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

More Bradley Smith please

11 November 2009 by hyabusa47

Bradley Smith in MCN this week. Hi all first of all well done on the MCN being reading it weekly for years so keep up the good work. My only issue was that reading the sports section this week I see no mention of Bradley Smith at all. Come on whats going on? The guy has rode exceptional well this year and has produced some excellent viewing and sometimes the 125 racing has been better viewing...

Scot Honda quit MotoGP

11 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Scot Honda quit MotoGP

Only 17 bikes will contest the 2010 MotoGP world championship after the cash-strapped Scot Honda squad confirmed it has abandoned plans to race in the premier class next season. The Italian team had...

Blog: Thanks, JT

11 November 2009 by Mike Nicks

Blog: Thanks, JT

Thanks, James Toseland, for everything you’ve done for British motorcycling in the past two years. If you hadn’t had the guts to risk the move from a safe home in WSB to leap into the raging MotoGP...

Manx Tattoo

11 November 2009 by gareth keep

I passengered at the TT for derek rumble jnr. 1987 to 1991. I had this done earlier in this year, so there will always a part of the island in my heart.

Jorge Lorenzo fastest in Valencia

10 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo fastest in Valencia

Jorge Lorenzo ended his 2009 MotoGP campaign on a high when the Spaniard topped the timesheets on the second day of testing in Valencia today. Continuing to assess a new chassis on his Fiat Yamaha...

Bradley Smith signs new 125GP deal

10 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith signs new 125GP deal

British teenager Bradley Smith will stay in the 125GP world championship in 2010. The Oxfordshire rider has signed a new deal with the Aspar Aprilia squad having been unable to secure a switch to the...

Tech 3 confirm Moto2 line-up

10 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 confirm Moto2 line-up

Raffaele de Rosa and former Scot Honda MotoGP rider Yuki Takahashi will ride for the new Tech 3 Moto2 squad in 2010. Italian de Rosa finished sixth in this year’s 250cc world championship and a...

Tech 3 sign Jorge Lorenzo’s former boss

10 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 sign Jorge Lorenzo’s former boss

The French-based Tech 3 squad has pulled off a big coup by confirming that Jorge Lorenzo’s former Fiat Yamaha team boss will join its Moto2 effort in 2010. Italian Daniele Romagnoli will work as...

British MotoGP date changed in calendar reshuffle

10 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

British MotoGP date changed in calendar reshuffle

The 2010 British MotoGP race at Silverstone will now take place on June 20, as was revealed by MCN yesterday. The Silverstone date has been pushed back two weeks from June 6, with five dates changing...

Casey Stoner fastest in first 2010 test

09 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner fastest in first 2010 test

A new factory Ducati engine with revised firing order catapulted Casey Stoner to the quickest time on the opening day of 2010 winter testing in Valencia today. In sunny but blustery conditions, the...

Silverstone MotoGP set for date change?

09 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Silverstone MotoGP set for date change?

MCN understands the date of the 2010 British MotoGP at Silverstone will be moved in a reshuffle of next year’s premier class calendar. Although no new date has been officially released, it is...

Valencia MotoGP: Tyre vibration ruins James Toseland's farewell

09 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Tyre vibration ruins James Toseland's farewell

James Toseland made an emotional exit from MotoGP after a rear tyre vibration problem wrecked his hopes of leaving the premier class with a top ten finish. The 28-year-old, who has lost his ride with...

Valencia MotoGP: Ben Spies "super happy" with seventh

09 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Ben Spies "super happy" with seventh

Ben Spies declared himself “super happy” after he ended an impressive Yamaha MotoGP debut in seventh place in Valencia yesterday. The Texan produced one of the most eye-catching performances of a...

Valencia MotoGP: Casey Stoner stunned by warm-up lap crash

09 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Casey Stoner stunned by warm-up lap crash

Casey Stoner could not hide his frustration and disappointment after the Aussie crashed out on the warm-up lap of yesterday’s Valencia MotoGP race. Starting from pole position, the 24-year-old was a...

Valencia MotoGP: Valentino Rossi content with second

09 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Valentino Rossi content with second

Valentino Rossi went some way to burying his Valencia jinx after he ended 2009 with a hard fought second place yesterday. The 30-year-old’s 13th podium of the season was his best in Valencia since...

Valencia MotoGP: Colin Edwards grateful to Ben Spies

09 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Colin Edwards grateful to Ben Spies

Colin Edwards gave new Monster Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies a massive post race hug in Valencia yesterday after the Texan secured a brilliant fifth place in the 2009 MotoGP world championship. ...

