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

Loris Capirossi ruled out of Japanese Grand Prix

22 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi ruled out of Japanese Grand Prix

Loris Capirossi will miss next weekend’s Japanese MotoGP race at the Twin Ring Motegi after suffering a dislocated right shoulder during Sunday’s Motorland Aragon round in Spain. After initial...

HRC confident Andrea Dovizioso will sign for LCR Honda

22 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

HRC confident Andrea Dovizioso will sign for LCR Honda

HRC management are confident satellite team boss Lucio Cecchinello can successfully conclude lengthy negotiations with Andrea Dovizioso to prevent the Italian moving to rivals Yamaha. Speculation is...

Nothing left from GP11.1, concedes Nicky Hayden

22 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Nothing left from GP11.1, concedes Nicky Hayden

Nicky Hayden says Ducati’s factory GP11.1 has already reached the ceiling of its potential, even though he’s only raced the updated Desmosedici three times. Ducati first rolled out the GP11.1 back in...

MotoGP teams warned against food shipments to Japan

22 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP teams warned against food shipments to Japan

MotoGP teams were warned off packing their own food and water in shipping crates for next week’s Japanese MotoGP race. Several teams had asked whether they could pack provisions for the Twin Ring...

Yamaha ready for team orders to help Jorge Lorenzo

21 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha ready for team orders to help Jorge Lorenzo

Yamaha will have no hesitation in implementing controversial team orders if required to help Jorge Lorenzo successfully defend the MotoGP world title in 2011. The Spaniard trails Honda rival Casey...

Suter delays Moto3 project

21 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Suter delays Moto3 project

Swiss engineering specialist Suter Racing Technology, designers of the most popular chassis in Moto2, has shelved plans to build a complete machine for the new Moto3 class in 2012. A 250cc...

Casey Stoner: ‘Winning title at Phillip Island would be fantastic’

20 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner: ‘Winning title at Phillip Island would be fantastic’

Casey Stoner says winning his second MotoGP world crown in front of his home fans at Phillip Island next month would be ‘fantastic.’ The Repsol Honda rider dominated the Motorland Aragon race last...

Valentino Rossi to test deltabox aluminium frame

20 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi to test deltabox aluminium frame

Valentino Rossi will test a conventional deltabox aluminium chassis on Ducati’s factory GP12 machine in Jerez later this week after the Italian’s woeful 2011 continued at the Motorland Aragon. The new...

Ducati to take radiation experts to Japan

20 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Ducati to take radiation experts to Japan

Ducati will dispatch Italian experts to next week’s Japanese MotoGP to constantly monitor radiation levels in and around the Twin Ring Motegi circuit. MCN obtained a communication issued by the...

Aragon MotoGP: Valentino Rossi baffled by struggling Ducati

19 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aragon MotoGP: Valentino Rossi baffled by struggling Ducati

Valentino Rossi admitted he is starting to run out of ideas of how to transform Ducati’s fortunes after he slumped to a bitterly disappointing 10th place at the Motorland Aragon track. The Italian was...

Aragon MotoGP: Nicky Hayden vows to fight through Ducati struggles

19 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aragon MotoGP: Nicky Hayden vows to fight through Ducati struggles

Nicky Hayden said he would not get too disheartened by yet another nightmare MotoGP race for Ducati’s factory squad at the Motorland Aragon track in Spain. The American finished in a lowly seventh...

Aragon MotoGP: Casey Stoner hails Dani Pedrosa’s development skills

19 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aragon MotoGP: Casey Stoner hails Dani Pedrosa’s development skills

Casey Stoner praised Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa’s development skills after he continued his relentless charge to the 2011 MotoGP world title at the Motorland Aragon track yesterday...

Aragon MotoGP: Rear tyre issue frustrates Ben

19 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aragon MotoGP: Rear tyre issue frustrates Ben

Rapidly deteriorating rear tyre grip cost Ben Spies the chance to fight for a fourth MotoGP podium of the season at the Motorland Aragon track in Spain yesterday (Sunday). The Texan held third place...

Aragon MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo sees crown slipping away

19 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aragon MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo sees crown slipping away

Jorge Lorenzo has admitted facing an almost impossible task to prevent Honda rival Casey Stoner from taking his MotoGP crown in 2011. Lorenzo finished third at the end of a tough weekend for Yamaha’s...

Tech 3 thrilled to secure Bradley Smith on long-term

19 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 thrilled to secure Bradley Smith on long-term

Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal has spoken of his delight at securing British rider Bradley Smith on a long-term contract, as was revealed by MCN yesterday. The 20-year-old has signed a three-year deal...

Bradley Smith confirms Yamaha MotoGP deal

19 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith confirms Yamaha MotoGP deal

Bradley Smith has confirmed he will move to the MotoGP world championship in 2013 having signed a long-term deal with the Tech 3 squad, as was first reported by MCN yesterday. Smith inked a...

Bradley Smith close to Yamaha MotoGP deal for 2013

19 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith close to Yamaha MotoGP deal for 2013

Bradley Smith is close to agreeing a deal to join the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 MotoGP squad in 2013, MCN understands. The 20-year-old is understood to be negotiating a three-year deal with the Tech 3...

Aragon MotoGP: Stoner storms to eighth win of season

18 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Aragon MotoGP: Stoner storms to eighth win of season

Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner stormed to his eighth victory of the season at Aragon to extend his championship lead over Jorge Lorenzo to 44 points. Team-mate Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha’s Ben Spies beat...

