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

Scott Redding storms Jerez Moto2 test

29 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding storms Jerez Moto2 test

Scott Redding’s hopes of making an immediate impression in the new Moto2 world championship were boosted when he ended the second day of testing in Jerez yesterday with the second fastest time. The...

Alvaro Bautista happy with Suzuki move

29 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista happy with Suzuki move

When Alvaro Bautista signed a deal to join Suzuki’s struggling factory MotoGP squad, many questioned the wisdom of his choice. Suzuki had its worst premier class campaign since 2004 last year and...

Mika Kallio confident in new Ducati motor

26 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Mika Kallio confident in new Ducati motor

Mika Kallio is confident Ducati’s impressive new GP10 motor will help the Finn establish himself a consistent top ten finisher in MotoGP this year. Ducati has rolled out a smoother Big Bang engine...

2010 Tech 3 Yamaha line-up is best ever

26 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

2010 Tech 3 Yamaha line-up is best ever

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal reckons his 2010 all-American squad featuring Colin Edwards and Ben Spies is the strongest he’s ever fielded. The French team boss is confident of another...

Hector Barbera expects tough rookie campaign

26 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Hector Barbera expects tough rookie campaign

Spanish rider Hector Barbera has admitted that his debut campaign in MotoGP in 2010 will be a tough one after the Aspar Ducati squad was officially launched in Spain this week. Last year’s 250GP...

Bradley Smith targets 125 success

26 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith targets 125 success

British teenager Bradley Smith reckons he’s ready and better prepared than ever to mount a serious assault on the world 125GP crown in 2010. Smith’s Aspar Aprilia squad was unveiled in Spain earlier...

Yamaha success not just about the bike, says Ben Spies

25 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha success not just about the bike, says Ben Spies

Reigning World Superbike champion Ben Spies reckons Yamaha’s domination of MotoGP is not solely down to the all-round performance of the Japanese factory’s YZR-M1 machine. Italian legend Valentino...

Casey Stoner admits diet worry

25 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner admits diet worry

Former MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner has admitted that sticking religiously to a diet free from lactose is proving a tough challenge ahead of the new premier class campaign. Stoner was...

Ducati boss hails new engine performance

24 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Ducati boss hails new engine performance

Ducati boss Vittoriano Guareschi has hailed the performance of the Bologna factory’s new Big Bang GP10 motor after Casey Stoner topped the timesheets at the final winter test in Qatar last...

Jorge Lorenzo reveals truth behind hand injury

24 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo reveals truth behind hand injury

Jorge Lorenzo has revealed the badly broken right thumb that disrupted his pre-season MotoGP plans was not the result of a motocross training accident. Lorenzo missed the second Sepang test in...

Alvaro Bautista benefiting from Loris Capirossi’s experience

24 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista benefiting from Loris Capirossi’s experience

Suzuki rookie Alvaro Bautista reckons he’s learning how to adapt quicker to MotoGP thanks to help and advice coming from vastly experienced team-mate Loris Capirossi. Bautista has been steadily...

Casey Stoner boosted by Nicky Hayden resurgence

23 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner boosted by Nicky Hayden resurgence

Casey Stoner has backed factory Ducati team-mate Nicky Hayden for a successful 2010 MotoGP campaign after the American finished winter testing in promising form. Hayden concluded the shortened...

Suzuki boss praises winter testing effort

23 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki boss praises winter testing effort

With only two bikes on the grid and one of those being ridden by an inexperienced rookie, it’s perhaps fair to say the busiest rider in winter testing has been veteran Italian Loris Capirossi. With...

Colin Edwards ready for strong Ben Spies challenge

23 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards ready for strong Ben Spies challenge

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal believes the instant impact made by Texan Ben Spies in MotoGP will inspire team-mate Colin Edwards in 2010. Double World Superbike champion Edwards was...

Valentino Rossi delighted with versatile 2010 Yamaha

22 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi delighted with versatile 2010 Yamaha

Reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi believes Yamaha’s ability to work at a range of different tracks and in varying conditions will prove a precious asset in 2010. The Italian is aiming to...

Yamaha satisfied with 2010 engine performance

22 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha satisfied with 2010 engine performance

Valentino Rossi’s team boss Davide Brivio believes the Italian’s hopes of capturing a 10th world title in 2010 have been massively boosted by the performance of Yamaha’s new factory YZR-M1...

Casey Stoner ends 2010 pre-season on top

20 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner ends 2010 pre-season on top

Casey Stoner ended Valentino Rossi’s domination of the 2010 MotoGP pre-season campaign with an impressive display on Ducati’s factory GP10 machine in Qatar tonight. The Aussie slashed 0.4s off his...

Valentino Rossi dazzles under Qatar floodlights

18 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi dazzles under Qatar floodlights

Reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi continued his phenomenal pre-season form in Qatar tonight. The Italian ended the first night of the penultimate test under the Losail International...

