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Austin MotoGP 2016

Year: ALL

KTM boss Beirer: Smith was the logical choice

30 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

KTM boss Beirer: Smith was the logical choice

KTM’s head of motorsport, former MXGP racer Pit Beirer, has told MCN that Bradley Smith was not only the most logical choice for the factory, he was also the first name on their list. First...

Aerodynamic additions banned from Moto2 and Moto3

22 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Aerodynamic additions banned from Moto2 and Moto3

Aerodynamic features like the ‘wings’ currently fitted to Ducati’s MotoGP machine have been banned from Grand Prix’s support classes after a ruling today by the technical rules governing body the GP...

MotoGP race director explains Moto2 jump start issues

21 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP race director explains Moto2 jump start issues

MotoGP race director Mike Webb has explained the failures that led to inconsistent penalties for the horde of Moto2 riders deemed to have jumped the start in yesterday’s opening race of the season in...

Lorenzo controls for opening race victory

20 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Lorenzo controls for opening race victory

Jorge Lorenzo has controlled the opening race of the 2016 MotoGP season in style, chipping away at his opposition in relentless fashion to take the win from Andrea Dovizioso and Marc...

Luthi wins Moto2 jump start chaos

20 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Luthi wins Moto2 jump start chaos

Thomas Luthi has come out triumphant in a chaotic start to the 2016 Moto2 season that saw many of the front-runners penalised for jump starts – but with confusion and anger at the way in which the...

Antonelli snatches opening Moto3 race of 2016 by a whisker

20 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Antonelli snatches opening Moto3 race of 2016 by a whisker

Niccolo Antonelli has snatched the opening race of the 2016 Moto3 season by a whisker (or more precisely, by 0.007) from Brad Binder, after out-dragging the Red Bull KTM rider in a race to the line at...

Smith pens factory KTM deal for 2017

20 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Smith pens factory KTM deal for 2017

As predicted by MCN, Bradley Smith will become a factory MotoGP racer for the 2107 and 2018 season, after penning a deal with KTM to lead the Austrian manufacturer’s entry into the series next...

Lorenzo rockets to Qatar pole

19 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Lorenzo rockets to Qatar pole

Jorge Lorenzo has blown away his opposition to take the first pole position of the 2016 MotoGP season in style, beating runner-up Marc Marquez by 0.091 in a surprise front row rounded out by Maverick...

Lowes on front row as Folger takes pole

19 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Lowes on front row as Folger takes pole

Sam Lowes will start tomorrow’s opening race of the 2016 Moto2 season from second place, after finishing tonight’s qualifying session only 0.072 behind a new lap record for Jonas Folger. Setting an...

Fenati tops the tables in Moto3 qualifying

19 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Fenati tops the tables in Moto3 qualifying

Romano Fenati will take the first pole position start of 2016, after topping the tables in Moto3 qualifying in Qatar with a fast lap in the late stages of the session. He will line up alongside Livio...

Rossi extends Yamaha contract until 2018

19 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Rossi extends Yamaha contract until 2018

Valentino Rossi has signed a deal with his Movistar Yamaha team to extend his current contract until 2018, adding two more years and looking set to remain in MotoGP until he is at least 39 years...

Tragic death in MotoGP support race

18 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Tragic death in MotoGP support race

Tunisian racer Taoufik Gattouchi has died after a multi-bike crash during the Losail Cup race supporting this weekend’s opening round of the MotoGP championship at the Qatari track. The 49-year-old...

Iannone tops day two at Qatar

18 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Iannone tops day two at Qatar

Andrea Iannone has topped the second day of the 2016 season at Qatar, surprising yesterday’s fastest man Jorge Lorenzo with an impressive 1:54.639 lap to finish the day 0.137 clear of the...

Lowes raises the bar in Moto2 practice

18 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Lowes raises the bar in Moto2 practice

Sam Lowes has raised the bar in Moto2 free practice three, by taking his pace into the low 1:59 second laps and leaving his opposition behind as he asserts his control on the class ahead of this...

Quartararo tops day two of Moto3

18 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Quartararo tops day two of Moto3

Fabio Quartararo has topped the second day of Moto3 action at Losail, taking provisional pole from Brad Binder in a session that saw a number of the front-runners falling. The only session of the...

Rossi tips Viñales as 2016 race winner

18 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Rossi tips Viñales as 2016 race winner

Valentino Rossi has tipped Suzuki rider Maverick Viñales as a 2016 MotoGP race winner, after both seeing the young Spaniard’s testing pace and witnessing first hand last night, after following him for...

Crutchlow ‘took no risks’ on opening night

18 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Crutchlow ‘took no risks’ on opening night

Cal Crutchlow ahs admitted to taking no risks on the opening night of the 2016 MotoGP season at Qatar, instead taking it easy as he got back up to speed on the dirty and sand-coated Losail circuit. “I...

Lowes credits MotoGP Michelins with more Qatar grip

18 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Lowes credits MotoGP Michelins with more Qatar grip

Sam Lowes has credited MotoGP’s new Michelin tyres with giving more grip to Qatar’s Losail circuit – despite being on the Dunlop-shod Federal Oil Kalex Moto2 machine! Taking to the track for the first...

