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

Danny Kent third but seeking more confidence

20 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent third but seeking more confidence

Danny Kent maintained his impressive pre-season testing form in the new Moto3 four-stroke class today when he ended the second day of the final test in Jerez with the third quickest time. The British...

Nicky Hayden: “I believe in myself and Ducati”

20 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden: “I believe in myself and Ducati”

Nicky Hayden believes Ducati’s GP12 will be competitive to help the American and team-mate Valentino Rossi become consistent podium contenders in the 2012 MotoGP world championship. Ducati is looking...

Colin Edwards: “We’ve got 18 tests ahead”

20 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards: “We’ve got 18 tests ahead”

American Colin Edwards reckons each race during the 2012 MotoGP campaign will be like an extension of winter testing as he tries to make the Suter-BMW CRT project a competitive package in the new...

Danny Kent: Jerez test good gauge for early season prospects

19 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent: Jerez test good gauge for early season prospects

British teenager Danny Kent believes this week’s final Moto3 test at the Jerez track in Spain will give a clear indication of who is going to be competitive in the early part of the inaugural 250cc...

New chassis boost for Bradley Smith in Jerez

19 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

New chassis boost for Bradley Smith in Jerez

British rider Bradley Smith declared himself satisfied with the latest heavily revamped Tech 3 Moto2 machine in Jerez today, despite having to settle for a lowly 17th position on the timesheets. The...

Thomas Luthi sets pace as final Moto2 test begins in Jerez

19 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Thomas Luthi sets pace as final Moto2 test begins in Jerez

Swiss rider Thomas Luthi clocked the best time on the opening day of Moto2 testing at a sun-drenched Jerez circuit in Spain today, with Scott Redding, Bradley Smith and Gino Rea all outside the top...

Factory Ducati MotoGP livery unveiled

19 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Factory Ducati MotoGP livery unveiled

This is the new factory Ducati GP12 1000cc machine that the Bologna factory hopes will catapult nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi back to winning ways in MotoGP in 2012. This year’s new...

Jorge Lorenzo hints at long Yamaha career

16 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo hints at long Yamaha career

Yamaha’s desire to ensure Jorge Lorenzo remains on board a factory YZR-M1 beyond 2012 has been given a massive boost after the Spaniard indicated he’d be happy to end his career with the Japanese...

Yamaha ready to embrace lease price cap in MotoGP

16 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha ready to embrace lease price cap in MotoGP

Yamaha believes it wouldn’t have to drastically reduce the technical specification of its YZR-M1 1000cc machine if new MotoGP rules mean factories can only lease machinery for a maximum price of...

Facebook launch for Ducati GP12

16 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Facebook launch for Ducati GP12

Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden will officially unveil the Ducati GP12’s new livery with a special web launch on Facebook next Monday. MotoGP and Ducati fans will be able to watch live streaming of...

Gresini admits love for racing affected by Marco Simoncelli death

15 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Gresini admits love for racing affected by Marco Simoncelli death

Italian MotoGP team boss Fausto Gresini has admitted his love for motorcycle racing has been affected by the tragic death of his star rider Marco Simoncelli in Malaysia last October. Simoncelli was...

Colin Edwards: CRT pace not dangerously slow

15 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards: CRT pace not dangerously slow

Colin Edwards has denied the gap in performance between the factory prototype machines and new CRT 1000cc projects will be dangerous in the 2012 MotoGP world championship. Several top riders like...

Alvaro Bautista looking to tap into Honda potential

15 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista looking to tap into Honda potential

Alvaro Bautista believes he is yet to tap into the full potential of the new Honda RC213V machine as he prepares for the final pre-season MotoGP test in Jerez next week. The Spaniard, who launched the...

Ducati: Lease price limit means lower spec machinery

09 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ducati: Lease price limit means lower spec machinery

A 1m Euro (£830,000) cap on the cost of leasing a MotoGP bike in the future will make it impossible for Ducati to deliver the same high level of technology featured on its existing customer bikes. To...

Yamaha not worried by Casey Stoner’s testing dominance

09 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha not worried by Casey Stoner’s testing dominance

Yamaha has said the impressive speed shown by reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner in winter testing is not an early cause for concern ahead of the start of the 2012 campaign in Qatar next...

Barbera and Abraham to get new Ducati at fifth race?

09 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Barbera and Abraham to get new Ducati at fifth race?

Hector Barbera and Karel Abraham could have to wait until the fifth race of the 2012 MotoGP world championship in Catalunya before they get chance to ride the latest GP12 Desmosedici machine. The...

Yamaha satisfied new 1000 is competitive

06 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha satisfied new 1000 is competitive

Yamaha is confident its new factory YZR-M1 1000cc machine is competitive to challenge Casey Stoner and Honda for the 2012 MotoGP world championship crown. Stoner and Honda have dominated this year’s...

LCR Honda confident in Stefan Bradl’s MotoGP potential

06 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

LCR Honda confident in Stefan Bradl’s MotoGP potential

LCR Honda boss Lucio Cecchinello believes Stefan Bradl is destined for a big future in MotoGP after the German impressed during the latest pre-season test in Sepang last week. The reigning Moto2 world...

