Experience a MotoGP™ pillion ride at Silverstone

Ducati Two Seater

Official MotoGP™ charity Riders for Health is offering the fantastic chance to take a pillion ride on a Ducati MotoGP bike around Silverstone at the British Grand Prix from the 15th June.

The Ducati two-seat at Silverstone is your chance to get on-board a MotoGP bike piloted by a grand prix legend and support Riders for Health at the same time. A ride on the Ducati two-seat is an experience like no other. It’s a MotoGP rider’s view of the historic Silverstone circuit on a MotoGP bike piloted by grand prix hero and co-founder of Riders for Health, Randy Mamola.

The famous Ducati Desmosedici two-seater ride is a unique chance to complete a lap of one of the fastest MotoGP circuits in the world, on the same weekend as the stars of MotoGP. And, best of all, your ride will support the work of Riders for Health.

But it doesn’t stop there. Each passenger will receive a pair of ‘premium paddock passes’ for the day of their ride and will enjoy lunch in the Ducati hospitality suite. It is a chance not to be missed. Members of the public simply cannot buy the chance to ride on this bike anywhere else in the world.

All the money raised from the sale of the rides goes directly to support Riders for Health’s work in Africa. An award-winning social enterprise, Riders for Health makes sure health workers in Africa have access to reliable motorcycles and ambulances so they can reach even the most isolated people with regular and predictable health care.

Rides are available on Friday 15th, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th June. So you can enjoy either of the two practice days or have your ride in front of a full race day crowd.

For more information about taking part in this incredible experience, contact Martyn Cook by calling +44 (0)1604 889 574 or email mcook@riders.org.

Note: Each passenger must undergo and pass a full medical check prior to their ride, and passengers must not exceed 90 kilos (14 stone). Participants must be over 18.

Cal's down in Le dumps

IN THE HUNT ... but Cal Crutchlow's (rear) crash ended his podium hopes

CAL CRUTCHLOW missed out on a maiden podium finish after crashing out of a rain-hit Moto GP race in France. 

The Isle of Man-based rider was in a thrilling battle with Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate Andrea Dovizioso and seven-time champ Valentino Rossi on the Le Mans track. 

But Crutchlow and Italian Dovizioso both fell in the tricky conditions as they fought over third spot with resurgent Rossi. 

Crutchlow picked himself up to finish eighth, one place behind his team-mate, to remain fourth in the championship standings. 

The Coventry-born rider, 26, said: “I'm not happy to have crashed while I was fighting for the podium. 

“But the consolation is that at least I was battling for the top three again. 

“Being quickest in the warm-up meant I was confident going into the race but I wasn't really aggressive at the start. 

“It was a great battle with Andrea and Valentino though but I seemed to miss out on a bit of speed on the straight compared to them. 

“It was a shame I crashed. 

“There was a chance of the podium but at least I was there and I lost so much time after the crash that to still finish eighth is a bonus really. 

“Now we go to Barcelona knowing it will be tough but I will looking to be battling for the podium again.” 

Rossi, who has had a poor start to the season with Ducati, went out to take second spot from Australia’s reigning champ Casey Stoner on a thrilling last lap. 

Stoner, who has revealed he will quit at the end of the season, also lost the lead in this year’s standings as Yamaha rival Jorge Lorenzo raced to an emphatic victory.

Lorenzo retakes championship lead after rain master-class at Le Mans

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo retook the championship lead once again at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France as he dominated in tricky conditions, finishing ahead of Valentino Rossi, who recorded his best Ducati result ever.

In by far the worst conditions seen all season, it was Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa who got off to one of his trademark starts followed by teammate Casey Stoner. Their lead was short lived, as Lorenzo charged past the pair and instantly pulled out a gap. Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow also made a good start in fourth, followed by a surging Rossi in fifth.

It was heartache for the French fans from the beginning as Power Electronics Aspar’s local rider Randy de Puniet dropped his bike on the grid, and had to head out on his spare one. Near the front, Rossi soon moved past Crutchlow to take fourth, with Dovizioso following suit almost instantly. Avintia Blusens’ Iván Silva’s race was ended early as he fell foul of the wet conditions, crashing out of the race in the opening stages.

With Lorenzo building a three second lead, Stoner pushed past Pedrosa to chase down his championship rival. Pedrosa seemed to struggling on the wet surface, with Rossi capitalising on this to take third with 21 laps left. The Tech 3 pair passed Pedrosa even further down the order as they looked to hunt down Rossi.