Hungary off MotoGP calendar again

18 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Hungary off MotoGP calendar again

The Hungarian round of the 2010 MotoGP world championship at the Balatonring has been cancelled for a second successive year. Due to take place on September 19 and be the 14th round of this year’s...

Julian Simon impresses in Ducati MotoGP test

18 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Julian Simon impresses in Ducati MotoGP test

Reigning world 125GP champion Julian Simon has produced an eye-catching performance in Jerez after making a shock debut on Ducati’s GP10 test bike. With Ducati’s test rider Franco Battaini sidelined...

FB Corse to enter MotoGP in Jerez

18 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

FB Corse to enter MotoGP in Jerez

The new FB Corse squad claims to have been given approval to start racing in the 2010 MotoGP world championship from the third round in Jerez. The three-cylinder project has been given the green light...

Satellite Ducati boss demands big improvement

17 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Satellite Ducati boss demands big improvement

Pramac Ducati boss Paolo Campinoti has said he expects significantly better results in 2010 from Finn Mika Kallio and Spanish rookie Aleix Espargaro. Campinoti branded a tough 2009 as one of the worst...

Pramac Ducati goes green for 2010

17 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Pramac Ducati goes green for 2010

The Pramac Ducati squad has gone all eco-friendly for the 2010 MotoGP world championship having unveiled its new paintscheme for Mika Kallio and Aleix Espargaro in Qatar today. Instead of its...

Qatar confirms Monday race if rain strikes again

17 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Qatar confirms Monday race if rain strikes again

The opening round of the 2010 MotoGP world championship will be held at night on Monday, April 12 if the scheduled race on the previous night is postponed. Teams have already been notified of the...

Anthony West and MZ given Moto2 lifeline

17 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Anthony West and MZ given Moto2 lifeline

Former factory Kawasaki MotoGP rider Anthony West will contest the inaugural Moto2 world championship in 2010. The Aussie has been given clearance to ride in the 250cc two-stroke replacement class...

Hiroshi Aoyama adjusting to MotoGP electronics

17 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Hiroshi Aoyama adjusting to MotoGP electronics

Reigning 250GP world champion Hiroshi Aoyama reckons getting accustomed to the huge influence of electronic rider aids will be one of the biggest challenges ahead of his rookie MotoGP campaign in...

Ben Spies reveals modest 2010 ambitions

16 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Ben Spies reveals modest 2010 ambitions

Ben Spies has never been one for making outlandish predictions. Yet the normally guarded Texan broke rank recently, revealing his 2010 MotoGP aspirations after another attention-grabbing performance...

2010 is make or break, admits Marco Melandri

15 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

2010 is make or break, admits Marco Melandri

Marco Melandri has conceded 2010 could make or break his career. The Italian reckons he’s got one last chance in the premier class after an appalling 2008 campaign with Ducati and the stress of...

Suzuki boss expectant ahead of Qatar test

15 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki boss expectant ahead of Qatar test

Suzuki boss Paul Denning has told MCN the acid test of how much the 2010 factory GSV-R machine has improved will come during this week’s final winter test session in Qatar. A major target for Suzuki...

Motivated Dani Pedrosa reveals 2010 targets

15 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Motivated Dani Pedrosa reveals 2010 targets

Factory Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has targeted a consistent challenge for race wins in 2010 as the MotoGP paddock prepares to conclude pre-season preparations in Qatar this week. Speaking at the...

Jorge Lorenzo confirms Qatar test participation

15 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo confirms Qatar test participation

Last year’s MotoGP world championship runner-up Jorge Lorenzo has confirmed he will participate in the final winter test session in Qatar later this week. The Spaniard was a major doubt having broken...

Lorenzo doubtful for Qatar test

09 March 2010 by Marc Potter

Lorenzo doubtful for Qatar test

Jorge Lorenzo has confirmed to MCN that he is unlikely to make the next pre-season testing following a broken right hand in a motocross training accident on February 12. Lorenzo, 22, was speaking...

Valentino Rossi urges re-think from Marco Simoncelli

05 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi urges re-think from Marco Simoncelli

Valentino Rossi has urged close pal Marco Simoncelli to take time to analyse why he has having such a baptism of fire in MotoGP, Rossi has tipped his compatriot to emerge as a major future star in...

Colin Edwards praises Yamaha development

05 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards praises Yamaha development

Colin Edwards has heaped praise on Yamaha after his impressive start to the 2010 MotoGP world championship testing campaign. The Texan has finished in the top five in both Sepang tests in Malaysia...

Suzuki delighted with Alvaro Bautista impact

05 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki delighted with Alvaro Bautista impact

Suzuki’s factory MotoGP boss Paul Denning has spoken of his delight at the early performances of new recruit Alvaro Bautista. The Spaniard produced easily his best performance on the new GSV-R machine...

Marco Melandri expects good relationship with Marco Simoncelli

05 March 2010 by Matthew Birt

Marco Melandri expects good relationship with Marco Simoncelli

Former MotoGP world championship runner-up Marco Melandri is confident the fact that he will partner another big name Italian star in the same team in 2010 won’t be a major issue. The former world...