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

Stefan Bradl signs two-year deal with LCR Honda

17 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Moto2 world champion Stefan Bradl has agreed a two-year deal with the LCR Honda MotoGP squad after impressing during testing at the Valencia circuit last week. Bradl seemed certain to remain in Moto2...

Brake protectors now mandatory in MotoGP

17 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Every machine racing in all three classes in next year’s MotoGP world championship must be fitted with a brake protector to try and prevent accidents similar to the multi-rider pile-up at the first...

Hand injury no influence on title defeat, admits Jorge Lorenzo

17 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo reckons the serious hand injury that forced him to miss the final three races of 2011 didn’t play a key role in him surrendering the MotoGP crown to Honda rival Casey Stoner. Lorenzo...

Scott Redding impressed with Kalex chassis

17 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

British rider Scott Redding produced an impressive performance on the new Kalex chassis he will race in the 2012 Moto2 world championship at the start of a three-day test in Valencia yesterday. The...

Dani Pedrosa pondering fresh shoulder surgery

16 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa is contemplating whether to have a plate removed from his right collarbone in the near future or delay further surgery until the end of the 2012 MotoGP world championship. The Repsol...

FTR to build chassis for new Gresini 1000cc project

15 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

British specialists FTR will design and build the chassis for Fausto Gresini’s new Honda CBR1000RR-powered MotoGP project in 2012. The Italian team owner has chosen the Buckingham company, who have...

Nicky Hayden undergoes successful wrist surgery

15 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden has undergone successful surgery on the right wrist he broke in two places during a multi-rider collision at the first corner of the final MotoGP race in Valencia earlier this month. The...

Loris Capirossi at ease with retirement decision

15 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi says he’s 100 per cent convinced that he made the right choice to quit MotoGP at the end of the 2011 campaign. The Italian veteran retired after 22 years in the world championship...

Casey Stoner confident new Honda will get faster

14 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner believes Honda’s impressive new RC213V machine has plenty of room for improvement, despite the Aussie and team-mate Dani Pedrosa’s domination of last week’s 1000cc test in...

Suzuki poised to officially confirm MotoGP withdrawal

14 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki is expected to officially confirm it will withdraw from the MotoGP world championship before the end of this week. The Japanese factory was set a deadline by Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta to...

Ducati happy with testing rule boost

11 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

New testing regulations for MotoGP will help Ducati try and bridge the gap to Japanese rivals Honda and Yamaha, according to the Bologna factory’s technical guru Filippo Preziosi. MotoGP bosses have...

Alvaro Bautista determined to honour Marco Simoncelli in 2012

11 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista has vowed to give his all to honour the memory of late Italian rider Marco Simoncelli in 2012 after he joined the Gresini Honda squad this week. Bautista quit Suzuki with the Japanese...

Great final race!

10 November 2011 by alan winstanley

Great race at the weekend to see out the 2011 MotoGP season!

Meeting Marco in 2009

10 November 2011 by den wilson

Marco and me at Donington, 2009.

Valentino Rossi looks ahead to crucial Sepang test

10 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi quickly turned his attention to a crucial first test of 2012 at the Sepang track in Malaysia next January after he finished over 1.5s away from the fastest pace during a two-day test...

Andrea Dovizioso seeks rear stability from Yamaha

10 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso made a solid rather than spectacular Yamaha 1000cc debut in Valencia this week after he ended the first test for 2012 with the fifth quickest time. The Italian clocked a best time of...

Cal Crutchlow impresses on Yamaha 1000cc debut

10 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow made an impressive start to the new 1000cc MotoGP era in Valencia this week when he ended a two-day test session at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in fourth place. The British rider finished...

First pic: Alvaro Bautista tests Gresini Honda

09 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista has made his debut for the Gresini Honda squad at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia this morning. The Spaniard has moved to the Italian squad after confirming he was leaving Suzuki...

Alvaro Bautista leaves Suzuki

09 November 2011 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista seems certain to move to the San Carlo Gresini Honda squad in 2012 after Suzuki confirmed in Valencia today that the former 125GP world champion has left the Japanese factory. Suzuki...