Loi converts testing pace into free practice performance

17 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Loi converts testing pace into free practice performance

Livio Loi has successfully converted his pace from last week’s Moto3 test at Qatar’s Losail circuit into free practice performance to top the opening day of the 2016 season. The Belgian finished the...

Folger tops first day as Lowes falls twice

17 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Folger tops first day as Lowes falls twice

Jonas Folger has topped the opening day of the 2016 Moto2 season, as Brit Sam Lowes took second in both despite falling twice from his Federal Oil Gresini Kalex not once but twice in free practice...

Lorenzo lays down cards in first session of 2016

17 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Lorenzo lays down cards in first session of 2016

Jorge Lorenzo has laid down his cards in the opening session of the 2016 MotoGP season, smashing the field with a 1:55.440 lap to take top spot from teammate Valentino Rossi by 0.267. Rossi was a...

Smith to leave Tech 3 for 2017

16 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Smith to leave Tech 3 for 2017

Bradley Smith has confirmed exclusively to MCN that it looks likely that he will not renew his deal with the Tech 3 Yamaha squad for a fifth year, as he chases down a factory ride for next season. “I...

Danny Kent ‘in the seventh to eleventh ballpark’

16 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Danny Kent ‘in the seventh to eleventh ballpark’

Moto3 world champion Danny Kent says he has the pace to finish in the top ten at the opening round of the Moto2 championship this weekend at Losail, after leaving last weekend’s three-day test content...

Lowes confident ahead of season opener

16 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Lowes confident ahead of season opener

Sam Lowes has been left confident ahead of this weekend’s Moto2 season opener at Qatar, after a highly successful test under the floodlights there last weekend. Lowes finished the test fastest...

McPhee plagued by mystery issues

14 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

McPhee plagued by mystery issues

Scotsman John McPhee has been left with effectively no winter testing completed successfully on his Saxoprint Peugeot machine after a recurring problem that has plagued the team since day one of the...

Lowes blitzes opposition to finish Moto2 test top

13 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Lowes blitzes opposition to finish Moto2 test top

Federal oil Gresini Kalex rider Sam Lowes has blitzed his opposition with a last minute lap to finish the final test of the winter 0.2 faster than runner-up Thomas Luthi. Finishing the test with the...

Antonelli holds on to Moto3 top spot

13 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Antonelli holds on to Moto3 top spot

Niccolo Antonelli has held onto the top spot at Qatar on the final day of the 2016 Moto3 pre-season, leaving Losail with a 0.217 advantage over fellow Honda rider Livio Loi. Loi was a further 0.057...

Aegerter debuts latest GP aerodynamic devices

13 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Aegerter debuts latest GP aerodynamic devices

Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter has debuted the latest in a series of aerodynamic devices that have appeared on Grand Prix bikes over the winter testing season at this week’s Qatar Moto2...

Lowes finds easy time in new swinging arm

13 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Lowes finds easy time in new swinging arm

Sam Lowes has been left delighted with his progress on the Federal Oil Gresini Oil Kalex Moto2 bike after the second night of testing at Qatar, making a major breakthrough on bike set-up with a new...

Loi top Moto3 on second day of testing

12 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Loi top Moto3 on second day of testing

Belgian rider Livio Loi has topped the second day of testing at Qatar’s Losail International Circuit, making the most of the RW Racing GP Honda’s top speed and his diminutive size to finish the day at...

Luthi tops Moto2 day two at Losail

12 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Luthi tops Moto2 day two at Losail

Thomas Luthi has taken the Garage Plus Interwetten Kalex machine to top of the timesheets on the second day of testing at Losail, as one of a quartet of riders able to dip under the 2:00 mark for the...

Crutchlow: I needed an ultrasound on my balls!

12 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Crutchlow: I needed an ultrasound on my balls!

Cal Crutchlow was lucky to escape serious injury in a crash in the final moments of the Qatar test, after getting caught out by his LCR Honda – and having to undergo some invasive medical testing...

Rins fastest but Lowes ecstatic with race pace on opening day

11 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Rins fastest but Lowes ecstatic with race pace on opening day

Alex Rins has topped the first night of Moto2 testing at Qatar – but Brit Sam Lowes has stamped his mark on the day by topping two out of three sessions as well as completing an impressive race...

Navarro tops opening day of Moto3 testing at Qatar

11 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Navarro tops opening day of Moto3 testing at Qatar

Jorge Navarro has topped the opening day of moto3 testing at Qatar, finishing 0.286 ahead of Livio Loi – and only a tiny 0.006 seconds from Alex Masbou’s 2015 pole position time. Loi made it a Honda...

Rossi admits he plans to stay until 2018

11 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Rossi admits he plans to stay until 2018

Valentino Rossi has dropped a bombshell in an exclusive interview today with Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport, admitting that he plans on remaining in MotoGP until he turns 39 in 2018. Admitting in recent...

Michelin show 2016 tyre identifying colours

10 March 2016 by Simon Patterson

Michelin show 2016 tyre identifying colours

Michelin have announced the identifying colours that their new MotoGP tyres will sport for the coming season. The coloured strips around the edges of the tyres are designed to give spectators an ‘at a...