Near the back, Lorenzo’s teammate Ben Spies was struggling and had a wobble at the end of turn two, shortly after which he briefly entered the pits. Cardion AB Racing’s Karel Abraham retired with 17 laps to go, with NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s replacement rider Chris Vermeulen also having to come in for a helmet change.

As Lorenzo was maintaining his lead around the three second mark ahead of Stoner, it was the ensuing tussle for third between Crutchlow, Dovizioso and Rossi that was providing some breath-taking overtaking in horrific conditions. Ten laps before the end it was misery for Crutchlow as he lost the front in the first chicane, leaving the two Italians to fight it out for the final podium spot, with Rossi taking third just two corners later. The Brit managed to restart his bike and re-join in eighth. Meanwhile, Lorenzo had extended his lead to six seconds at the front with Stoner a further four seconds ahead of Rossi.

With five laps to go Stoner was held up slightly by Avintia’s Yonny Hernandez, allowing Rossi to get to within half a second of the Australian world champion. Two laps later Dovizioso crashed out of fourth tying to stick with the pair, while down the field Came IodaRacing Project’s Danilo Petrucci crashed out of 11th.

The last three laps gave MotoGP fans a racing delight, as old adversaries Stoner and Rossi swapped positions throughout. It was however Rossi who looked back to his old self as he passed Stoner in the first chicane on the last lap, after which he pulled out a lead big enough to secure second. This is the highest result both Rossi and the Ducati team have had in the past two season.

It was however Lorenzo who took the chequered flag to take an eight point lead at the top of the championship ahead of Stoner, who came home in third. Pedrosa managed fourth, while LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl recorded his best ever result in fifth, ahead or Rossi’s teammate Nicky Hayden. Dovizioso, who managed to re-join after crashing finished seventh ahead of his teammate Crutchlow, while Pramac Racing’s Héctor Barberá and San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista completed the top ten. Paul Bird Motorsport’s James Ellison put in a great performance to finish as top CRT in 11th. De Puniet suffered yet more misery in front of his home crowd as he crashed on his spare bike towards the end.

Lüthi records season-first victory at soaking Le Mans

Interwetten-Paddock’s Tom Lüthi put in a tremendous ride to take his season-first victory at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in Le Mans amid difficult conditions in a dramatic Moto2™ race.

Pons 40 HP Tuenti’s Pol Espargaró got the best start as he stormed into the lead with Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding. The first chicane proved difficult as Came IodaRacing Project’s Simone Corsi was bucked off his bike, with the trio of NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Yuki Takahashi, GP Team Switzerland’s Randy Krummenacher and S/Master Speed Up’s Mike Di Meglio taking each other out a few corners later.

Espargaró was trying to pull away at the front, but Lüthi and Redding were closely on his heels, with Tech 3 Racing’s Bradley Smith and Federal Oil Gresini Moto2’s Gino Rea in tow. Takahashi’s teammate Alex de Angelis survived a scare as he slid back onto the track after coming off his bike, with the Moto2™ pack doing tremendously well to avoid the rider.

Just as Rea looked to making headway, JiR Moto2’s Johann Zarco went up the inside, clipping the Brit’s front wheel, and sending him into the gravel, putting an end to his first race on the new Suter chassis. Meanwhile, Italtrans Racing Team’s Claudio Corti joined the front five, with Speed Master compatriot Andrea Iannone surging up the field as well.

With 17 laps to go, Espargaró ran wide handing the lead to Lüthi and dropping into ninth in the process. Smith also had a run off track, but managed to re-join in 14th. Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Márquez, who did not have a terrific start, was fighting his way up to the front five, as he tussled with rain-specialist Zarco.

Drama followed shortly after as the championship leader went down after loosing control of his bike, and being unable to re-join. This left Zarco to challenge for a podium, and the Frenchman soon pushed past Redding into second, followed by Corti, putting in a bold move on the Brit. With 13 laps to go Lüthi had pulled out a lead of just over three seconds.

Arguiñano Racing Team’s Ricard Cardus suffered a heavy high-side half way through the race, yet fortunately walked away unscathed. Further down the field, Espargaró was struggling to make up positions, as he was overtaken in eighth place by QMMF Racing Team’s Ant West, who was showing his usual prowess in the rain.

As the field settled down with 10 laps to go, the front runners started to spread out slightly as Zarco was slowly chipping away at Lüthi’s lead, dropping off Corti in the process. This left Redding and Iannone to battle it out for fourth. Di Meglio, who had re-joined the race after his early crash, lost control of his bike once again with 9 laps to go, putting an end to his race. He was followed shortly by Corti’s teammate Takaaki Nakagami who had a high-speed crash heading into the back chicane.

