All posts tagged fb corse
FB Corse Dreams Shattered. John Hopkins to AMA
After a couple of months and tons of free publicity for both FB Corse and John Hopkins, it seems that the Anglo-American rider has decided to drop the idea of riding Andrea Ferrari’s 3 cylinder MotoGP bike like a hot potato.
According to a tweet from Cycle World’s Twitter page and picked up by the sharp eyed David Emmett at motomatters.com, Hopkins decided to make his announcement to move to AMA Pro Superbike Championship in 2010 with M4 Suzuki (Team Hammer) while taking in the Anaheim Supercross round that took place on Sunday (won by Ryan Dungey).
We’ll now have wait to hear from FB Corse and their back-up plans, if they’ve actually have any, and find out who’s going to be riding that bike. The official launch in Milan is just a few days away, supposedly Luca Cadalora hasn’t done one test lap so far on the 34100 and the Qatar MotoGP tests are in March.
Bets are on. Will we or won’t we see this bike in action in MotoGP this year?
Bimota HB4 live at Motor Bike Expo
Bimota will be debuting with FB Corse in the Moto2 series with this Bimota HB4. It should prove to be an exciting bike with a Honda engine (from the Honda CBR 600 RR), and a stunning Bimota trellis chassis of steel and cast magnesium. These shots show the Bimota HB4 live at the Motor Bike Expo in Verona (courtesy of Motoblog.it) where you can also see the rear Ohlins suspension, Paioli front fork and Brembo brakes.
Other features include an aeronautical system for the frame, adjustable steering head and forged magnesium wheels. The Bimota HB4 weighs 135 kg (dry) and has a 21-litre capacity fuel tank. Rumours say that if the bike is successful and generates enough interest, we could see a production version turn up.
On the racing front, Bimota won its first world championship back in 1980 with Jon Ekerold, and then in 1987 with Virginio Ferrari. And the Italians are hoping that this is an opportunity for Bimota to dust off the trophy cabinet a bit. Check out the Bimota HB4 Moto2 promo video here.
FB Corse Upset with Foreign Press
After the news that John Hopkins would be testing a Suzuki at the Auto Club Speedway at Fontana and that Team Hammer wants Hopkins to return to their fold for the 2010 season, FB Corse has found itself forced to issue a press release with details confirming their project, and clarify the situation regarding Hopkins.
Unfortunately at the moment the official press release is only in Italian and we’ve found a copy of it on another website, while FB Corse’s official website is currently having a meltdown.
To make this story short, FC Corse is upset with the foreign media because they’ve (we’ve) published “partially incorrect and conflicting information” regarding their team and the news that Hopkins will probably be racing in the AMA/DMG.
FB Corse to Lose John Hopkins?
Former MotoGP and WSBK rider John Hopkins has been constantly linked and unlinked to ride for FB Corse, however the Italian race team who plans to debut during the MotoGP tests in Qater may find themselves without a rider, because Hopkins may be headed to the AMA Pro American Superbike Championship for the 2010 season.
RoadRacing World is reporting that Hopkins will testing a Suzuki GSX-R 1000 with Team Hammer at Fontana race track on Februrary 2-3.
Hopkins was also linked to Pat Clark Motorsport Team, but they’ve signed up Ben Bostrom who will be teamed up with Chris Clark, son of team owner Pat Clark.
If the American rider should sign up with Team Hammer it will be a return to the past, because Hopkins started his career with the same team back in 1999.
FB Corse Official Presentation Postponed
The official and highly awaited official presentation of the FB Corse bike in Milan on January 21st has been postponed until February 11th, because one of the owners of the company, Andrea Ferrari, is out for health reasons.
According to the latest news, John Hopkins has reached a verbal agreement with the Italian team, but has yet to sign a contract, but according to gpone.com the American rider is also in talks with Rockstar-Makita Suzuki, but the AMA team has already confirmed Tommy Hayden and Blake Young to contest the 2010 Superbike season.
“For us there is no problem,” says Ferrari - “after all John has to train. The program is proceeding as planned and before the end of the month the bike will debut at Vallelunga.”
In the meantime the team will present it’s Bimota Moto2 bike that will be ridden by Simone Groztkyj Giorgi.
MotoGP: FB Corse to take part in Qatar Tests
FB Corse’s 3 cylinder bike is getting more and more into the news these days, but the Italian company has yet to give the bike it’s first official shakedown (it’s been a little over 3 months since we first saw the bike), either in the MotoGP or the Moto2 versions and hopefully they’ll change the tires from Michelin (check the pics) to Bridgestone and Dunlop before doing the tests.
Andrea Ferrari of FB Corse speaking to gpone has stated that the intent of the team is to take part in the entire 2010 MotoGP season, but will only be in the official tests in Qatar in March and not attend the first MotoGP tests that takes place in Sepang, Malaysia early February, preferring to remain in Italy and then in Spain to have Luca Cadalora give the bike it’s first run.
John Hopkins is still hotly linked to the team, despite his manager denying that the American has signed up, but according to Ferrari, Hopkins will be at the official unveiling in Milan January 21st and then will stay in Trieste for the rest of the month getting to know the team.
