Japan MotoGP 2016

Year: ALL

Rins and Lowes lead Moto2 field in warmup

18 October 2015 by Steve English

Rins and Lowes lead Moto2 field in warmup

Alex Rins and Sam Lowes have looked in a class of their own this weekend but with the Spaniard holding a half second advantage in warmup the Pons rider will start as a clear favourite. Lowes, who had...

kent sets morning pace at Phillip Island

18 October 2015 by Steve English

kent sets morning pace at Phillip Island

Danny Kent is on the verge of winning the Moto3 world champion and the Englishman led the way in morning warmup at Phillip Island. Having been almost four tenths faster than Romano Fenati and John...

Aspar confirms Ducati switch for 2016

17 October 2015 by Steve English

Aspar confirms Ducati switch for 2016

Aspar has confirmed that they will switch to Ducati machines in 2016. At Aragon Ducati confirmed to Motorcycle News that the manufacturer was in advanced talks with the Spanish team to offer them a...

McPhee: We've been stronger this weekend

17 October 2015 by Steve English

McPhee: We've been stronger this weekend

John McPhee will start from the front row for the first time in 2015 with the Scotsman set to line up on pole position for tomorrow’s Moto3 race at Phillip Island. McPhee, who has had a difficult year...

Marquez takes pole from Lorenzo

17 October 2015 by Steve English

Marquez takes pole from Lorenzo

Marc Marquez took his sixth pole position of the year at Phillip Island and on a day where the field was incredibly competitive the level of dominance displayed was magnified. Marquez was three tenths...

Kent confident despite grid penalty

17 October 2015 by Steve English

Kent confident despite grid penalty

Danny Kent will start from seventh on the grid for tomorrow’s Moto3 race at Phillip Island and with his title rival, Enea Bastianini, 29th on the grid Kent stands on the verge of Britain’s first world...

First career pole for McPhee

17 October 2015 by Steve English

First career pole for McPhee

John McPhee admitted that he hadn’t taken his first pole position in ideal circumstances but after a difficult year the Scotsman will be delighted to start tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix from the...

Rins fastest from Lowes in FP3

17 October 2015 by Steve English

Rins fastest from Lowes in FP3

Alex Rins and Sam Lowes have been in a class of their own this weekend and ahead of qualifying it looks clear that the fight for pole position will be a shootout between the two. The fastest time of...

Marquez fastest with field set for Q2

17 October 2015 by Steve English

Marquez fastest with field set for Q2

Marc Marquez was fastest in FP3 with Cal Crutchlow second fastest after a late lap from the British rider. The Honda looked much more competitive in this morning’s session but with Jorge Lorenzo...

Binder sets pace in final practice

17 October 2015 by Steve English

Binder sets pace in final practice

Brad Binder was fastest in Moto3 ahead of this afternoon’s qualifying session but with Danny Kent third and John McPhee it was a solid morning for the British riders. Kent, who had to sit out...

Rossi not worried about being ninth

16 October 2015 by Steve English

Rossi not worried about being ninth

Valentino Rossi may have ended the day ninth fastest but he felt that he had the pace to match Jorge Lorenzo if he had used a fresh rear tyre at the end of the session. However, having been forced to...

Vinales on the pace at Phillip Island

16 October 2015 by Steve English

Vinales on the pace at Phillip Island

Maverick Vinales may have used the soft tyre option available to Open class bikes to set his fastest time in FP2 but the Spaniard’s lap was superb to finish the day third fastest. The tyre is worth...

Rear grip still a concern for Marquez

16 October 2015 by Steve English

Rear grip still a concern for Marquez

Marc Marquez set the pace on Friday at Phillip Island but it wasn’t a perfect day for the Spaniard with the stitches in his injured left hand having split open during the session. The reigning world...

Fast Lorenzo won't do rivals any favours

16 October 2015 by Steve English

Fast Lorenzo won't do rivals any favours

Jorge Lorenzo was second fastest at Phillip Island but with Valentino Rossi ninth quickest, and a hugely competitive field this weekend, the world championship is on a knife edge. While Rossi’s...

Marquez and Lorenzo set the pace, Rossi ninth

16 October 2015 by Steve English

Marquez and Lorenzo set the pace, Rossi ninth

Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo set the pace but Maverick Vinales will steal the headlines after the opening day of practice at Phillip Island. The Spanish trio led the way at the Australian circuit on...

Navarro sets pace on opening day

16 October 2015 by Steve English

Navarro sets pace on opening day

With rain having fallen prior to the start of FP2 the Moto3 field gingerly took to the Phillip Island circuit this afternoon but with the conditions improving throughout the session Jorge Navarro set...

Lowes tops the times in FP1

16 October 2015 by Steve English

Lowes tops the times in FP1

Sam Lowes dominated the opening Moto2 practice session with the Englishman comfortably fastest at Phillip Island. Speaking to MCN before the action started in Australia Lowes said that “Phillip...

Lorenzo fastest with rain interrupting end of FP1

16 October 2015 by Steve English

Lorenzo fastest with rain interrupting end of FP1

Jorge Lorenzo went fastest on his final lap of FP1 at Phillip Island before rain started to fall and the final five minutes of the session were a wash out. The Spaniard had been biding his time in the...