With six laps left, Zarco had cut the lead to the Swiss leader to under a second, whilst West went past Blusens Avintia’s Julián Simón into sixth. West’s teammate Elena Rosell was not faring as well as the Australian, as she crashed out of the race.

French heartache soon followed as Zarco lost the back-end of his bike as he was pushing hard in the wet, handing second place to Corti and third to Redding. The main tussle in the pack was for sixth place with Redding’s teammate Kallio, West, Espargaró, Simón and Smith swapping positions in the final few laps. The unpredictability of the race was to continue until the final corner as Smith dropped his bike in the final turn, and Simón having to push his bike across the finish line.

It was however Lüthi who put in a stunning ride to take the chequered flag ahead of Corti, who recorded his first ever podium, and Redding, recording his first podium for 22 races. Rounding out the top ten were Iannone, Kallio, Espargaró, West, Kiefer Racing’s Max Neukirchner, Thai Honda Gresini’s Ratthapark Wilairot as well as Smith, who managed to salvage a few points.

Rossi takes emphatic first win in dramatic Le Mans race

At an extremely wet Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in Le Mans it was Frenchman Louis Rossi who kept his nerve to take his first ever win in treacherous conditions in front of his home crowd.

In a race that started in very wet conditions, it was Blusens Avintia’s Maverick Viñales who got away best, with AirAsia-SIC-Ajo’s Zulfahmi Khairuddin also making a tremendous start from 10th into second. JHK T-Shirt Laglisse’s Efrén Vázquez, who was second on the grid, suffered mechanical issues on the out-lap and was unable to start the race.

There were crashes early on as RW Racing GP’s Brad Binder took out TT Motion Events Racing’s Niklas Ajo, which was followed up shortly after with IodaRacing Project’s Jonas Folger and local rider, Caretta Technology’s Alexis Masbou, sliding off into the gravel.

Back at the front it was Bankia Aspar Team’s Héctor Faubel and RW Racing GP’s Luis Salom that went into the lead, as Viñales dropped off the pace slightly. However the conditions continued to take their toll, as Team Italia FMI’s Romano Fenati suffered a similar fate to last race as he also lost control of his bike, putting an end to his first French race. Technomag-CIP-TSR’s Kenta Fujii repeated his morning warm-up crash, rounding out a less than ideal day for the Japanese rider.

With 18 laps to go, a five-some of Faubel, Salom, Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta’s Jakub Kornfeil, Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Miguel Oliveira and Viñales were involved in an entertaining battle for podium positions. In the following laps, further casualties of the weather were Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Danny Kent, Mahindra Racing’s Danny Webb, Ambrogio Next Racing’s Simone Grotzkyj and Caretta Technology’s Jack Miller, while Fenati’s teammate Alessandro Tonucci had to retire to the pits with a mechanical problem.

As Viñales was pushing to challenge Faubel and Oliveira for the lead he had a scare as he was almost bucked off his bike, whilst Salom was slowly dropping off the pace after Racing Team Germany’s Rossi went past him into fifth.

With 11 laps to go there was drama at the front as Faubel crashed out of first position, with Kornfeil crashing out of third a few seconds later, handing the first three places to Oliveira, Viñales and Rossi. Half a lap later, Salom followed suit as he slid off into the gravel in ever worsening conditions.

As a thrilling fight for fourth ensued between Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Sandro Cortese and Khairuddin, there was further drama at the front as the surging Oliveira crashed out of the lead, handing the reigns to Viñales, who was being hunted down by Rossi.

This lasted for a lap only, as Viñales threw himself of his bike in the final corner, followed shortly by Khairuddin. The Malaysian managed to keep his bike going, while the race was over for the Spaniard. This left Frenchman Rossi in the lead by over 20 seconds, much to the delight of the home crowd, with Cortese and Bankia Aspar’s Alberto Moncayo in podium positions.

Three laps before the end Cortese lost the front going into the first chicane, yet managed to keep the bike going to re-join in sixth, with Oliveira’s teammate Alex Rins slipping into third with San Carlo Gresini Moto3’s Niccolo Antonelli on his tail.

