Qatar MotoGP 2016

No more testing, the 2016 MotoGP championship finally gets underway at the 3.3 mile floodlit Losail circuit, with all signs pointing towards reigning champ Jorge Lorenzo as the man to beat.

The factory Yamaha rider set an incredible 11 laps under the lap records over the winter, while his team-mate and rival Valentino Rossi only managed one.

Will Marquez finally click with the new Honda, control ECU and Michelin tyres, or will he just be an occasional annoyance for the title contenders? And let's not forget th surprise of winter testing - wunderkid Maverick Vinales, who pushed Lorenzo all the way in testing in just his second year on the Suzuki.

Year: ALL

Scott Redding: ‘I didn’t expect Marquez to win title’

27 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding said he expected former Moto2 rival Marc Marquez to win races but not the MotoGP world championship in a stellar rookie premier class campaign for the Spaniard. Marquez stunned the...

Nicky Hayden: WSB switch was serious option

27 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden says he was seriously tempted to try and become the first rider in racing history to win both the MotoGP and World Superbike titles in 2014. Released by Ducati’s official factory squad...

Bradley Smith thrilled with Yamaha backing

23 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Bradley Smith says he is thrilled to be getting identical technical support as new Tech 3 Yamaha teammate Pol Espargaro in 2014. Espargaro is contracted directly to Yamaha but will ride...

Redding looking forward to Hayden battle in 2014

23 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding is relishing the chance to gauge himself against former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden in the 2014 MotoGP world championship. The Briton will ride the same production Honda RCV1000R...

Gino Rea to race Suter frame in 2014

18 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Gino Rea will race the 2014 Moto2 world championship campaign on a Suter chassis package. The Londoner, who is spearheading the new Texas-based AGT (American Green Technology) squad, was...

Scott Redding ready for MotoGP switch

18 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding is moving to MotoGP at the right time in his career, according to former Moto2 crew chief Pete Benson. The Gloucestershire rider will compete in the premier class next season on a...

Marc Marquez maturity impresses HRC

18 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Senior Honda management have praised Marc Marquez’s ice cool temperament after the Spaniard’s record-breaking rookie season in the MotoGP world championship. Marquez became the first rookie to win the...

Gearbox delay not costly for Lorenzo in 2013

17 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha’s failure to roll out a new seamless shift gearbox for Jorge Lorenzo ahead of the final six races of 2013 did not play a key factor in his narrow MotoGP world championship defeat to rookie Marc Marquez. While HRC has been using a seamless shift gearbox since the beginning of the 2011 campaign, Lorenzo and factory Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi had to wait until the Misano round last season...

Casey Stoner to remain in HRC testing role

16 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Honda will continue to call on the blistering speed and technical feedback of double MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner for development of its factory RC213V in 2014. The Australian retired at the end...

Doohan: MotoGP will be poorer without Rossi

16 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Five-times world champion Mick Doohan believes MotoGP will be a poorer place without Italian legend Valentino Rossi racing. Huge question marks surround Rossi’s future in 2014, with the 34-year-old...

Flyaway races reordered in new MotoGP provisional calendar

13 December 2013 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP have issued a slightly amended provisional calendar for the 2014 season, with the flyaway races of Malaysia, Australia and Japan reorganised to mean that Sepang will now host the penultimate...

Paul Bird reveals 2014 MotoGP and BSB plans

11 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

High profile British racing boss Paul Bird has ended weeks of speculation about his future by revealing he will run two-rider efforts in MotoGP and British Superbikes in 2014. The PBM squad will...

Kenny Roberts: Marquez can dominate MotoGP for years

06 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

American legend Kenny Roberts believes Marc Marquez can dominate MotoGP for years after the Repsol Honda revelation clinched a historic maiden MotoGP world title in 2013. Marquez became the first...

Cal Crutchlow backs Dall’Igna to lead Ducati revival

06 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow has backed new Ducati boss Gigi Dall’Igna to lead the Bologna factory out of its current slump. Crutchlow and Dall’Igna got their first opportunity to size up the task of...

