Fans’ favourite Suzi Perry has quit MotoGP on the BBC in what she told MCN was the ‘most agonising decision’ of her life.

After 13 years as the face of motorcycle racing, the 39-year-old will not present the BBC’s MotoGP coverage this season and instead will concentrate on her television career outside bike racing.

Speaking exclusively to MCN just a day after she told the BBC she would not renew her contract to cover the 2010 MotoGP season, Suzi said: “It feels like a part of something has died. That might sounds a little dramatic but that’s how I feel.
"I still love bikes as much today as I did the first day when I walked into a paddock in 1997.”

AUSTRALIAN MOTOGP commentator Charlie Cox has been sent back to the bush by BBC TV bosses, after being pulled-off the Beeb's MotoGP show.
The presenter was taken in hand by BBC bigwigs and shown the back door, following a thirteen-year stint with the corporation.

Cox has endured a mixed reception from British viewers, receiving stiff criticism from many for the Aussie's limp commentary style.
The BBC have yet to announce whether Steve 'Stavros' Parrish will remain on the show, or who'll replace the pair if Parrish is ousted.

The new FB Corse squad will only be given clearance to race in the 2010 MotoGP world championship if it can demonstrate its new three-cylinder 800cc machine is competitive.
International Race Teams Association boss Mike Trimby has confirmed to MCN that MotoGP Safety Commission delegate Franco Uncini will attend any testing carried out by FB Corse.
Only if the FB01 is competitive against current lap times will the squad, which recently signed Aussie veteran Garry McCoy, be given permission take on the might of Yamaha, Honda, Ducati and Suzuki.

IRTA boss Mike Trimby told MCN: “'They were on the entry list originally with (John) Hopkins but now they signed McCoy.
"But the issue is we have not seen them go around in circles yet. Before confirming a contract with them we want to have evidence that this bike is capable of being within three or four seconds of what we've got.
"So it would be silly to agree to something that wasn't very competitive.
"They have been asked to let us attend one of their tests, or come to one of ours, and show off their wares.
"I am proceeding with FB as if they are in for the season but we are not making it official until we see the bike.
"If they don't come to one of our tests we would send Franco to go check the lap times."

The FB01 triple, which has been designed and built by Italian-based Oral Engineering and was originally built as a concept for BMW, was expected to be on track by the end of last month.
And there is still no official confirmation that the team will attend the final official MotoGP test in Qatar on March 18 and 19.

First of all, congratulations on becoming a father... how do you live at 300 KM/H knowing that little Sara is waiting for you at home?
“It is something about that I thought when I heard the news, but I'm young and very focused on what I want to achieve, so I didn't think that it was going to change me, and that's how it's been. I'm very focused on my work and it's not a problem. To be honest, it's an experience that can only go well for me.”

It is harder for you to spend more time away from home now?
“We've just started the championship, so not yet, but maybe later on. She was born in mid-December, so I've been training for two and a half months, but also spending time with my daughter and her mother."

Let's talk about bikes. You had a good start to the year here a few weeks ago, and over the last two days you have confirmed that you are moving in the right direction... Are you satisfied with the work that Honda has done over the winter?
“I'm very happy because they have worked really hard and it was important for the factory to understand the modifications that had to be made and above all, because it's been confirmed that this work has been well-done. It's also true that we can't stop at what has been done and that we must improve more, because we aren't fast enough, but I'm happy.”

Did you ask HRC for a lot of changes after the first test in Sepang?
“Yes many things, because there wasn't enough time in the first test to check everything. They have made changes, even my position on the machine, which seems trivial, but it can change the performance a lot. With these changes we are heading in the direction that we think is the right direction. Problems arise, but that's normal and we are trying to resolve them.”

Have you received all that material?
“Yes, and I'm very happy with the work they've done, although there is still more to do.”

What lies ahead for the Qatar test?
“I don't know yet, because we have to talk to the team. The Qatar Circuit is very special and therefore, what happens there will not be very indicative, but we want to do better than here. We will do the tests and see our potential because we have had two tests in Sepang on a track that I like and we'll need to see our level there.”

What level of evolution do you think the new machine has reached?
“Everything depends on the Bridgestone tyres because it is an extremely important aspect. If you don't build a machine that makes the most of them, you can ride however you want but you won't win. So, the work on is focused on that.”

Are you happy with the new Ohlins suspension?
“Yes, I felt comfortable straight away, although the machine is different to last year's. We don't have any serious problems and these tests have confirmed the solutions, because the solutions we had found for certain problems have fixed them.”