In the end it was Rossi who made the Le Mans grandstands cheer with delight as he took his first ever victory by a margin of 28 seconds in front of Moncayo and Rins, taking his first ever podium. Antonelli could not quite challenge for the podium finishing fourth, in front of Red Bull KTM Ajo duo of Arthur Sissis and Cortese and Moto FGR’s Jasper Iwema. Technomag-CIP-TSR’s Alan Techer made it two Frenchman in the top ten finishing eighth, with Andalucia JHK Laglisse’s Iván Moreno and Ambrogio Next Racing’s Giulian Pedone rounding out the top ten.

Pedrosa snatches pole in thrilling Le Mans qualifying

Le Mans 2012 - MotoGP - QP - Highlights

In an action-packed qualifying session at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in Le Mans it was Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa who took his first pole position of the season ahead of Casey Stoner.

Having started in the wet, the session dried out with 30 minutes to go, leaving Pedrosa to post a time of 1.33’638 to snatch pole from teammate Stoner, and record his fourth ever MotoGP Le Mans pole position. Completing the front row is Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Andrea Dovizioso, who achieved his best grid position of the season so far in third.

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo heads the second row in fourth after being held up in traffic on his final hot lap. Behind him in fifth is Dovizioso’s teammate Cal Crutchlow, who had been the early pace setter in the session, yet couldn’t quite match the Italian’s pace. Sixth place is occupied by Lorenzo’s teammate Ben Spies, who will be looking to take this form into tomorrow’s race and fight for a podium.

The third row is headed by Valentino Rossi in seventh, his best grid position so far this year, who qualified as top Ducati after lapping consistently quick ahead of San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista. Bautista, who had been in the top five for most of the practice sessions, crashed out in the last minute of qualifying on his hot lap. Pramac Racing Team’s Héctor Barberá sits in ninth, ahead of other satellite Ducati rider Karel Abraham on-board his Cardion AB Racing machine.

Power Electronics Aspar’s French rider Randy de Puniet finished top CRT in 12th, much to the delight of the home fans.

LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl crashed half way through the session, after being one of the first riders to head out on slicks on the drying track. Iván Silva saved a near low-side early in the session, before taking an excursion into the gravel towards the end, while De Puniet’s teammate Aleix Espargaró’s misery continued this weekend as he had to return to the pits with bike issues.

Result & Statistic 

Márquez claims Moto2™ pole position at Le Mans

Marc Marquez, Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol, Le Mans QP

Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s championship leader Marc Márquez claimed pole position at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France despite a crash early in the session.

The Spaniard recorded his third consecutive pole position with a best lap of 1.37’710 in a session that was continually threatened by rain. He had an early scare as he lost the front end with 25 minutes to go, yet was able to return to the pits and head back out on track shortly after.

The Moto2 grid was lucky with the weather and riders were able to run in dry conditions almost right up to the chequered flag, where Interwetten-Paddock’s Tom Lüthi managed to sneak into second place ahead of Pons 40 HP Tuenti’s Pol Espargaró.

Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding heads the second row, after failing to improve on his time due to a crash on the final hot-lap. He starts ahead of Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone, who was pushing hard until the very end, despite some spots of rain appearing on his final lap. Sixth place went to Redding’s teammate Mika Kallio, who was just over two tenths off the Brit.

NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Alex de Angelis starts from seventh, ahead of JiR Moto2’s local favourite Johann Zarco, who put in a strong performance in front of his home crowd. Italtrans Racing Team’s Claudio Corti continued his good form from this morning as he finished ninth, with Mapfre Aspar Team’s Toni Elías rounding out the top ten.

Apart from Marquez and Redding, there were further crashes for S/Master Speed Up’s Mike Di Meglio and Tech 3 Racing’s Xavier Simeon. Simeon sustained multiple fractures in his left hand, a fracture in his left foot, and has been taken to hospital to check on potential pelvis trauma.

Result & Statistic 

Viñales takes pole in incident-packed Moto3™ qualifying

Le Mans - 2012 - Moto3 - QP - Highlights

In wet conditions at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in Le Mans it was Blusens Avintia’s Maverick Viñales who held his nerve to take pole position ahead of Efrén Vázquez.

After having had nothing but dry time at the French circuit, the Moto3™ contingent struggled with the changed conditions, as many riders fell chasing grid positions.

It was however Viñales who put in a rain master-class as he took his first pole position of the season with a time of 1.55’865, ahead of Efrén Vázquez, who also achieved his first front row start of the year, even though he was just under a second behind his compatriot. The front row is completed by Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Miguel Oliveira, who set his time half way through the session, before crashing, and being unable to challenge at the end.

