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

James Ellison eyes big step in Aragon test

27 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

James Ellison eyes big step in Aragon test

British rider James Ellison is confident he will be able to get much closer to the pace of the fastest CRT machines when he returns to the track on the new Aprilia ART 1000cc bike at the Motorland...

Randy de Puniet targets factory scalps

24 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Randy de Puniet targets factory scalps

Randy de Puniet says his priority for 2012 is to finish top CRT rider and at some races defeat the new 1000cc factory prototypes after an encouraging test in Jerez this week. The Frenchman ended the...

Meet and ride with Crutchlow and Smith at Silverstone

24 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Meet and ride with Crutchlow and Smith at Silverstone

You still have chance to grab a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride the spectacular Silverstone Grand Prix track with Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith on March 8. MCN has joined forces with...

James Ellison makes Aprilia MotoGP debut

22 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

James Ellison makes Aprilia MotoGP debut

James Ellison made his long-awaited return to MotoGP action in Jerez yesterday (Tuesday) when he got his first chance to test Aprilia’s new CRT machine. The former Tech 3 Yamaha rider, who will ride...

Cal Crutchlow boosted by 1000cc MotoGP switch

21 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow boosted by 1000cc MotoGP switch

British rider Cal Crutchlow is confident the switch from 800cc to 1000cc for the MotoGP world championship will boost his hopes of fighting consistently for the top six in 2012. The Monster Yamaha...

Casey Stoner gives insight into new 1000s

21 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner gives insight into new 1000s

Reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner has given his views and opinions on what it is like to ride Honda’s new factory RC213V machine ahead of the start of the new 1000cc world championship era...

Andrea Dovizioso set for style makeover

20 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso set for style makeover

Andrea Dovizioso will use next week’s Sepang test in Malaysia to continue tweaking his riding technique to suit the new Yamaha YZR-M1 1000cc MotoGP bike. The Italian spent his entire MotoGP career...

Danny Kent thrilled but surprised at Moto3 pace

20 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent thrilled but surprised at Moto3 pace

British teenager Danny Kent admitted he surprised himself with his blistering speed during last week’s Moto3 test at the Jerez track in Spain. The 18-year-old was in untouchable form throughout the...

Bradley Smith confident Tech 3 bike will be podium challenger

20 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith confident Tech 3 bike will be podium challenger

British rider Bradley Smith is confident the new Tech 3 Mistral 610 machine will be a serious Moto2 podium threat in 2012 after a positive and productive test in Jerez last week. The Oxfordshire rider...

Scott Redding and Danny Kent dominate Jerez test

19 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding and Danny Kent dominate Jerez test

Scott Redding shared top spot in the ultra-competitive Moto2 class and Danny Kent led the way in the new Moto3 series at the end of a tremendous three-day test for the Brits in Jerez. Gloucestershire...

Solid start for Scott Redding and Bradley Smith in Jerez

17 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Solid start for Scott Redding and Bradley Smith in Jerez

Scott Redding and Bradley Smith made a solid start to the Jerez Moto2 test in Spain yesterday (Thursday) when both posted lap times good enough to secure top ten places on a windy opening day. Marc...

Danny Kent sets Moto3 pace in Jerez

17 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent sets Moto3 pace in Jerez

British teenager Danny Kent’s hopes of emerging as a consistent podium threat in the new Moto3 class in 2012 got another major early boost in Jerez yesterday (Thursdsay). The Red Bull KTM rider topped...

Casey Stoner becomes a father for the first time

17 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner becomes a father for the first time

Reiging MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner and wife Adriana are celebrating the birth of their first child. Stoner became a father to a baby girl named Alessandra in Switzerland last night. A short...

Jorge Lorenzo surprised at slow CRT pace

16 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo surprised at slow CRT pace

Former world champion Jorge Lorenzo is the latest high profile rider to express concerns about the huge gulf in lap times between the factory 1000cc prototypes and new CRT machinery. The Spaniard got...

Estoril MotoGP gets go ahead for 2012

16 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Estoril MotoGP gets go ahead for 2012

Estoril will feature on the 2012 MotoGP world championship calendar after negotiations with rights owners Dorna were successfully concluded earlier this week. The Portuguese Grand Prix, scheduled to...

Casey Stoner expects resurgent Yamaha in 2012

15 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner expects resurgent Yamaha in 2012

Reigning MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner is expecting an even stronger challenge from Yamaha rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies in the inaugural 1000cc MotoGP world championship in 2012. The...

Ride Silverstone with Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith

15 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Ride Silverstone with Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith

All of us at some point have dreamed of following in the tyre tracks of Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and British Grand Prix heroes Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith by lapping the legendary Silverstone...

Marc Marquez motocross training but not ready for Moto2

14 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Marc Marquez motocross training but not ready for Moto2

Marc Marquez has regained sufficient vision back in his damaged right eye to begin training on a motocross bike, but the Spaniard is not yet ready to return to Moto2 action. Marquez has withdrawn from...

Stefan Bradl looking to kick Moto2 habits

14 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Stefan Bradl looking to kick Moto2 habits

Moto2 world champion Stefan Bradl admits he needs to kick old habits to become a consistent top 10 threat in MotoGP after an encouraging debut on Honda’s new RC213V machine in Sepang recently. The...