Oliviera fastest in opening Moto3 session

16 October 2015 by Steve English

Oliviera fastest in opening Moto3 session

Miguel Oliviera topped the opening Moto3 session of the weekend with Danny Kent second fastest, two tenths off the pace. The championship leader is on the verge of a first world title and a top two...

Marquez: Phillip Island should suit us better

15 October 2015 by Steve English

Marquez: Phillip Island should suit us better

Marc Marquez thinks that the Phillip Island track layout should suit the Honda better than some recent tracks on the MotoGP calendar. “I think the fast corners will be better because looks like where...

Miller confirmed at Marc VDS for 2016

15 October 2015 by Steve English

Miller confirmed at Marc VDS for 2016

In a move that came as no surprise to the MotoGP paddock Jack Miller has finally been confirmed at Marc VDS for next season. The team will expand to two bikes with HRC contracted Miller joining...

Race Director explains decision to race without helicopter

13 October 2015 by Steve English

Race Director explains decision to race without helicopter

Race Direction came under a lot of scrutiny on Sunday in Japan with their decision to allow the race to be held without the availability of a medical air ambulance. Coming just 24 hours after Alex de...

MCN Plus - Three wings on my wagon

12 October 2015 by MCN

MCN Plus - Three wings on my wagon

Manfred von Richthofen made triplanes famous. His three-winger was a proper Fokker (yes, really), and in it he led the multi-coloured Red Baron’s Flying Circus through exploits of great derring do...

Pedrosa throws spanner into title fight with Motegi win

11 October 2015 by Simon Patterson

Pedrosa throws spanner into title fight with Motegi win

Dani Pedrosa has thrown a spanner into the battle for the 2015 MotoGP championship, after overhauling championship leaders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo in wet conditions at Honda’s home round of...

Peerless Zarco wins at Motegi

11 October 2015 by Steve English

Peerless Zarco wins at Motegi

Johann Zarco celebrated being crowned Moto2 world champion by taking a dominant victory at Motegi in damp conditions. With the rain having stopped the track continued to dry throughout the 15 lap race...

Antonelli wins but Kent now on verge of title

11 October 2015 by Steve English

Antonelli wins but Kent now on verge of title

Niccolo Antonelli took the win in Japan but with wet conditions it was Danny Kent who took another step towards the title. The British rider is now 56 points ahead of Enea Bastianini in the standings...

New time schedule for Japanese Grand Prix

11 October 2015 by Steve English

New time schedule for Japanese Grand Prix

The MotoGP race should still take place on time at 14.00 local time but the rest of today’s schedule has been thrown into disarray by bad weather and poor visibility at Motegi. Both Moto2 and Moto3...

Rossi: Today is a positive day

10 October 2015 by Steve English

Rossi: Today is a positive day

Valentino Rossi will start from the front row for only the fourth time this year at tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix but his qualifying effort could be one of the pivotal moments of the season. Jorge...

Lorenzo digs deep for pole

10 October 2015 by Steve English

Lorenzo digs deep for pole

Jorge Lorenzo may have taken pole position in Japan but after the session it was clear that he had been unnerved to be pushed so hard by Valentino Rossi in qualifying. Having been comfortably faster...

MCN Plus - Super Dan(ny Kent)

10 October 2015 by MCN

MCN Plus - Super Dan(ny Kent)

Moto3 looks set to bring Britain its first GP title since Barry Sheene in 1977 Way back in 1977 when Barry Sheene won Britain’s last Grand Prix world title, it was 16 years before Danny Kent was even...

IODA confirm de Angelis condition

10 October 2015 by Steve English

IODA confirm de Angelis condition

The IODA team has confirmed that Alex de Angelis has fractured five vertebrae and three ribs during his crash in final practice today at Motegi. The San Marino rider crashed heavily at Turn 9 and the...

Ducati riders pleased with progress and second row

10 October 2015 by Steve English

Ducati riders pleased with progress and second row

Braking stability is still an issue for Ducati at Motegi but both Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone felt that the team has made progress with the issue and were both pleased with their qualifying...

Smith: I know where the limit is but I wasn't listening to myself!

10 October 2015 by Steve English

Three crashes in a day should leave a rider disconsolate and thumbing through their book of excuses. For Bradley Smith however today’s crashes left him confident of his potential for tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix. Smith has spent this year riding to the limit of his Tech3 Yamaha and rarely overstepping the mark but at Motegi he’s been quick from the outset and has been keen to show his potential.

Thrilling battle sees Lorenzo take pole from Rossi

10 October 2015 by Steve English

Thrilling battle sees Lorenzo take pole from Rossi

Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi served up a classic qualifying session at Motegi with the Yamaha teammates dominating the 15 minute session. Rossi surprised everyone by challenging for pole position...

Vinales and Redding through to Q2

10 October 2015 by Steve English

Vinales and Redding through to Q2

Maverick Vinales and Scott Redding made it through to Q2 after leading the way in opening practice to finish comfortably ahead of Stefan Bradl and Yonny Hernandez. Behind the leading qualifiers...

Lorenzo tops FP4 after de Angelis crash

10 October 2015 by Steve English

Lorenzo tops FP4 after de Angelis crash

A heavy crash in the middle of the final practice session at Motegi saw a lengthy delay after a heavy crash for Alex de Angelis. The San Marino rider was airflifted to hospital with circuit medics...