It was a great outing for Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta’s Jakub Kornfeil, who heads up the front row, just in front of Caretta Technology’s local favourite Alexis Masbou. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Sandro Cortese rounds out the second row on the grid, after the current championship leader crashed early on, and only had the last 10 minutes to post a competitive time.

Seventh and eighth spot are occupied by Bankia Aspar Team pair Alberto Moncayo and Héctor Faubel, with RW Racing GP’s Luis Salom in ninth. AirAsia-SIC-Ajo’s Zulfahmi Khairuddin rounds out the top ten.

Riders that fell throughout the session included JHK T-Shirt Laglisse’s Adrian Martín, who fell on two occasions, Mahindra Racing’s Danny Webb, Andalucia JHK Laglisse’s Ivan Moreno, RW Racing GP’s Brad Binder, Oliveira’s teammate Alex Rins, Thomas Sabo GP Team’s Kevin Hanus, Caretta Technology’s Jack Miller, Cresto Guide MZ Racing’s Toni Finsterbusch, Mahindra’s Marcel Schrotter, and San Carlo Gresini Moto3’s Niccolo Antonelli.

Rins sustained a fractured finger in his right hand, while Finsterbusch has fractured his right collar bone. Rins’ ability to race tomorrow is being assessed, while the German has been declared unfit.

Result & Statistic 

News-packed press conference starts Le Mans weekend

 

Stoner had previously dismissed his retirement plans as rumours, however he has now publicly stated that he will not continue racing past the end of the 2012 season. He said: "After a long time thinking, a lot of time talking with my family and my wife, this has been coming for a couple of years now but 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 this 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, we won't be continuing any more. It would be nice if I could say I would stay one more year, but then where does it stop? So we decided to finish everything as we are now."

As for the race, Stoner hopes to resolve the chatter issues which have plagued him throughout the season so far: "The last two races we’ve struggled a little bit with chatter, especially the last two, and it’s something we want to really reduce so we have to work hard here."

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo, who lies just one point behind the reigning world champion was shocked by the Australian’s announcement: "It’s a surprise for me, for everyone. I didn’t expect it. I heard the rumours and I thought there was a possibility, but I thought he would continue next year. Now he has told us, it’s not good news for MotoGP I think, but his decision is to live quietly with his family and we must respect his decision."

He will be looking to snatch back the lead in the championship this Sunday at a track he enjoys: "Le Mans is one of my favourite tracks. Since my first ever-front row in 2003 I have always had good results, so I’m happy to be here."

Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow saw the lighter side of Stoner’s announcement: "With Casey making that announcement, maybe he can slow down and let me have a place in the top three. They [the aliens] don’t make many mistakes. Maybe they need to change what they have for dinner the night before or something."

And following a race to forget at Le Mans last year for the team, Crutchlow is looking to carry his good form this season into this round: "I’m looking forward to it, yet it can always throw a few things with the weather. I think we’ve had some not so bad performances this year, although Estoril was disappointing. We really struggled a little bit with the set-up, and maybe a little bit with myself. But hopefully we can get on with it this weekend at Le Mans."

Valentino Rossi also had some big news as he announced he would continue racing a further two years past 2012, yet not before commenting on Stoner: "Yes, it’s a big surprise. I think it’s bad news for all the MotoGP world because at the end of the season maybe we’re losing one of the great riders and a great rival. Is negative, but it’s his own decision. For me it’s very difficult to understand where my retirement news started from, as I never spoke about my retirement. I want to race in MotoGP for the next two years for sure."

Le Mans was the place of his only podium with Ducati last year, which he is taking confidence from: "I have had some bad results in Le Mans, but also good memories from the past. We had a not so bad weekend in Portugal and we’ll try and continue on that way and try to improve our performance to try and get closer to the guys in front of us. Last year was the best result with the Ducati, so we are optimistic."

Rounding out the event was local CRT rider Randy de Puniet: "It’s a very important race for me, even if this year I don’t have the bike to be at the top. But top CRT. I think for the CRTs it will be a difficult track because you have two or three big accelerations, like on the back straight, but you never know what happens with the weather conditions. I hope to be 100% on the bike after my crash at Estoril, because I still have a lot of pain in my ribs. I really hope to be the first CRT this weekend in front of my home crowd."

F1 head protection 'inevitable'

Formula 1 will introduce some form of driver head protection in the not-too-distant future, race director Charlie Whiting says. 

Governing body the FIA  is conducting research on methods of head protection and Whiting believes F1 must adopt one. 

"There has to be something to try to prevent a wheel hitting a driver's head," Whiting told BBC Sport.

He added that roll-over protection in front of the driver "is the most likely option in my opinion". 