Yamaha denies switch to seamless shift gearbox in MotoGP

05 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha denies switch to seamless shift gearbox in MotoGP

Yamaha has denied its new factory YZR-M1 1000cc machine is equipped with a seamless shift gearbox similar to the systems used by Honda and Ducati in MotoGP. Rumours emerged during last week’s rain-hit...

MotoGP weight increase angers Honda and Yamaha

05 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP weight increase angers Honda and Yamaha

Honda and Yamaha have both condemned the late decision to increase the minimum weight limit for the new generation1000ccc MotoGP machines from 153kg to 157kg. Honda and Yamaha had both invested huge...

Chatter fails to end Casey Stoner’s winter dominance

02 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Chatter fails to end Casey Stoner’s winter dominance

It is going to take a lot more than a persistent chatter issue to end Casey Stoner’s domination of the MotoGP world championship after he topped the timesheets in Sepang this week. The 2011 world...

Tyre wear concerns Andrea Dovizioso

02 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Tyre wear concerns Andrea Dovizioso

Andrea Dovizioso said Bridgestone’s new soft construction tyres lose grip too quickly after he tried his first distance run on Yamaha’s YZR-M1 machine in Sepang yesterday. The Italian completed...

Valentino Rossi deflated after Sepang test

01 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi deflated after Sepang test

Valentino Rossi struggled to hide his disappointment after he slipped to a bitterly disappointing 10th place on the timesheets at the conclusion of the second Sepang MotoGP test in Malaysia today. The...

Tyre management key in 2012, says Jorge Lorenzo

01 March 2012 by Matthew Birt

Tyre management key in 2012, says Jorge Lorenzo

Jorge Lorenzo believes the rider who can save his tyres the longest in the inaugural 1000cc campaign will have the best chance of success after he completed an eye-opening race simulation on Yamaha’s...

Stoner back on top at Sepang

01 March 2012 by Liam Marsden

Stoner back on top at Sepang

Factory Honda rider Casey Stoner returned to the top of the timesheets on the third day of the Sepang MotoGP test after engine failure kept all Hondas off track yesterday. After all Honda riders –...

Valentino Rossi faces wait for Ducati improvements

29 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi faces wait for Ducati improvements

Ducati has told Valentino Rossi a range of improvements for the radically revamped GP12 will not be ready in time for the start of the inaugural 1000cc MotoGP world championship in early April. The...

Ben Spies quickest at rain-soaked Sepang

29 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies quickest at rain-soaked Sepang

Ben Spies ended another rain-hit day of testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia on top of the timesheets after Honda failed to complete a lap. An engine failure suffered by Dani Pedrosa in the final...

Jorge Lorenzo: “We’re closer to Honda”

29 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo: “We’re closer to Honda”

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo is confident that Yamaha’s new factory YZR-M1 1000cc machine will be a bigger threat to Honda and Casey Stoner in 2012. The Australian dominated the final 800cc world...

Engine failure sidelines Honda quartet in Sepang

29 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Engine failure sidelines Honda quartet in Sepang

An engine failure experienced by Dani Pedrosa on the opening day of MotoGP testing in Sepang yesterday forced HRC to prevent all four of its riders from participating on a rain-hit second day in...

Casey Stoner predicts much faster times in Sepang

28 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner predicts much faster times in Sepang

Reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner expects lap times to fall sharply over the remainder of the second Sepang test in Malaysia after he dominated a rain-hit opening day. The Repsol Honda rider...

Valentino Rossi aims for big progress in Sepang

28 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi aims for big progress in Sepang

The start of Valentino Rossi’s second test on board Ducati’s heavily revamped GP12 MotoGP machine proved to be a frustrating affair for the Italian after he finished in a lowly eighth on the opening...

Cal Crutchlow needs more time to evaluate revised Yamaha motor

28 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow needs more time to evaluate revised Yamaha motor

Cal Crutchlow ended the opening day of the second Sepang test in Malaysia with the seventh fastest time as scorching hot temperatures and then torrential rain thwarted his bid to properly assess a...

Casey Stoner quickest as storm disrupts first day in Sepang

28 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner quickest as storm disrupts first day in Sepang

Casey Stoner topped the timesheets on a rain disrupted opening day of MotoGP testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. The reigning MotoGP world champion needed only three laps in baking hot...

Karel Abraham withdraws from Sepang test

28 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Karel Abraham withdraws from Sepang test

Karel Abraham has withdrawn from the Sepang MotoGP test with the right shoulder and back injuries he suffered in a big high-side crash at Jerez last week proving too painful to continue. The Czech...

Valentino Rossi to focus on new electronics in Sepang

27 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi to focus on new electronics in Sepang

Valentino Rossi will use this week’s second Sepang test in Malaysia to concentrate on new electronics aimed at improving stability under acceleration with the radical new Ducati GP12 machine. Rossi...

Honda and Yamaha ready chassis updates for Sepang

27 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Honda and Yamaha ready chassis updates for Sepang

Honda and Yamaha are both likely to roll out new frames at this week’s second Sepang test to try and solve a chronic chatter issue with their new 1000cc projects. The new safer rear Bridgestone tyres...