Luca Cadalora to give FB Corse bike Shakedown Test
Luca Cadalora, 1986 125cc World Champion and two times 250cc World Champion in 1991 and 1992 will carry out the shakedown test of FB Corse’s new three cylinder bike and it appears that the test will be carried out at the Vallelunga circuit.
Andrea Ferrari (the F in FB Corse) admitted: “Next week John Hopkins is coming to Italy to clear up the the last details, then Luca will debut the bike, the first test will be done by him.”
“Franco Antoniazzi – the project designer together with Forghieri – is in ‘love’ with Luca,” added Ferrari. “I mean how can’t he be? Cadalora together with Eddie Lawson was one of the best development riders between the 80’s and the 90’s.”
Cadalora who will soon turn 47 and retired from racing in 2000, talking to Gpone said: I’ve followed the development of this bike almost since its begining but we haven’t chosen a date for its debut. What am I doing now? I’m restoring an old Mitsubishi Group A.”
Source | gpone
First Look at Bimota's Moto2 (w/video)
A big thanks to Mito Evo a reader of Motoblog who found this first video of Bimota’s new Moto2 bike in action at the Binetto race track near Bari, Italy.
Back in February the company announced that they were interested in supplying their chassis for Moto2 championship and the company from Rimini have come up with this motorcycle. Just a couple of days before Christmas, FB Corse announced that they were in the final stages of negotiations with Bimota to use their chassis and we should see official launch January 21st in Milan.
John Hopkins has not signed with FB Corse
We really goofed up this time and probably jumped the gun, but after posting the news just last week that John Hopkins had signed up to ride for the new MotoGP team FB Corse, we have now found out that this isn’t true.
According to Hopkins’ manager Bob Moore, his client is still in talks with the Trieste based team, but has not signed any deal with them for 2010 season and is open to several other options, including the AMA Pro Road Racing series.
Sorry guys, next time we’ll wait for the official press release, even though in our defence, one FB Corse’s smaller sponsors Giovanni Blandina confirmed the same news on his website.
Source | roadracingworld
John Hopkins with FB Corse in 2010
Early October, Andrea Ferrari of FB Corse stated that he wanted to hire MotoGP and WSBK refugee John Hopkins to develop and debut their three cylinder MotoGP bike, but it looked like negotiations were stuck, when rumors speculated that the American was in talks with Pat Clark Motorsports (PCM) to sign up for next year’s AMA season, however today FB Corse has officially announced that they’ve signed up the American rider for MotoGP in 2010.
FB Corse have already announced that Simone Gorztkyj will ride their Moto2 bike in five races as a wildcard and both riders will be then take part in shakedown tests in January in Italy or Spain, depending on the weather conditions, before the official presentation of the team, that will take place in Milan on January 21st.
Source | gpone and asphalt and rubber
Moto2: Simone Groztkyj with FB Corse
Simone Groztkyj Giorgi will be racing next year in Moto2 under the banner of FB Corse.
The FB Corse is known for it’s ambitious MotoGP project but should also race in Moto2. The Italian team should make a couple of wildcard appearances next season and was supposed to debut it’s in-line three-cylinder four stroke bike for it’s first real confrontation during the official MotoGP post race tests at Valencia, but the idea was put on hold in order to redesign the gearbox.
Groztkyj Giorgi debuted in 2006 and has raced in 38 GP’s (in 125cc and 250cc) and in 2008 substituted Manuel Poggiali in the Gilera Campetella team. The rider from Pesaro suffered a serious motocross accident during a training session last March and had to be operated on to stop an internal hemorrhage, that kept him from racing all this season.
“Finally.”- declared the 21 year old. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. FB Racing is a very serious team with people who are truly knowledgeable and prepared and I’m very happy to join them. I feel very good and I can’t wait to climb on the bike. 2009 was the worst year of my career, but fortunately it’s almost over and after all the effort to get fit again, I’m sure I’ll be rewarded. Sure, I’ll have to adapt my riding style to the four strokes ,but I think I’ll be able to do it quickly, because the chassis designed by the designers who make real racing bikes and are very different from production-based series. I’m not promising anything, but I have no intention of being only a bit player.”
Source | motocorse
MotoGP - John Hopkins to FB Corse?
John Hopkins in his health update video said that he’s looking for another ride next year as Stiggy Racing is having financial problems and he may just get the opportunity to return to the MotoGP Championship with a brand new bike and team.
The FB Corse who is breaking into the series in 2010, has contacted the American and would like him to be the sole rider for this new and exciting team. Andrea Ferrari, one of men behind the project, stated : “We’re aiming for John Hopkins and we want only him, so he can develop the bike just like he wants.”
FB Corse continues to follow it’s dream to debut in MotoGP and have obtained from Dorna, an exemption from testing restrictions, so they can test this winter at the Vallelunga track at the begining of November, as the bike has yet to tested on track. The bike is built by Oral Engineering Group with Forghieri and Antoniazzi.
The team with their sponsor, will be officially presented the 12th of November in Milan.
Source | gpone
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