Remember FB Corse? That high profile Italian team that was suppose to debut in MotoGP this year with a 3 cylinder bike and that often sent out contradicting press releases? Well Garry McCoy has parted ways with the team, after exactly one highly publicized shakedown test in Valencia, where they didn’t cut the grid with Dorna’s Franco Unicini who postponed their entry in MotoGP.

The team then disappeared under the radar after the test to show up again with a press release saying that they were delaying their second test because McCoy had come down with the flu, after that the team once again disappeared, now McCoy has decided to terminate his contract with FB Corse:

“After spending the last 4 months training at top level, today I am at my best mentally and physically to race. My goal is to come back to the World Championship. I thought FB Corse was ready to do the step but they haven’t accomplished the needs till now required. Hopefully soon, I will be able to update you with more news.”

That FB Corse had taken a bigger bite than they could chew was also apparent when Simone Grotzky Giorgi who was contracted to ride the FB Corse Bimoto Moto2 bike, showed up at the Mugello this weekend with a contract to ride for the rest of the season with Italo Fontana’s 125cc team.

Source | motomatters.com

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After the FB01 video where you could here the sound of FB Corse’s three cylinder machine, we now have a batch of photo’s from photographer Silvio Tosseghini who was at Valencia to see the Sultan of Slide, Garry McCoy take the FB01 through it’s first official shakedown test at Valencia.

As we know FB Corse has yet to be admitted to the MotoGP entry list, but a couple more of these tests could get the bike ready to be examined again, but will the team be ready in time for the Jerez round (May 2nd) as they hope for? As usual only time will tell.

Source | motoblog.it

Continue reading: FB Corse Pics from Valencia

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Turn up the volume on your sound speakers, because we’ve got a brief video with the magical sound of FB Corse’s FB01 machine during last week’s shakedown test at Valencia.

As we reported last Thursday, the FB01 didn’t exactly make the cut with Dorna’s Franco Unicini and Oscar Gallardo and are still not officially on MotoGP’s entry list, but will have to undergo further development and when they decide that they are ready will have to undergo not only another timing test, but also race simulation test to prove the bike’s reliability.

Source | motoblog.it

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It was a crucial day for FB Corse today at Valencia, they were to find out if they could get permission from Dorna’s Franco Uncini to compete in this year’s MotoGP season after undergoing a timing test and examined for reliability and safety.

While Uncini judged FB Corse’s “project interesting” the team was deemed not ready to compete in the MotoGP season opener in Qatar, but added they could be ready for a couple of wild card races in Europe later in the season after they put the FB01 through more development, more testing sessions and more kilometers on track.

For those who are interested in lap times according to Sportmediaset.com, Garry McCoy’s best laps were around the 1’40’s and tomorrow the team will continue working on electronics and then head home to analyze all the data and then off to Misano for more track time, as McCoy has been given a further dispensation for testing.

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On Monday, Garry McCoy and the FB Corse team began their three day private test at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. This important test is the first official outing of the FB01 machine on a race tack and by the end of tomorrow’s testing, we’ll know if the team will be given a place on the MotoGP grid this season.

The three cyclinder bike designed by Oral Engineering will undergo a timing test on Wednesday that will be overseen by Dorna’s safety delegate and former racer Franco Uncini and and an IRTA delegate who will check the work of the team.

The timing test, contrary to what we stated previously, does not forsee that McCoy reach a minimum lap time and so the test will not be based solely on the FB01’s track performance, but according to Uncini on the bike’s reliability and safety.

No lap times have been revealed from these last two days of testing.

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FB Corse’s FB01 MotoGP bike will finally see a race track. FB Corse has confirmed that they will be testing at Valencia’s Ricardo Torno circuit March 15-17 with Garry McCoy, who will have to prove the competitiveness of the new three-cylinder 800cc bike.

After two days of private testing, an IRTA delegate and Dorna’s Safety Commission delegate Franco Uncini will then officially “time test” McCoy’s lap times to see if he can get the FB01 within 3 seconds of the last qualifying rider from last year’s Valencia QP practice (Chris Vermeulen - 1′34.537) and therefore receive permission for the team to compete in this year’s MotoGP season.

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According to the FIM MotoGP rulebook, even riders for new teams are not allowed to test outside the official testing calendar decided by IRTA, and this was a big hurdle for FB Corse, who has yet to turn a wheel of their 3 cylinder bike designed by Oral engineer Mauro Forghieri, on a race track.

