Suzuki MotoGP Test Team rider Nobuatsu Aoki is making a strong recovery from the high-speed crash he suffered at last month’s Suzuka 8-Hour World Endurance Championship race in Japan and could be back testing as early as next month.

The 42 year old, who was part of the Legend of Yoshimura Suzuki team alongside former World 500cc Champion Kevin Schwantz and former Japanese Champion Satoshi Tsujimoto, hopes to have the cast removed from his hand soon so he can start rehabilitation.

Aoki, who recently received a Suzuki Flag with get-well messages from Suzuki Motor Corporation staff and top-level management said: “I’m eager to have my plaster off as soon as possible, but I need to be cautious with the broken finger joint and not rush it. It was great to receive all the well-wishes from Suzuki recently, which really cheered me up; it’s wonderful to have this support from so many good people.”

Fresh from their second consecutive double podium yesterday in the Czech Moto Grand Prix, Movistar Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi were back on track today. The two spent the day focused on testing both a 2015 prototype M1 motorcycle and also a 2015 M1 engine placed within the 2014 frame.

The result of the test was positive overall. Lorenzo was first to test the 2015 machine, and was quick to rise to the top of the time sheets where he remained for most of the day, finally ending in second place, just 0.155 seconds from the front.

Teammate Rossi spent a productive day testing various details and was able to ride the 2015 prototype at the end of the day. The Italian was unable to replicate the same lap times as his teammate as the track conditions had dropped form the morning and finished in fifth place 1.035 seconds from the top.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) rode a superbly judged race at Brno to score his first victory of the season and thereby end the winning streak of team-mate Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) who came home fourth this afternoon. Pedrosa’s 26th MotoGP victory strengthened his second place in the World Championship standings and moved him to within 77 points of Marquez with seven races remaining.

Pedrosa – who had already won here in MotoGP, 250s and 125s – started well from the second row of the grid and steadily worked his way to the front, setting a new lap record and then grabbing the lead from Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) at Turn Three on lap six. Although Lorenzo tried everything in his power to stay with the Honda he couldn’t quite manage it around the fast, majestic Brno circuit. At one point Pedrosa built a 1.7 second advantage over his closest rival, finally crossing the line 0.410 seconds ahead as he battled some front-end chatter issues during the final laps. After the race he strongly congratulated his team for his first win since Sepang 2013.

Marquez had won the previous ten races and looked likely to continue his winning streak after yesterday taking his ninth pole position of the year, but it was not to be. After passing Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) in the early stages it seemed that he would attempt to attack Lorenzo and Pedrosa and take the lead. But this time he didn’t quite have the set-up to challenge at the front. He was losing a fraction of second as he accelerated out of every corner due to a slight lack of rear grip. Initially he attempted to make up for the handicap by braking later into corners, but that only overheated the front tire.

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi put up a fierce fight today to score a double podium finish in the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Lorenzo marked his return to fitness in style, taking a stunning second at the legendary ‘Brickyard’. Starting from third on the grid, the Spaniard initially dropped back to sixth place in the bunch up of riders on turn two before cutting back through the pack to take his place as a key protagonist of the race.

Teammate Rossi also made a stunning return to form after the summer break. The Doctor had an electrifying start, climbing four places from the second row of the grid to take the lead in the second corner from Andrea Dovizioso. On lap three his teammate Lorenzo arrived at the back of Marc Marquez and together they closed down the gap to the leaders. Within a few laps the tension reached fever pitch as the four rivals came within touching distance as they exchanged places numerous times.

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd and Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo are delighted to announce that they have signed a new two-year agreement that sees the Mallorcan complete the Movistar Yamaha line up for the next two seasons. The agreement realises Lorenzo’s wish to continue his premier class career with Yamaha, extending the relationship from seven to nine years. Both Yamaha and Lorenzo are confident that the partnership has the potential to deliver a third title and will continue to work towards this goal.

Lin Jarvis

Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing
I am very happy we have reached an agreement for Jorge to continue as a Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider. The new agreement extends Jorge’s seven-year partnership with Yamaha. He started with us as a rookie back in 2008 and together we achieved many great results including 31 GP victories and two MotoGP Rider World Champion titles in 2010 and 2012. The 2014 season has been a tough one for Jorge so far but I am hoping that the confirmation of this new agreement will give him the peace of mind to be able to focus 100% of his energy on the remaining races. Last year we saw what he was able to do when the going was tough and he was fighting back from mid-season injuries so we know that the potential is there for a strong second half to the 2014 season. For 2015 and beyond we have no doubt that Jorge will be a strong title contender and we will do our very best to provide him with the materials and the support he needs to be able to realize our shared ambitions.”

