RTÉ ANNOUNCES COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF MOTO GP
RTÉ Television today (Thursday, 8 March) announced details of their comprehensive coverage of this season’s MotoGP World Championship, with over 40 hours of programming of the motorsport which is now attracting television audiences rivalling those of Formula 1 in Ireland.
RTÉ Television will broadcast all 18 MotoGP races live on RTÉ Two. The coverage, which will be sponsored by Bridgestone for the third year running, begins this Saturday 10th March at 11.45am with the Grand Prix of Qatar. RTÉ’s Peter Collins will anchor the coverage as commentator, with former Grand Prix rider and TT winner Eddie Laycock as co-commentator. In addition to the live races RTÉ Two’s MotoGP Highlights programme each Sunday night will feature extended action from the 250cc races, reports on the day’s 125cc grand prix, rider interviews and MotoGP news as the season unfolds.
RTÉ Two’s highlights programme will also feature special reports on this year’s Irish competitors. This season, Jeremy Mc Williams makes a welcome return to the grid riding for the Ilmor team, in what will be their first full Moto GP season. Irish race fans will also have an added interest in the 250cc class, as Ulsterman Eugene Laverty begins his Grand Prix adventure with LCR Honda.
Sponsor of RTÉ Television’s MotoGP coverage, Bridgestone, also announced details of a special MotoGP viewer competition in which one lucky viewer will win a pillion passenger ride on Ducati’s 2 seater MotoGP bike with motorcycle grand prix legend Randy Mamola, at a European MotoGP.
Glen Killane, Group Head of Sport RTÉ, said: “MotoGP now attracts one of the fastest-growing television audiences in sport throughout the world, and RTÉ Sport are delighted to be broadcasting all 18 races live and free-to-air on RTÉ Two this season.”
The full list of races, all exclusively live on RTÉ Two, is:
March 25 Gran Premio de Espana – Jerez
April 8 Grand Prix of Qatar – Losail Circuit
April 30 Grand Prix of Turkey – Istanbul Circuit
May 14 Grand Prix of China – Shanghai Circuit
May 21 Grand Prix de France – Le Mans
June 4 Gran Premio D’Italia – Mugello
June 18 Gran Premi de Catalunya – Circuit de Catalunya
June 24 TT Assen – Assen
July 2 British Grand Prix – Donington Park
July 15 Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland – Sachsenring
July 22 U.S. Grand Prix – Laguna Seca
August 19 Grand Prix Ceske Republiky – Automotodrom Brno
September 2 San Marino Grand Prix – Misano
September 16 Grande Premio de Portugal – Estoril
September 23 Grand Prix of Japan – Motegi
October 14 Australian Grand Prix – Phillip Island
October 21 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix – Sepang Circuit
November 4 Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana
Date: Thursday, 8th March, 2007
For further information please contact:
Laura Fitzgerald, Press & Publicity Officer, RTÉ Television, Ph: 01 208 2872 / 087 2923931, Email: Laura.Fitzgerald@rte.ie