It was believed that Luca Cadalora would be giving the FB01 its first shakedown, however FB Corse after long talks with Dorna and the FIM, has received a waiver on this rule which will allow team rider Garry McCoy to put the bike on track.

The waiver is valid till the 28th of February, after which the team will have to fall back on Cadalora to bring the new machine up to a minimum of racing standards, and allow Dorna to judge, stopwatch in hand, if the bike can be safely and be competitive enough on track to test in the official Qatar tests that take place March.

Source | mediaset

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You saw the pics of the FB Corse team launch last week that took place at the Virgin Radio station (who is also one of the team’s sponsors) and here’s a video that shows us a little more close-up detail of this three cylinder motorcycle, which will debut, if everything goes according to plans, at the MotoGP test in Qatar with Garry McCoy.

Source | dailymotos

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Today’s FB Corse official team presentation in Milan has clarified some questions surrounding this Italian team.

FB Corse’s three cylinder bike designed and built by Oral Engineering will have a racing budget of 5 million euros that will have to last the entire 18 race season.

FB Corse hasn’t been officially accepted in the MotoGP 2010 Championship, but according to the team this is only formality, but the bike will have to undergo approval by Dorna. The final test should be at Valencia and the rider will have to lap no more that 3 seconds from the last qualifier during the 2009 Valencia GP.

The lap time sounds feasible, but once the team is accepted, McCoy will be subjected to the regulations that prohibit any MotoGP rider testing outside the official tests and on MotoGP race tracks, unless the team gets a special dispensation to test as this year’s rookies did.

The greatest problem facing the FB01 is that it’s never been on a race track and has only been on dynos, but the first test should be towards the end of this month with Luca Cadalora and that leaves only one month of very intense work before the season opener in Qatar April 11th.

Source | fbcorse and motociclismo.it

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After the John Hopkins saga, the postponement of the official team launch, the last minute hiring of Garry McCoy, FB Corse have finally presented their 3 cylinder bike, livery and all, that will be debuting in MotoGP this year and here’s the first pic of FB Corse’s FB01 that was presented this afternoon in the studios of Virgin Radio in Milan.

More news as we get it, so stay tuned.

Source | virginradio.it

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Garry McCoy who was recently axed from Triumph’s World Supersport effort has already found a new ride in record time. The Aussie rider was called to Italy on Friday by FB Corse, who was jilted by John Hopkins who preferred the AMA scene, has already signed up with the Italian team.

McCoy visited the Modena factory and had a first look at the new MotoGP 3 cylinder bike and has already started talking shop with FB and Oral’s engineers and has happily accepted to develop and debut the 34100 in MotoGP this year.

Translated Press Release:

Garry McCoy will be the man called on to debut on track our MotoGP bike, which has now been formally re-named as FB01.

In record time and thanks to the incredible willingness between the parties (after checking the reciprocal goals that match perfectly) the 37 year old, who’s been a rider in all the major championships (Supersport, Superbike, 125cc, 500cc and MotoGP) had decide to compete in 2010 with FB Corse. The contract forsees a full participation the the MotoGP World Championship riding the Italian three cylinder 800cc.

Continue reading: Garry McCoy with FB Corse: It's Official

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Pull out your hankerchiefs, because FB Corse has issued another press release, this time stating all their bitterness towards the Hopkins saga, which reads like an Italian melodrama.

Less than two weeks ago FB Corse in a press release complained of how the foreign press was spreading “partially incorrect and conflicting information” and confirming that “ “John just can’t wait to to get to know and test the three cylinder bike, more than any other bike from a smaller championship” has to now acknowledge that Hopkins has decided to stay in the States and race in the AMA.

FB Corse is still also stating that they intend to race the entire 2010 MotoGP season with their three-cylinder motorcycle and talking to motocorse.com said that they are not listed in the recent provisional MotoGP list due to bureaucratic reasons, because Dorna and FIM want to see the results of their test results before deciding if the bike is competitive and entering their name on the list.

FB Corse insists that next month’s Milan launch (February 11th at Virgin Radio Station) will go ahead as planned and that they have chosen a new rider and according to Australian website Motonline and Italy’s Gpone, the new rider will be Garry McCoy, who was recently ousted from his Triumph Supersport World ride in favour of Jason DiSalvo.

Translated FB Corse press release after the jump.

Continue reading: FB Corse talks Hopkins and finds a new rider

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