Alberto Puig gets new role at HRC

04 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa’s long serving manager and mentor Alberto Puig will not be working as closely with the Spaniard in 2014 after he took up a new role within HRC. Puig has been a constant presence at...

Jorge Lorenzo boss: Title defeat tough to swallow

04 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo’s factory Yamaha boss Wilco Zeelenberg has admitted the Spaniard’s close defeat to compatriot Marc Marquez in 2013 was tough to swallow. Lorenzo led more laps than any other rider and...

Gino Rea aiming for consistent points challenge in 2014

04 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Gino Rea is hoping he can establish himself as a consistent points scoring finisher in 2014 after securing a full-time return to the Moto2 world championship last month. Rea will ride for the new...

Scott Redding supporting young British racing talent

03 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding’s commitment to supporting young British racing talent will move up a gear in 2014. This year’s Moto2 world championship runner-up, who will move to MotoGP next season, has joined forces...

Corner speed improvement key for HRC in 2014

03 December 2013 by Matthew Birt

Improved corner speed will be a key target for Honda’s technical staff during the off-season. HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto said it was clear throughout a captivating 2013 season that Yamaha’s factory...

Doriano Romboni loses life at Simoncelli tribute race

01 December 2013 by Simon Patterson

Six time 125 and 250 GP race winner Doriano Romboni has passed away, after suffering fatal injuries at the Sic Supermoto Day, the supermoto race held at the Latina circuit in memory of Marco...

Danny Kent: Fenati and Antonelli are 2014 dark horses

27 November 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Danny Kent believes Italian duo Ramano Fenati and Niccolo Antonelli will be dark horses for the 2014 Moto3 world championship. Kent is back in Moto3 next year after a torrid debut season...

Scott Redding excited to work with ex-Stoner crew chief

27 November 2013 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding believes Casey Stoner’s former crew chief Cristian Gabbarini could prove to be a key ally in his rookie MotoGP world championship campaign in 2014. Gabbarini is now heading up Honda’s...

Alex Marquez tipped for Moto3 title challenge in 2014

26 November 2013 by Matthew Birt

Marc Marquez might not be the only world champion in the Marquez household this time next year, with younger brother Alex hotly tipped to mount a serious challenge for the 2014 Moto3 title. At 20,...

Tech 3 boss curious to understand FTR-Yamaha potential

26 November 2013 by Matthew Birt

Satellite Yamaha MotoGP team boss Herve Poncharal says he is curious and interested to understand the performance potential of the new FTR-Yamaha non-factory machine in the 2014 world...

Gino Rea ecstatic after securing full-time Moto2 ride in 2014

25 November 2013 by Matthew Birt

Gino Rea is proof that hard work and persistence pays off after the British rider secured a full-time return to the Moto2 world championship in 2014. The former World Supersport race winner announced...

Andrea Dovizioso: Crutchlow won’t be too down after Ducati debut

22 November 2013 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso doesn’t believe that new factory Ducati teammate Cal Crutchlow will be too disheartened after the British rider’s first ride on the struggling Desmosedici in Spain last...

Bradley Smith: Marquez probably surprised himself with title success

22 November 2013 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith reckons new MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez probably surprised himsef after the Spaniard’s record-breaking rookie season in the premier class. Marquez became the first rookie since...

New Ducati boss eager to work with Andrea Dovizioso

21 November 2013 by Matthew Birt

New Ducati boss Gigi Dall’Igna says he is looking forward to finally getting the opportunity to work with experienced Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso in 2014. Dall’Igna tried unsuccessfully to sign...

Colin Edwards: ‘Awesome’ to renew Yamaha link

21 November 2013 by Matthew Birt

Veteran American Colin Edwards has spoken of his excitement at renewing his association with Yamaha for the 2014 MotoGP world championship. Edwards will ride the FTR-Yamaha in the Forward Racing squad...

Danny Kent to ride Husqvarna in 2014 Moto3 series

21 November 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Danny Kent has revealed he will ride a factory Husqvarna in the 2014 Moto3 world championship. Kent will be back in Moto3 next season and initially signed a deal to ride for the Red Bull...