But he emphasised that "the research should be done first, so we are able to come up with something that works". 

Researchers at the FIA Institute have so far tried two types of jet canopy and a forward roll-hoop. 

The roll-hoop, made of titanium, was the most effective. It deflected the wheel, as well as puncturing the tyre, which makes it stop much more quickly than if it stays inflated. 

The jet-style canopies were both flawed to varying degrees. 

A 30mm polycarbonate windshield deflected the wheel but shattered, while a canopy from a jet fighter worked effectively but would cause other problems, including distorted vision. 

Whiting said: "The canopy has potential problems, particularly in that there were very likely to be visibility issues as it may create a distorted image for the driver. 

"There are also the issues of weight, driver egress and driver extraction." 

F1 cars already include wheel tethers, which have drastically reduced the likelihood of wheels becoming detached from cars in the event of an accident, but they are unlikely ever to be foolproof. 

"We have done our best to stop a wheel coming off and we are constantly working hard to come up with better ways of making sure wheels stay attached to cars," Whiting said. 

Another concern is a similar type of accident to that which left Ferrari's Felipe Massa with a fractured skull and a brain injury when he was hit by an errant suspension part at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. 

A roll-hoop in front of the driver would not totally defend against that, but would offer partial protection. 

A week before Massa's accident, Formula Two driver Henry Surtees, the son of 1964 F1 world champion John Surtees, was killed when a wheel hit his head. 

There has been opposition to the idea of additional head protection, especially if it takes the form of a canopy, on the basis that F1 has always been for open-top cars. 

But former grand prix driver Alexander Wurz, who is working closely with the FIA and F1 drivers on the subject, said that was an outdated argument. 

Wurz said: "I've heard comments of 'it's against tradition'. Should we all drive with engines at the front and with leather hats and no seatbelts and parts not in quality control? 

"We must do everything we can to protect the sport and its business model. 

"You see how (in) our society, corporate social responsibility is moving nowadays, it's becoming so important. I just simply don't accept stopping looking into safer solutions just because they break tradition.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa suffered a serious head injury
after an accident at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix

"If you are travelling at speed and pushing things to the limit, there will always be a risk, it's just I am against the categorical phrase 'It will never happen - my car will never have a roof.' 

"That doesn't mean the canopy or forward roll-hoops which are coming and potentially around the corner needs to happen. 

"But we can't stop the research because you learn so much from focusing on one area, like protecting the driver's head. 

"Maybe we (will) learn something along the way which is a very simple solution." 

Wurz said that adding some form of head protection, whether it be a canopy, roof or forward roll-hoop of one kind, would have no effect whatsoever on F1's position as the pinnacle of motorsport or on the challenge of driving the cars.

Rossi plans at least two more years in MotoGP™

Speaking to the press ahead of the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France at Le Mans, the nine-time World Champion refuted rumours that had surfaced about his possible retirement at the end of the current season.

Rossi stated his desire to ride on for at least two further years in the Championship as he made it abundantly clear that retirement was not on his radar.

“For me it's very difficult to understand where the news starts because I never speak about my retirement, and I want to race in MotoGP for the next two years for sure,” said the Italian.

Rossi also confirmed that he would be at Mugello in the aftermath of the Le Mans weekend, in order to make up for the cancelled day of testing at Estoril which was lost to poor weather.

“For us it was important, because we had some new stuff to try,” said Rossi. “For this race here it [the set-up] will be the same [as in Portugal] and next week we will go to Mugello for some testing, where we can try some new parts so we can increase our speed.”

Looking ahead to this weekend's fourth round, for which the practice sessions commence on Friday morning, Rossi continued: “I like the track, it's good, it's difficult and you always have to fight with the weather! But we come here from having not such a bad weekend in Portugal, and we will continue in that way and try to improve our performance to get closer to the guys in front of us.

“Last year was our best result with the Ducati here, so we will see. We are optimistic and we will try to improve our performance.”

Stoner announces retirement at end of 2012

Reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Casey Stoner confirmed on Thursday that he would retire from the sport at the end of the 2012 season.

The Repsol Honda rider addressed the media at the start of the official pre-event press conference for the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, making a short statement in which he outlined the reasons behind his decision.

“After a long time thinking, a lot of time talking with my family and my wife, this has been coming for a couple of years now but 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,” Stoner told the assembled press.

“After so many years of doing this 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, we won't be continuing any more. It would be nice if I could say I would stay one more year, but then where does it stop? So we decided to finish everything as we are now.”

