
14. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 46min 20.992 secs
15. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 46min 44.679 secs
16. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 46min 49.563 secs

DNF:
Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3 (M)
Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M)

Moto GP Race results - Qatar

Full race results from the Qatar Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2008 season and first ever MotoGP event to be held at night.

1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 42min 36.587 secs
2. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 42min 41.910 secs
3. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 42min 47.187 secs
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Scot Team (M) 42min 49.875 secs
5. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 42min 49.892 secs
6. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 42min 50.627 secs
7. Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 42min 51.737 secs
8. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 43min 9.092 secs
9. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 43min 9.590 secs
10. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 43min 14.941 secs
11. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 43min 20.871 secs
12. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 43min 26.444 secs
13. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 43min 26.458 secs
14. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 43min 35.119 secs
15. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 43min 35.517 secs
16. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 43min 42.230 secs
17. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1 lap

DNF:
Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B)

Ducati launches title defender

The Ducati Desmosedici GP8 may have made its track debut during testing at the end of 2007, but the bike with which Casey Stoner will defend his MotoGP crown had its official unveiling on the snowy slopes of Madonna di Campiglio in Italy on Tuesday.
Stoner and new team-mate Marco Melandri ceremoniously broke an ice sculpture to reveal the new bike in its 2008 livery, before both took part in a press conference with the assembled media.

The conference began with former Gresini Hondarider Melandri revealing how it feels to wear official DucatiMarlboro Team colours for the first time.



"I feel great in red!" he smiled. "I'm so happy to have become part of the Ducati family. I'd dreamt of riding a Ducati ever since I first saw one. When I tried on my new leathers yesterday, I felt quite emotional. I'm aware of the big opportunity I have been given this year. It's not going to be easy, but it will be exciting and I'm ready to commit entirely to reward all those who wanted me to be here.

2008 MotoGP entry list: Stoner #1

The provisional entry list for the 2008 MotoGP World Championship has confirmed that Casey Stoner intends to ride with the #1 plate next season.

The 22-year-old Australian claimed his and Ducati's first premier-class crown wearing the #27, but will - like Nicky Hayden before him - defend the title with the world champion's digit.

The #1 plate was absent from MotoGP from 2001-2005, when champion Valentino Rossi chose to retain his famous #46. The last rider to successfully defend the 500cc/MotoGP world title with the #1 was Mick Doohan in 1998. As expected, Hayden will return to the #69 for 2008.

Stoner's fellow Australian, Chris Vermeulen, will also change his racing number next year - the Rizla Suzuki star switching to a Barry Sheene inspired #7, which was previously taken by Carlos Checa.

Of the four class rookies, double World Superbike champion James Toseland will stick with his familiar #52, while double 250cc champion Jorge Lorenzo will revert to his old #48. Alex de Angelis will run the #3, last used in the class by Max Biaggi, while Andrea Dovizioso has inherited the #4 previously used by Alex Barros.

The entry list also confirms that Team Roberts is yet to secure its MotoGP future, while Ilmor - which disappeared from the grid after the opening round of 2007 - shows no signs of attempting a return. There are thus currently only 18 confirmed riders.

The only new title sponsors to appear on the list are Alice, which has acquired the naming rights for d'Antin Ducati, and Scot, which has merged with JiR to run Dovizioso.

The full provisional 2008 MotoGP entry list can be seen below:


#1 Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team
#3 Alex de Angelis RSM Honda Gresini
#4 Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Scot Team
#5 Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3
#7 Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki Motogp
#13 Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team
#14 Randy de Puniet FRA Honda LCR
#21 John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team
#24 Toni Elias SPA Team Alice
#26 Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team
#33 Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team
#46 Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team
#48 Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team
#50 Sylvain Guintoli FRA Team Alice
#52 James Toseland GBR Yamaha Tech 3
#56 Shinya Nakano JPN Honda Gresini
#65 Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki Motogp
#69 Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team
#TBA To Be Advised TBA Team Roberts
#TBA To Be Advised TBA Team Roberts

Rossi: This is what I've been waiting for.

Valentino Rossi admits the switch to Bridgestone tyres has brought no miracle transformation in performance, but he has gained much more consistency - and says the change was just what he'd been waiting for.


