Honda’s Spanish Dani Pedrosa rides to first place during the Moto GP race of the French Motorcycling Grand Prix at Le Mans Circuit, western France, yesterday. RIGHT: Pedrosa celebrates on the podium. LE MANS, France: Spain’s Dani Pedrosa claimed top spot in the world championship MotoGP standings when he won his maiden French Grand Prix on a wet Le Mans course yesterday.

Le Mans, France: In difficult conditions with cool temperatures and a partly damp track, QMMF Racing Team rider Anthony West battled bravely to ninth place at the French Grand Prix.  Despite a lack of tyre grip and feeling for the limit of his bike, the 31-year-old from Australia moved up from eleventh place after one lap to take ninth place on lap seven, defending and re-gaining this

Spain’s Marc Marquez drives his Honda during a free practice session at Le Mans’ Circuit, western France, on the eve of the French Grand Prix. LE MANS, France: Spain’s world championship leader Marc Marquez will start on pole in today’s French MotoGP on the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans after coming out on top in yeserday’s qualifying. Marquez, on a Honda,

QMMF Racing Team rider Anthony West and a team official talk in the pit area of Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans before the qualifying practice of the French Grand Prix. West finished in the eleventh fastest in the qualifying session of the Moto2 category. LE MANS, France: QMMF Racing Team rider Anthony West moved up to eleventh place in qualifying for the French Grand Prix in the Moto2 catego

LE MANS, France: Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi targets an 80th career MotoGP win on Sunday at the French Grand Prix, where he also hopes to break his duck for the season. The Italian Yamaha star currently sits at fourth in the world championship, 18 points behind surprise leader Marc Marquez on a Honda. Rossi is in the middle of an alarming winning drought with his 79th and l

DOHA: In a near flawless drive, Abdulaziz Abdulla, behind the wheels of his Porsche, won the fourth round of the Qatar National Road Racing Championship (QNRRCH) at Losail International Circuit.  The driver had a very tough battle with Ahmad Ghaith Al Kuwari, who finished in second place in a Mitshubishi car.  The gap between the two Qatari drivers was only 0.282 seconds.

BARCELONA: MotoGP hopes to add a Brazilian grand prix and more Asian races to the calendar after Argentina returns next season, with Spain and the United States likely to lose rounds, the sport’s commercial head said yesterday. “We will go next year to Argentina and most probably in the near future to Brazil, and then we are talking about other venues in Asia,” Carmelo Ezp

Australia’s Alex Cudlin (1) negotiates a bend during a race in this file picture at Losail International Circuit.  DOHA: Defending champion Australia’s Alex Cudlin will be aiming to increase his points (33) tally, who is ahead of Qatar’s Mishal Al Naimi, when the fifth round of the Qatar International Road Racing Championship (QIRRCH) takes place this weekend. 

JEREZ, Spain: QMMF Racing Team rider Anthony West scored a hard-fought twelfth place at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday.  The 31-year-old Australian not only struggled with a lack of front end feel and a lack of rear grip on his Speed Up bike, but also had a frustrating encounter with rival Simone Corsi, who pushed West off the line early on in the race.  Even though, West

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo (left) and Repsol Honda Team’s Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa (right) lead the pack during the Spanish Grand Prix at the Jerez racetrack in Jerez de la Frontera yesterday. Pedrosa won the race ahead of Spanish rider Marc Marquez and Lorenzo. JEREZ, Spain: Dani Pedrosa streaked away to win the Spanish MotoGP yesterday but it was

MADRID: Spanish world champion Jorge Lorenzo will start on pole for Sunday’s Spanish MotoGP Grand Prix in Jerez as he pipped compatriots Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez in yesterday’s final qualifying session. The Yamaha rider, who was fastest in three of the four practice sessions on Friday and yesterday, clocked 1:38:673 to qualify fastest but was helped by a series of crashes t

Madrid: After trying a variety of different settings on his Speed Up prototype in the free practice sessions, QMMF Racing Team rider Anthony West nailed a perfect set-up when it counted in qualifying and was competitive throughout the session.  The 31-year-old Australian set his best time of 1.44,271 minutes in only his fourth lap and held positions within the top six for a long time,

JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA, Spain: Marc Marquez became the youngest ever MotoGP winner a fortnight ago but he is not letting that success go to his head as he and his fellow riders prepare for Sunday’s Spanish MotoGP at Jerez. The 20-year-old Spaniard, last year’s Moto2 world champion, showed few nerves in capturing the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, but he says he is no

Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) rider Saeed Al Sulaiti  (No.95) negotiates a bend during the Spanish CEV Championship at Montmelo Circuit. Al Sulaiti won his first point in the championship. Montmelo, Spain: Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) rider Saeed Al Sulaiti grabbed his first point of the seaon at the 2013 Spanish Championship in Montmelo. Al Sulait

Texas, USA: Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) Racing Team rider Anthony West scored his first top result of the season, storming to seventh place at the Grand Prix of the Americas.  The Australian rider was tenth after the opening lap and the 31-year-old quickly moved up to fifth behind eventual winner Terol, Mika Kallio, Dominique Aegerter and Scott Redding. But West co

AUSTIN: Spanish rookie Marc Marquez out-duelled Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa to win the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas yesterday to become the youngest ever winner in the MotoGP premier class. The youngster broke Freddie Spencer’s 30-year-old record as the youngest race winner in premier class history which added to the pole position age record he bagged when he to

Texas, USA: Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) Racing Team rider Anthony West was immediately on the pace on the first day of practice for the Grand Prix of the Americas, clocking sixth fastest in the morning session, yesterday.  However, he dropped back to 12th in the afternoon only due to a vibration issue after a tyre change.  Since both handling and engine power

  AUSTIN, Texas: Spain’s Marc Marquez dominated both free practice sessions yesterday ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix of Americas race, the second event of the 2013 MotoGP season. The 20-year-old Marquez, who rides for Repsol Honda, had the fastest time in both sessions on the brand new Texas track, finishing more than half a second ahead of fellow Spaniard Dani Pedr

AUSTIN, Texas: Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, who got off to impressive starts at the season-opening Qatar race, will be aiming for another one-two finish at tomorrow’s maiden MotoGP race in Austin. Spain’s Lorenzo won the season-opener at the Losail track earlier this month. Pole-sitter Lorenzo was followed across the line by Rossi in his first race for Yamah

Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso of Scuderia Ferrari lifts the trophy on the podium after winning the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai yesterday. RIGHT: Alonso  stands on his Ferrari after winning the race. SHANGHAI: Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso emerged unscathed to take victory yesterday in a drama-packed Chinese Grand Prix, with the