After a four-week summer break Movistar Yamaha MotoGP returns to the USA to kick off the second half of the MotoGP season with the Indianapolis Grand Prix this weekend.

Valentino Rossi enjoyed a successful first half of the season, including some exhilarating battles. The Doctor fought hard with rivals in Qatar, Jerez, Le Mans, Mugello and Catalunya, securing five podiums. Rossi returns recharged from his holiday and intends to maintain his competitive edge for the rest of the year.

Teammate Jorge Lorenzo had a challenging start to the season but kept his head down and gradually returned to form. His season’s highlights have included the thrilling battle in Mugello and his strong races in Argentina and Germany. The summer break has given Lorenzo time to recover both physically and mentally, leaving him ready to give his all the coming nine races.

Thanks to a solid start of the season Rossi has 141 championship points, putting him in third place in the standings, just seven points behind Dani Pedrosa in second. Lorenzo is motivated to continue moving up the leaderboard. He is currently fifth in the championship standings, with a gap of a mere two points to Andrea Dovizioso in fourth.

Honda Racing Corporation is pleased to announce an agreement has been reached with Dani Pedrosa that will see the Spanish rider remain in the factory Honda team for a further two years, until the end of 2016.

Dani Pedrosa, who currently lies third (level on points with second place Valentino Rossi) in the current FIM Road Racing World Championship season approaching the halfway point, will extend his contract with Honda, with whom he has raced since his debut in the World Championship in 2001. Dani, three-time World Champion (2003 in 125cc, 2004 and 2005 in 250cc) debuted in MotoGP in 2006 in the Repsol Honda Team, claiming the Rookie of the Year title and fifth position in the Championship. He has been both second second and third in the premier class on three occasions.

Dani Pedrosa

"I'm very happy to be able to announce my renewal with the Repsol Honda Team, and grateful to Honda for the trust they have shown in me for a further two years. It's the best way for me to continue in my racing career, together with the company I was with in my very first race. I am very excited to give my 100% and continue to work together with everyone at Honda Racing Corporation"

As his manager is currently working on contracts for 2015, Jorge Lorenzo is keeping a positive outlook and is hoping to remain with Yamaha. Jorge Lorenzo has been a Yamaha rider since 2008 and has only ridden for them in the premier class.

His present contract ends at the end of the 2014 season. Lorenzo keeps positive when asked why there seems to be some hesitation for Yamaha to re up with the 2012 MotoGP champion.

Jorge Lorenzo admits that it is about the money. The rumor mill surrounding the MotoGP camp is a buzz as some are suspecting that Jorge Lorenzo is talking with another manufacturer possibly from Italy.

The 2015 Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup application period will open soon and talented young riders are being invited to apply for selection, with candidates from Australia and New Zealand also eligible for participation for the second staging of the competition.

Potential entrants from Asia, Australia and New Zealand have from 1st August 2014 to 5th September 2014 to apply.

The Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup is an exciting youth development competition, which was launched for 2014, acting as a feeder series to the world of motorcycle racing. The 2015 project expands and aims to give riders from Asia, Australia and New Zealand a formal path into competitive road racing.

Run by Dorna, the organisers of the MotoGP™ World Championship and the eni FIM Superbike World Championship, as well as co-organizer of the MotoGP Red Bull Rookies Cup, the competition provides a spotlight for the most talented young riders in the region.

Unbeaten Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) and team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) dominated a unique MotoGP race at Sachsenring this afternoon, scoring their third one-two result of the 2014 season.

Marquez’s win was his ninth from nine races, a remarkable achievement from the 21-year-old former Moto2 and 125 World Champion. So far, only two riders have won more than nine consecutive premier-class wins: Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta), who won all ten races of the 1968 500 season, and Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda), who won ten successive victories in the 1997 500 World Championship.

Today’s race started in confusing conditions after a light rain shower moments before the start, with most riders choosing to start the warm-up lap on rain tires, then realizing that slicks would be better for the race. They therefore had to swap to their ‘dry bikes’ and then start the race from pit lane once the rest of the riders had sped past into the first turn. Only nine riders started from their assigned positions on the grid.