The Fiat Yamaha star, who has spent his entire premier-class career on Michelins, finished his second day on the Japanese rubber just 0.141secs behind Dani Pedrosa, as all the top five set their best lap time with a qualifying tyre.

"Today we made longer runs than yesterday and our times were still consistent, which means we are working in the right direction. We still are still missing something in terms of performance, but for sure we are making improvements in terms of constancy," confirmed the former five times MotoGPworld champion.

"Bridgestonehas brought quite soft tyres here to Jerez, because they expected lower temperatures, so I am sure that with some harder material we could do even better. The pace is not bad at all and it is similar to the one I had in the race here at the beginning of the past season.

"I could probably have done even better today with the material I had, but I kept some “margin” to improve tomorrow. Tomorrow we will test some more qualifying tyres and we will also make a long run. Today we tested 2007 tyres, but tomorrow I will have some brand new tyres in order to find more grip.

"Of course we need to work on the bike, too; the bike's power delivery puts a lot of pressure on the tyres, so we need to make it "sweeter"," he continued. "Generally speaking this is what I was waiting for: new motivation and a lot of fun, and in fact I am having a lot of fun with the new tyres.

"I am looking forward to starting the next season because it will be exciting and interesting, but before that I want to finish this test in the best way and then start again in January in order to arrive at Qatar in the best possible shape," Rossi concluded.

Jerez MotoGP test times

The test saw Valentino Rossi's debut on Bridgestone tyres and marked the first public appearance for the new Ducati Desmosedici GP8.

World champion Casey Stoner, fastest on day one, injured his shoulder on Wednesday and didn't ride on the final day - when Dani Pedrosa was fastest on the 2007 Honda RC212V.

Suzuki was the only factory not present in Spain, having instead chosen to develop its GSV-R at Phillip Island in Australia.

The winter test ban starts on December 1 and lasts until January 20.


1. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 38.562 secs
2. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 38.848 secs
3. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 39.464 secs
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot (M) 1min 39.747 secs
5. Shinya Nakano JPN Honda Gresini (B) 1min 40.121 secs
6. Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 40.184 secs
7. Alex de Angelis RSM Honda Gresini (B) 1min 40.185 secs
8. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 40.213 secs
9. Randy de Puniet FRA Honda LCR (M) 1min 40.398 secs
10. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 40.984 secs
11. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 41.538 secs
12. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 41.619 secs
13. Tady Okada JPN Honda Test Rider (M) 1min 41.715 secs
14. Nicola Canepa ITA Ducati Test Rider (B) 1min 41.793 secs
15. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 42.343 secs
16. Vittoriano Guareschi ITA Ducati Test Rider (B) 1min 42.850 secs
17. Shinichi Ito JPN Ducati/Bridgestone Test Rider (B) 1min 43.001 secs

Rossi wins - on four wheels.

MotoGP ace defends Monza Rally title.


Valentino Rossimay not have won a MotoGPrace since September's Portuguese Grand Prix, but the Italian was back on the top step of the podium on Sunday - at the Monza Rally Show (pictured).

The former five-times MotoGP world champion, who fractured his hand earlier this month, drove a Pirelli-shod Ford Focus WRCcar to his second successive victory in the end-of-season asphalt event.

Alex Perico had set the early pace for Peugeot, but Rossi took the lead halfway through the first leg and was able to build a 33-second advantage over Subaru's Piero Longhi by the finish - despite treacherous weather conditions producing standing water on many parts of the track.

Pirelli rally manager, Mario Isola was delighted with the result: "Our consecutive wins at the Monza Rally Show should be seen in the light of the fact that we operate two separate lines of development for our rally tyres: those to be used on the WRC – of which we will be the exclusive supplier next year – and those used on non-WRC events, which are no less important to us.

"Thanks to our know-how and the experience we have developed from every event, we are able to supply competitive tyres to all our drivers using Pirelli PZero rubber on rallies.

"We have also proved our ability to hand-cut these tyres precisely, as we did for many drivers at Monza including Rossi and [Luca] Cantamessa [who took the Group N win], in order to suit variables such as the car, road surface and weather conditions."

For the record, Rossi had been in talks to do this coming weekend's Wales Rally GB, the final round in the 2007 FIAWorld Rally Championship, which runs from November 30 to December 2, however in the end the Italian opted not to take part.