Stoner, who won the 2007 MotoGP™ with Ducati and the 2011 crown with Honda, currently leads the 2012 standings by a single point ahead of Jorge Lorenzo heading into this weekend's fourth round

De Puniet targeting successful weekend at home Grand Prix

Randy de Puniet is aiming to break to his duck and finish as top CRT bike in a race, and believes his home Grand Prix is the setting to do so. Even though he is not yet fully recovered from the injuries sustained in a practice crash that also involved NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Colin Edwards, de Puniet's condition has improved in the two weeks since racing in Portugal.

De Puniet finished on the podium four times here in the 250cc class between 2002 and 2005 and he is sure to give 120% once again in front of the vociferous home crowd. Espargaró finished sixth here in the Moto2™ last year and once ninth in MotoGP.

Randy de Puniet

"I was hoping to be feeling better by now but I am still suffering from the crash at Estoril. My back and ribs are still very painful but hopefully I can make some improvements over the next couple of days. Le Mans is a circuit I always enjoy going to because I have thousands of fans there and it has some great corners, like turn one."

Aleix Espargaró

"Le Mans has a lot of tight corners and personally I prefer fast tracks but I am currently the top CRT rider in the championship and I want to leave this race in the same position before we go to my home Grand Prix in Catalunya."

Maldonado aiming for Monaco win

Spanish GP winner Pastor Maldonado sees no reason why he cannot continue his good form in Monaco next weekend. 

The Venezuelan took his maiden victory at the Circuit de Catalunya on Sunday. 

"All the teams and the championship are so close, but we are getting better and better every time," he said. 

"We don't have the quickest car but we are doing our best. Why not [win Monaco]? F1 is changing all the time. It's going to be difficult but we will try again." 

The victory, which he delivered following a close fight with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, has changed perceptions of Maldonado within F1. 

He won his drive at Williams partly thanks to a huge sponsorship deal with Venezuela's state oil company, but team principal Sir Frank Williams has been effusive in his praise of the 27-year-old's driving. 

For his part, Maldonado said he was not planning to use his improved image to look for a drive at a bigger team. 

"I think I will stay in the team for a long [time]," he said. 

"We need to be winning, we need a mission, we need to build a championship and after I will see for my future." 

Maldonado's win was the first for his Williams team since 2004 and on a visit to the factory on Thursday he said it had been a huge boost to the team. 

"Everyone is very happy to see me," he said. "We did a small conference this morning, we were all together, talking with the people of the factory and I am happy to see their happy faces. 

"For sure it is a great moment to be back at the factory because we have been working so hard to find this result." 

The team entered 2012 after the worst season in their history, but a change in approach in the design and engineering departments has led to a major turnaround in form.

"We did a great step forward because we changed a lot of things here in the factory, and part of that approach when we get to the track is completely different," Maldonado said. 

"I feel a bit more motivated in the team. A lot of things we are putting together in the team to make a real step forward. 

"It is not a single part we have changed, we have changed everything. I am really happy to be part of that and to keep pushing." 

Some of the shine was taken off the win by a fire that erupted in the Williams pit as they were celebrating after the race.

Four of their mechanics were taken to hospital - and one is still receiving treatment for burns suffered in the incident. 

Maldonado said he had sent a text message wishing the injured man a speedy recovery. 

"I'm looking forward to seeing him back in the team again," he said. 

Maldonado was pictured carrying his cousin out of the garage in the immediate aftermath of the fire, and he admitted it had been a worrying time for the team. 

"We had a difficult moment after the race especially we were all together in the garage at that moment," he said. 

"I was so scared for all of us, but we were so lucky because we don't have any big damage and especially because our people were OK after that. 

"For sure it was a scary moment for all of us. 

"I saw my cousin with a small injury and I take him away from the [pit]. 

"What I can say is it was a difficult moment for all the team but we have been so happy after that because of the win. 

"It was nearly eight years - a great day." 

Highlights - Spanish Grand Prix

Le Mans racing numbers

800 – The French Grand Prix will be the 800th Grand Prix event counting towards the world championship classification.

100 – Dani Pedrosa’s third place finish at Estoril was the 100th time he has stood on a Grand Prix podium. He is the seventh rider to reach the milestone of 100 Grand Prix podiums, joining: Valentino Rossi, Giacomo Agostini, Angel Nieto, Phil Read, Mike Hailwood and Max Biaggi.

70 points – After winning twice and finishing second once, Marc Marquez has 70 points more this year than he did at the same stage last season when he failed to score points in any of the first three races.