What are the strong points of the Honda RC212V 2010 and what needs improving?
“It's easier to ride than last year's machine, which is the most important. It is more balanced and a little easier to control, but that is still its weakest point because it's not easy enough. The 800cc MotoGP machines need to be easy to ride to the limit, not like the 990cc, which were so powerful and heavy that you skidded and that was normal. These machines need you to be very accurate and must be easy to control in order to maintain the pace.”

“The machine is fast, but it's not easy to clock up good times and that's a big problem for today's MotoGP machines. As well as being a little faster, that's where Valentino's [Rossi] advantage is, because they don't seem to have to make such an effort to get good times and they can maintain them more easily. It's important to become more consistent and then we'll focus on that little bit of extra speed we need.”

Have any of the rookies surprised you in these tests?
“Here; not really. In Valencia, Spies surprised me, but I haven't seen him much here.”

This season there will be five Italians in MotoGP, with Simoncelli joining a Honda satellite team; it is something that affects you in any way?
“No, it's nice. Last year, there were five of us and it's nice that there are so many Italians, especially riders that I've known since I rode in mini-motos."

Will you be ready in time for the first race of the season; the team, the machine and you?
“We'll have to do the Qatar test to know for sure. I can't say that it's ready to win but we will be ready earlier and better than last year. Many things change during the season because everything is different in the races. We're much better prepared than a year ago and I'm very happy about that. It's not enough to be able to say that I'm going to play for the World Championship, but it's what we are working for.”

How did the new machine perform in the race simulation you held today?
“I did 16 or 17 laps and it wasn't perfect, because the conditions were very extreme. For the rider, it's important to do a simulation because they are very tough conditions and secondly, the performance of the machine changes a lot and many different problems arise.”

Could you sum up the two days of testing?
“We mainly focused on the new chassis and Ohlins suspension again, after the tests we did at the beginning of the month here in Malaysia. To be honest, the sensations on this machine are still new for me because as well as starting to work with Ohlins after so much time with Showa (both Honda and I), the chassis has changed and the electronics have evolved. What we're looking for now is a good combination of everything and we still haven't found it, we haven't made the progress we expected. So we need to reflect on it, see what we need and advance in the forthcoming test in Qatar.”

You haven't finished where you expected. Are you worried because there are only two test days left before the World Championship starts?
“I'm not worried, but it's true that we only have two days left to test and perhaps that won't be enough time for us. However, that's what there is and we have to work with that, so we'll try and be as ready as possible for the first race. Honda is making a huge effort and I'm also making a maximum effort, so the results have to be noticeable soon.”

What is the problem at the moment?
“It's difficult to explain because I have conflicting sensations. On the positive side, we have managed to get better control of the machine coming out of the turns and it's a bit smoother."

Do you think that Honda could do anything, like bringing new material?
“I don't know what the plan will be because obviously, first of all we have to analyse and check what we need and what we have to do. Then, we'll take the necessary measures."

What would be the priority that you need to resolve?
“At the moment we have problems with the chassis and suspension. The combination hasn't worked well and it isn't truly matched.”

After being able to train well over the winter, without the problems of previous years; how do you feel physically?
“In the first test we did, I didn't feel completely fit and after riding those two days, we prepared a more specific training plan concentrating on the points where I felt a little weak, for example, when braking. We did more arm exercises and in this second test I felt better. There are still aspects that can be improved and we have a month to go before the first race, during which time we can do it well."

Have you improved in braking, which was one of the biggest problems last year?
“Not enough yet to be able to say that we can forget about it.”

And the electronics?
“I think we've advanced there, although we still haven't managed to adjust the machine's chassis, so we can't really get the most out of them. As soon as we find the direction to take with the chassis and the suspension, we'll be able to benefit more from the new electronics, which I think is positive."

The next test is in Qatar, at night, conditions that are very different to those that you are going to find in the rest of the season.
“Yes, it will be a test that focuses more on the first race, but we'll have to get the most out of it for our machine."

The change in your garage with Alberto Puig as the team manager; do you think that it will affect you in any way? Have you noticed any differences?
“At the moment, it's the same as before. Things are running smoothly but if we have any problems, I hope that they can be corrected more quickly, as he is a person who says things very clearly."

The Repsol Honda Team presentation will be held on 13 March, an event that you missed last year. Will it be a special day for you?
“Of course, I'm really looking forward to going, because as you said, last year, I couldn't see anything or enjoy it with the fans and this year, I'll be there to enjoy it with all of them.”

"But the issue is we have not seen them go around in circles yet. Before confirming a contract with them we want to have evidence that this bike is capable of being within three or four seconds of what we've got.