To date, Rossi has done two WRC events, and last year he impressed on the Rally New Zealand, finishing eleventh overall, just 18.8 seconds off a place in the top ten in a SubaruImpreza WRC car.

The result was in stark contrast to how he did on his first WRCouting in 2002, when he crashed out on the Rally GB in his Michelin-backed Peugeot 206 WRC just 17 kilometres into the event.

Rossi meanwhile will be back on two wheels this week, during testing at Jerez, when he is due to ride with Bridgestonetyres for the first time

Edwards explains Schumacher speed

How did Michael Schumacher lap just five seconds slower than the MotoGP lap record?

Colin Edwards has explained how he believes it was possible for former seven-times F1world champion Michael Schumacherto ride a MotoGPbike just five seconds off the Valencia lap record.

Schumacher set his stunning time during the press and guest day immediately after the season-ending grand prix - and despite only limited sportbike experience. The test was also the German legend's first on an 800cc Ducatiand just his second ever MotoGP ride.

Suzuki couldn't wait for 2008

There's still over one month of 2007 remaining, but development of the new 2008 Suzuki is already well advanced.

By Peter McLaren

The 2007 MotoGPseason was still underway when Suzuki gave a prototype version of the 2008 GSV-R its race debut, at the hands of test rider Nobuatsu Aoki in last month's Malaysian Grand Prix- and by the time the team returned to Sepang for testing last week the '08 was already around half a second quicker than this year's model.

"We started the test on the '07 and then took the settings from that over to the '08 and it worked really well," Chris Vermeulen told Crash.net at Sepang. "Loris [Capirossi] said the same. We have a new chassis that makes the bike easier to turn at various lean angles - something both John [Hopkins] and I had asked for. We will get the full version of the new engine later. Aoki has been testing it and is not quite happy with it yet. We're really lucky to have someone of Nobu's experience; it really speeds up the whole development process."

Qatar passes 'night vision' test.

The first ever grand prix to be held at night will take place at Qatar on March 9th, 2008, after a special 'night vision' test was passed without problem.

Barely two months after the announcement that next season's MotoGPcurtain raiser would be run under floodlights, subject to approval from the Riders' Safety Commission, a successful test at the Losail International Circuit on Monday evening gave the project its final approval.

Five MotoGP riders were present at the night test, which took place at 7:30pm at the circuit on the outskirts of Qatar's capital city Doha. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki), Marco Melandri (Ducati), James Toseland(Yamaha), Anthony West (Kawasaki) and Alex de Angelis (Honda) all did several laps of the circuit and were unanimously in favour of next season's race taking place in the dark.

"It's going to be so exciting to race under floodlights," said MotoGP veteran Loris Capirossi. "The difference from when we first tested here at night [in 2006] is amazing. Back then I wasn't too sure what was possible, but the lighting is perfect out there! There's hardly any difference between day and night riding in these conditions, and of course it's going to be more exciting to race at night. There's no problems with shadows or reflections, I'm very happy with this."

Rossi raises pressure with Ducati talk.

Valentino Rossi has increased the pressure on Yamaha to produce an instantly-competitive 2008 YZR-M1 by publicly pondering a future switch to Ducati.

Rossi's existing Yamaha contract expires at the end of next season and, having lost the MotoGPtitle for the past two years - most recently to Ducati's new star Casey Stoner - the relationship between Rossi and Yamaha, which started so perfectly with world championship victories in 2004 and 2005, appears to have become more strained.

As part of his determination to win back the MotoGP crown, Rossi has left Michelin to join Stoner on Bridgestonetyres in 2008 - forcing the factory Yamaha team to be split in two for next season - and, in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, The Doctor hints that he is also be prepared to switch manufacturer if that's what it takes to return to the top.

MOTO GP : FIRST PICTURES: 2008 Honda RC212V.

Repsol Hondariders Nicky Haydenand Dani Pedrosa made their debut on the 2008 spec RC212V during Tuesday afternoon at Valencia, at the start of the first post-season test session.

As rumoured, the new motorcycle features pneumatic valves, as already used by Suzuki and Kawasaki - and rejected by Yamaha.