British Eurosport renews MotoGP deal

14 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

British Eurosport renews MotoGP deal

British Eurosport has extended its MotoGP deal to continue covering the world championship for 2012 and 2013. The contract extension means that MotoGP fans will continue to watch live coverage of the...

Danny Kent boosted by early Moto3 speed

14 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent boosted by early Moto3 speed

British teenager Danny Kent got a major pre-season boost in Valencia last week when he ended the first major Moto3 test with the fourth quickest time. The Red Bull KTM rider has made a brilliant...

Gino Rea close to securing Gresini Moto2 ride

14 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Gino Rea close to securing Gresini Moto2 ride

Despite appearing on the official 2012 Moto2 entry list and testing again for the Gresini Moriwaki squad in Valencia last week, British rider Gino Rea says his deal still hasn’t been signed to...

Scott Redding continues to dominate Valencia Moto2 test

10 February 2012

Scott Redding continues to dominate Valencia Moto2 test

Scott Redding’s brilliant start to the 2012 Moto2 winter testing campaign continued at a chilly Valencia yesterday. Having set the pace on the opening day with a lap of 1.36.5, the Kalex rider...

Scott Redding sets pace in Valencia Moto2 test

09 February 2012

Scott Redding sets pace in Valencia Moto2 test

Bitterly cold temperatures didn’t prevent British rider Scott Redding from making a brilliant start to 2012 in Valencia yesterday when he topped the timesheets on the opening day of Moto2 testing. A...

Bradley Smith eager to assess new Tech 3 Moto2 bike

07 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith eager to assess new Tech 3 Moto2 bike

It might not be a revamp of Ducati GP12 proportions, but Bradley Smith is eagerly anticipating finding out whether a brand new Mistral 610 machine he will debut in Valencia tomorrow (Wednesday) is the...

Scott Redding looking to continue fast winter form in Valencia

07 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding looking to continue fast winter form in Valencia

British rider Scott Redding is hoping to continue his dazzling pre-season form this week when the Moto2 testing campaign resumes in Valencia. The Marc VDS Racing rider topped the timesheets in Jerez...

Alvaro Bautista impressed with Honda electronics

07 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista impressed with Honda electronics

Alvaro Bautista reckons Honda’s electronics are so well advanced that when he made his RC213V 1000cc debut in Sepang last week he felt slower than Suzuki’s 800! The Spaniard finished ninth with a best...

Valentino Rossi has Mugello metalwork removed

07 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has Mugello metalwork removed

Valentino Rossi has undergone a successful operation to remove the titanium rod that was inserted in his right tibia following a high-speed practice crash at the 2010 Italian MotoGP race. The...

Kyle Ryde’s season in doubt

06 February 2012 by Gary Pinchin

Kyle Ryde’s season in doubt

British 125 champion Kyle Ryde’s plans to race a Moto3 Honda this year are in jeopardy after the team’s proposed title sponsor withdrew their backing at the 11th hour. Kyle’s father Sean told MCN: “We...

Suzuki to enter new 1000cc bike in selected races in 2013?

06 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki to enter new 1000cc bike in selected races in 2013?

Suzuki could be back on the MotoGP grid with a new factory GSV-R 1000cc machine as early as 2013. Veteran Japanese test rider Nobuatsu Aoki confirmed in Sepang last week that he was testing Suzuki’s...

More shoulder surgery for Nicky Hayden

06 February 2012 by Matthew Birt

More shoulder surgery for Nicky Hayden

Ducati and Valentino Rossi might be enjoying better fortunes in 2012 after a successful three-day test in Malaysia last week, though the same can’t be said for luckless American Nicky Hayden. The...

Sepang test: Stoner ends first pre-season test on top

02 February 2012 by Liam Marsden

Sepang test: Stoner ends first pre-season test on top

Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner ended the first pre-season test in Sepang at the top of the timesheets, despite torrential rain bringing the final day to a close 40 minutes earlier than...

Althea launch new look, two man WSB squad

02 February 2012 by Michael Guy

Althea launch new look, two man WSB squad

Reigning World Superbike champions Althea Ducati unveiled their two riders, new sponsors and new livery just three weeks before the 2012 season kicks off in Phillip Island. World Champion Carlos Checa...

Sepang test: Stoner leads day two

01 February 2012 by Liam Marsden

Sepang test: Stoner leads day two

MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner took to the Sepang circuit for the first time today after a back problem forced him to sit out yesterday’s session, and immediately inserted his dominance by setting...

Valentino Rossi thrilled with new Ducati GP12

31 January 2012 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi thrilled with new Ducati GP12

Valentino Rossi praised Ducati after he made a hugely encouraging debut on the all-new factory GP12 at the Sepang track in Malaysia today. Rossi’s first ride on the radical new bike, which has been...

Casey Stoner misses first day in Sepang

31 January 2012 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner misses first day in Sepang

Reigning world champion Casey Stoner didn’t complete a lap on the opening day of 2012 MotoGP testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia today after he was sidelined by a back injury. The Australian was...