55 years – On qualifying day at Le Mans it will be exactly 55 years ago since Libero Liberati riding a Gilera won the 1957 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. This was the first time that a Grand Prix race had been won at an average speed greater than 200 km/h.

39 years – Race day at Le Mans will mark exactly 39 years to the day since both Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini tragically lost their lives in a crash on the first lap of the 1973 250cc GP at Monza.

37 points – Cal Crutchlow has taken 37 points from the first three MotoGP races of the year. This is the best start to a season for a British rider in the premier-class of Grand Prix racing since Niall Mackenzie started the 1988 season with fourth in the opening race in Japan followed by third at Laguna Seca and fifth in the third race of the year at Jerez.

26 seconds – The gap between Valentino Rossi, in seventh place, and winner Casey Stoner at the Portuguese Grand Prix. This is the closest any Ducati rider has finished to the race winner since Rossi finished 7th at Misano last year, 23 seconds behind race winner Jorge Lorenzo.

25 points – Following the opening three races of 2012, Casey Stoner has scored 25 points more than he had at the same stage last year.

19 – Marc Marquez’s victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix was the 19th of his career. This makes him, at just 19 years old, the sixth most successful Spanish rider of all time in terms of Grand Prix victories, level with Ricardo Tormo. One more GP win will make him level with Alex Criville on 20 GP wins. The only Spanish riders with more than 20 GP wins are: Angel Nieto (90), Jorge Lorenzo (39), Dani Pedrosa (38) and Jorge Martinez (37).

11 – Illustrating the high level of competition in the Moto2 class, the first eleven riders across the line in Portugal were all previous Grand Prix winners.

9 years – With his victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix, Sandro Cortese moves to the head of the world championship standing for the first time in his career. It is nine years since a German rider headed the championship classification in the lightweight class of Grand Prix racing; Steve Jenkner after the third race of the 2003 season at Jerez.

4 – Zulfahmi Khairuddin’s fourth place finish in the Moto3 race in Portugal is the best ever result for a Malaysian rider in Grand Prix racing.

Valentino answers your questions live at 18:45 today!

On the eve of the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, Ducati Team rider Valentino Rossi will be answering the questions you have sent in all week during a special live broadcast on motogp.com, which will be hosted by MotoGP commentator and After the Flag host Gavin Emmett!
Rossi will be answering your questions live from Le Mans today at 18:45 and you will be able to follow it exclusively on motogp.com via a free video stream.

F1 rejects zero-tolerance system penalties for going off the track

Formula 1 race stewards will continue to use their discretion when deciding whether to punish drivers for gaining an advantage when going off track. 

During the drivers' briefing on Friday, several drivers argued that there should be a zero-tolerance approach. 

The debate arose from two controversial incidents involving Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso at the last race in Bahrain. 

But race director Charlie Whiting has decided that zero-tolerance is unwise. 

The issue has aroused great interest among the drivers - sources say the briefing was much more animated than usual. 

Two different debates arose from the separate incidents, in which Mercedes driver Rosberg defended his position aggressively from Hamilton's McLaren and Alonso's Ferrari. 

The issue of whether Hamilton should have been allowed to keep his position after going off the track to pass Rosberg was much more hotly debated than whether Rosberg had been fair in using all the track. 

The F1 rules dictate that a driver is not allowed to gain an advantage by going off the track. 

Some drivers felt there should be a zero-tolerance approach to this - with seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and Ferrari's Felipe Massa particularly vocal. 

But others - including world champion Sebastian Vettel - argued that stewards should be allowed to use their discretion. 

This was because there are such a wide variety of instances in which this could apply, and a penalty would in some of the less serious cases be draconian - an example would be for gaining 0.1secs by cutting a chicane. 

Vettel and others felt that stewards should be able to take into account the size of the advantage gained and the mitigating circumstances that could be involved. 

It is understood no driver actively disagreed with this view once Vettel had raised it. 

Whiting discussed the issue with the race stewards in Spain on Friday evening and decided on Saturday that there were too many variables involved for a zero-tolerance approach to work. 

His decision was communicated to teams after qualifying on Saturday. 

The issue of whether drivers should be able to use all the track when defending was resolved relatively quickly in the drivers' briefing. 

Whiting told the drivers that Rosberg's move was on the limit, but that it was acceptable as long as the defending driver moved first, made a clear move, and the attacking driver did not have any of his car alongside the leading car. 

It was also made clear that drivers cannot go off the track to defend their position.