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

Valentino Rossi blasts ‘crazy’ Alvaro Bautista

17 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has urged MotoGP bosses to speak to Alvaro Bautista after the Italian was almost caught up in a first lap incident with the Gresini Honda rider for the second race in succession in...

Scott Redding content with fourth

17 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding kicked into damage limitation mode in Catalunya yesterday after he missed a Moto2 podium for only the second time in the opening six races. Battling in the leading group of four in the...

Suzuki delays MotoGP return until 2015

17 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki shocked the racing world today by confirming that it will not return to the MotoGP world championship as had been expected in 2014. The Japanese factory has delayed its return until 2015 at the...

Catalunya MotoGP: Lorenzo dominates to take victory

16 June 2013 by Simon Patterson

Jorge Lorenzo took a dominating win in his home GP at Catalunya today, beating Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez with ease to make an all-Spanish podium. Lorenzo squeezed aside the pole man Pedrosa off...

Catalunya Moto2: Pons riders 1-2 as Espargaro takes win

16 June 2013 by Simon Patterson

Pol Espargaro took his second Moto2 win of the year at his home race today, after a race-long battle with team mate Tito Rabat. Espargaro and Rabat were the only two to lead the race, making an early...

Catalunya Moto3: Salom makes it back to back wins

16 June 2013 by Simon Patterson

Luis Salom has taken back to back wins in the Moto3 class, winning a hard fought race at the Barcelona circuit by only 0.21 seconds from Alex Rins and Maverick Vinales. The battle for the win was at...

Cal Crutchlow facing tyre choice dilemma

15 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow is undecided on whether he will run Bridgestone’s hard or soft compound rear tyre in a Catalunya MotoGP clash tomorrow (Sunday) that is expected to take place in searing hot...

No qualifying joy again for Valentino Rossi

15 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s bid for a second podium finish of 2013 in Catalunya tomorrow will start from the third row of the grid after the Italian’s difficulties in qualifying continued in scorching hot...

Catalunya Moto2: Espargaro takes pole, Redding second

15 June 2013 by Simon Patterson

Pol Espargaro took pole in a largely uneventful Moto2 qualifying session at Catalunya today, 0.619 ahead of British championship leader Scott Redding. Espargaro set the lap around half way through the...

Catalunya Moto3: Late lap gives Salom pole

15 June 2013 by Simon Patterson

Luis Salom took pole today in the Moto3 class in Barcelona with a late fast lap that saw him knock Alex Rins back to second on the Iberian-dominated grid. Portuguese rider Miguel Olivera put his...

Catalunya MotoGP: Pedrosa smashes lap record for pole

15 June 2013 by Simon Patterson

Repsol Honda racer Dani Pedrosa will start his 200th Grand Prix from pole position tomorrow in Barcelona after blowing away Casey Stoner’s 2008 lap record in Qualifying. Pedrosa set a lap of 1’40.893,...

Suzuki will have to self-fund MotoGP project in 2014

15 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki’s return to the MotoGP world championship is still not confirmed for next season, but what is certain is that the Japanese factory will have to finance its own two-rider works effort in...

Confidence and grip lacking for Bradley Smith

14 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

A lack of confidence and a lack of rear grip is combining to make Bradley Smith’s rookie campaign in the MotoGP world championship a tough and painful experience. After two heavy crashes left him with...

Valentino Rossi boosted by practice pace

14 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi quickly brushed off the crushing disappointment of his first lap exit in his home race in Mugello recently to give himself a huge confidence boost on the opening day of practice in...

Valentino Rossi fastest in Catalunya practice

14 June 2013

Valentino Rossi’s love affair with the Catalunya track near Barcelona continued today when then Italian topped the practice leaderboard to deny home heroes Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Marc...

Ducati urged to try radical revamp of Desmosedici

13 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Ducati has been urged to consider a radical revamp of its factory Desmosedici MotoGP contender after Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden were left completely underwhelmed by a latest test on the Bologna...

Bradley Smith happy with hand recovery progress

13 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

British rider Bradley Smith is confident a gruesome left hand injury will not be a painful hindrance during this weekend’s Catalunya MotoGP round in Barcelona. Smith has undergone intensive treatment...

Cal Crutchlow aiming for podium hat-trick

13 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow admits he faces a massive task to claim a third successive MotoGP rostrum in Catalunya on Sunday, with Spanish trio Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez all gunning for glory on...

Ben Spies vows to repay Ducati faith

11 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies has vowed to reward Ducati’s faith in him by returning to the form that at one time seemed destined to see him challenge for the MotoGP world championship. The injury-ravaged Texan is...

Suzuki keen to understand performance against MotoGP opposition

11 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki will get a clear understanding of the size of the task it faces to be a competitive force in MotoGP again when it pitches its new 1000cc MotoGP contender against Honda and Yamaha in Spain next...

When Spencer met Marquez

10 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

For 31 long years, American legend Freddie Spencer held the distinction of being the youngest rider in history ever to win in the MotoGP class. That was until the mercurial Marc Marquez arrived in...

MotoGP grid set to swell to 28 bikes in 2014

10 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

The MotoGP grid could swell to its largest size in years with the potential for a 28-strong entry in 2014. With Honda, Yamaha and Ducati all contracted to supply four factory prototypes each, there is...

Marc Marquez impressed by Scott Redding’s form

10 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Reigning Moto2 world champion Marc Marquez says he has been impressed at how Scott Redding has added consistency to his speed after the British rider’s brilliant start to 2013. Redding arrives in...

Honda happy with new production bike performance

10 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

Honda says the performance of its new production RC213V machine that will be raced in MotoGP next season is better than anticipated after its first shakedown test in Japan recently. The new bike is...

No Rossi and Crutchlow dream team at Suzuka

10 June 2013 by Matthew Birt

A Yamaha dream team featuring Valentino Rossi and Cal Crutchlow racing a factory R1 superbike in the prestigious Suzuka 8-hour endurance race is just a dream for 2013. Rossi and Crutchlow spoke briefly earlier this year about competing in the gruelling event on July 28, which the Italian won way back in 2001 with American Colin Edwards when both rode for Honda. But Yamaha said it was too late to...