And so, after the excitement of the Turkish Grand Prix, we head eastwards, from the Orient Express to the Trans-Siberian Express, leaving Istanbul to head off to Shanghai in China. Though some 5,000 miles apart, the two circuits are remarkably similar: They are both new facilitie...

The contrast couldn't be bigger. Two weeks ago, the MotoGP circus was at Shanghai, a new, forgettable facility built especially for Formula 1, untouched by the hand of history. This weekend the paddock sets up shop in Le Mans, one of the greatest names in motor racing, a place so...

It takes many things to make a great motorcycle racer: incredible reflexes, natural riding talent, immense courage, intense concentration, and outstanding physical conditioning are just the very start of it. Above all, it takes one thing to succeed: Passion. Without passion, it i...

The Shanghai International Circuit is a strange place. It is, to paraphrase Dickens, the best of tracks and the worst of tracks. For like so much of the building going on due to China's rise as a global superpower, the facilities are quite simply remarkable. The pit garages are s...

Over the next few days, it is going to be impossible for any MotoGP fan worth their salt to avoid hearing the phrase "nestling in the Tuscan hills." For the MotoGP circus returns once again to Mugello, one of the most beautifully situated race tracks in the world. The Italian tra...

There is a distinct element of deja vu to Sunday's Catalunya Grand Prix at Barcelona. Just last week, the MotoGP circus was in a bike-mad country, at a circuit sure to attract some 100,000 fans on race day, all clamoring for their local heroes. Once again, the local boys will be ...

Despite Germany's status as an economic powerhouse and one of the motors behind European economic growth, the German language has failed to make very many inroads as a global means of communication. Coming too late to Imperialism to spread the language through the methods which w...

The life of a MotoGP rider can seem utterly sublime to outsiders. Flying around the globe to ride the most advanced motorcycles on the planet at some of the best tracks in the world sounds like a pretty idyllic existence. Combine this with a very generous salary, a three-day work...

There can hardly be a greater contrast between Motegi, the track where MotoGP spent last weekend, and Phillip Island, where they are headed next. Motegi is pretty much a state-of-the-art facility, with spacious pit garages, excellent spectator facilities and an air-conditioned pr...

Motorsports worldwide have taken a pounding over the past few weeks: first, there was the announcement that Honda were pulling out of Formula 1 with immediate effect; then came statements from Subaru and Suzuki announcing that both manufacturers were pulling out of the World Rall...