Aragon MotoGP: Marquez battles to seventh win of season

18 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Aragon MotoGP: Marquez battles to seventh win of season

Reigning 125GP champion Marc Marquez has moved to within six points of championship leader Stefan Bradl with victory at Aragon after an epic battle. It took Marquez 14 laps to make his way to the...

Aragon MotoGP: Terol wins home race

18 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Aragon MotoGP: Terol wins home race

Championship leader Nicolas Terol has taken his eighth win of the season at the Motorland Aragon circuit. Terol took the lead at the first corner and from then on was unstoppable, as he edged away...

Aragon MotoGP: Valentino Rossi to start from pitlane

17 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aragon MotoGP: Valentino Rossi to start from pitlane

Valentino Rossi will start tomorrow’s Motorland Aragon MotoGP race from the pitlane having opted to go over his engine allocation after a disastrous qualifying session. Rossi will use a seventh engine...

Aragon MotoGP: Team orders not a factor, says Ben Spies

17 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aragon MotoGP: Team orders not a factor, says Ben Spies

Ben Spies says he doesn’t expect team orders to come into play during tomorrow’s Motorland Aragon race after he outpaced factory Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in qualifying. Spies will start...

Aragon MotoGP: Marquez secures Moto2 pole

17 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Aragon MotoGP: Marquez secures Moto2 pole

Reigning 125GP champion Marc Marquez will start from pole position for the sixth time this season tomorrow at his home Grand Prix at Aragaon. Marquez set a new pole record and was over half a second...

Aragon MotoGP: Stoner storms to pole despite crash

17 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Aragon MotoGP: Stoner storms to pole despite crash

Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner starts from pole for tomorrow’s race at the Motorland Aragon circuit despite crashing his number one bike. Stoner had just set his best lap of the session with 15...

Aragon MotoGP: Faubel steals pole position in final moments

17 September 2011 by Liam Marsden

Aragon MotoGP: Faubel steals pole position in final moments

Aspar Aprilia rider Hector Faubel will start tomorrow’s 19-lap race from pole position after taking pole in thie final moments of today’s qualifying by nine thousandths of a second. 16-year-old...

Aragon MotoGP: Aluminium frame only “small improvement’ says Valentino Rossi

16 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aragon MotoGP: Aluminium frame only “small improvement’ says Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi admitted the new aluminium chassis fitted on his factory Ducati at the Motorland Aragon today was only a small improvement after he ended a disrupted day of opening practice in eighth...

Power cut disrupts Motorland Aragon practice

16 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Power cut disrupts Motorland Aragon practice

A major power outage at the Motorland Aragon track this afternoon forced the cancellation of the second MotoGP and Moto2 practice sessions. The second MotoGP session was just about to start when a...

Paul Bird holds MotoGP talks at Motorland Aragon

16 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Paul Bird holds MotoGP talks at Motorland Aragon

Paul Bird has held ‘positive’ talks with MotoGP chief executive Carmelo Ezpeleta at the Motorland Aragon track in Spain today (Friday), with the high profile British team owner contemplating a premier...

Aragon MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa heads first practice

16 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aragon MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa heads first practice

Dani Pedrosa kicked off preparations for the Motorland Aragon MotoGP race in impressive fashion this morning, the Repsol Honda rider ending first free practice on top of the timesheets in hot and...

Aragon MotoGP: Valentino Rossi to race aluminium chassis in Aragon

15 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Aragon MotoGP: Valentino Rossi to race aluminium chassis in Aragon

Valentino Rossi has confirmed his factory Ducati machine will use an aluminium frame at this weekend’s Motorland Aragon race in Spain after a successful one-day test in Mugello last week. The...

Dovizioso and Laverty head Tech 3 shortlist for 2012

15 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Dovizioso and Laverty head Tech 3 shortlist for 2012

Andrea Dovizioso and Eugene Laverty are the leading candidates to join Cal Crutchlow in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad next season. Dovizioso’s manager Simone Batistella has been locked in talks with...

Provisional 2012 MotoGP calendar released

14 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Provisional 2012 MotoGP calendar released

The first 1000cc MotoGP clash will take place under the Losail International Circuit floodlights in Qatar on April 15 after a provisional 2012 calendar was released today. Next year’s world...

Tech 3 to offer Bradley Smith 2013 MotoGP deal

14 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 to offer Bradley Smith 2013 MotoGP deal

Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal is hoping the offer of a Yamaha MotoGP ride in 2013 will entice British rider Bradley Smith to sign a new Moto2 contract with the French squad. Smith turned down the...

Phillip Island back on winter testing schedule?

14 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Phillip Island back on winter testing schedule?

Phillip Island could make a surprise return to the MotoGP winter testing schedule in 2012. Plans are under discussion to let factory teams like Marlboro Ducati, Repsol Honda and Yamaha test at the...

Dani Pedrosa shrugs off HRC criticism

14 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa shrugs off HRC criticism

Dani Pedrosa has dismissed shock criticism from senior Honda management, who believe the Spaniard played a major role in the incident that destroyed his 2011 MotoGP world title hopes. Pedrosa broke...

Argentina back on MotoGP calendar in 2013

14 September 2011 by Matthew Birt

Argentina back on MotoGP calendar in 2013

Argentina is set to make a return to the MotoGP world championship calendar for the first time since 1999 after Dorna signed a new deal to race in the South American nation from 2013. A three-year...