Valencia MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa signs off 2009 in style

09 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa signs off 2009 in style

Dani Pedrosa took full advantage of Casey Stoner’s shock warm-up lap blunder to record only his second victory of a tough season in yesterday’s Valencia MotoGP clash. With Stoner a red-hot pre-race...

Valencia MotoGP: Bradley Smith happy despite late defeat

09 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Bradley Smith happy despite late defeat

Bradley Smith signed off a brilliant 2009 with yet another last lap defeat to new world champion and Aspar Aprilia team-mate Julian Simon in Valencia yesterday. The 18-year-old twice passed Simon on a...

Kenny Roberts abandons Moto2 plan

09 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Kenny Roberts abandons Moto2 plan

Kenny Roberts has abandoned plans to compete in the new Moto2 world championship. The American legend did have two places on the provisional grid for the new 600cc four-stroke class, which...

Valencia MotoGP: Hiroshi Aoyama interview

08 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Hiroshi Aoyama interview

Hiroshi Aoyama has spoken of his milestone success in Valencia after the Japanese rider clinched the last 250cc two-stroke world championship this afternoon. The Japanese rider gave an interview after...

Valencia MotoGP: Pedrosa takes win at final round

08 November 2009 by Liam Marsden

Valencia MotoGP: Pedrosa takes win at final round

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa took a dominant victory at the final race of 2009 at Valencia after getting the holeshot from the start. Ducati rider Casey Stoner qualified in pole position yesterday but didn’t...

Valencia MotoGP: Hiroshi Aoyama wins last 250GP title

08 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Hiroshi Aoyama wins last 250GP title

Japanese rider Hiroshi Aoyama survived a massive scare in Valencia today to claim a historic final 250GP world championship success. Holding a commanding 21-point lead going into the title decider...

Valencia MotoGP: Bradley Smith defeated in last lap thriller

08 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Bradley Smith defeated in last lap thriller

Bradley Smith suffered a third successive last lap defeat to Aspar Aprilia team-mate Julian Simon after a thrilling 125GP in Valencia today. Smith recovered superbly from an early disaster when his...

Valencia MotoGP: Valentino Rossi unhappy with pace

07 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Valentino Rossi unhappy with pace

Valentino Rossi faces a mountain to climb to end his 2009 campaign with victory in Valencia tomorrow. The Italian will start the 30-lap race from fourth on the grid having struggled with rear grip in...

MotoGP: Ben Spies thrilled with top ten

07 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP: Ben Spies thrilled with top ten

Ben Spies showed why he’s so highly rated by Yamaha after he qualified in the top ten in Valencia today after just three hours on board a YZR-M1 machine. The Texan, who recently clinched Yamaha’s...

Valencia MotoGP: James Toseland disappointed in 14th

07 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: James Toseland disappointed in 14th

James Toseland could not hide his disappointment after he qualified in a lowly 14th place for his final MotoGP in Valencia, the British rider comfortably outpaced by Ben Spies. A lap of 1.34.107 left...

Valencia MotoGP: Top four are aliens, says Colin Edwards

07 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Top four are aliens, says Colin Edwards

Colin Edwards reckons Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa are ‘aliens’ after he had to settle for fifth place on the grid for the sixth time in the last seven races in...

Valencia MotoGP: Casey Stoner romps to pole

07 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Casey Stoner romps to pole

Casey Stoner dominated the final qualifying session of 2009 as British rider James Toseland was humbled by reigning World Superbike champion Ben Spies in Valencia today. Aussie Stoner claimed only his...

Valencia MotoGP: Danny Webb suffers more injury misery

07 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Danny Webb suffers more injury misery

British rider Danny Webb suffered more injury misery after a spectacular high-side crash in the early stages of this afternoon’s 125GP qualifying session in Valencia. The 18-year-old was just about to...

Valencia MotoGP: Bradley Smith secures front row

07 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Bradley Smith secures front row

Having struggled in windy conditions yesterday to finish only 13th quickest, British teenager Bradley Smith stormed back to form in today’s 125GP qualifying session to secure his ninth front row start...

Valencia MotoGP: New 800cc bike breaks cover

07 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: New 800cc bike breaks cover

The new Inmotec 800cc MotoGP machine got its public debut in Valencia yesterday, with the ambitious squad revealing plans to compete in at least four races in 2010. Speaking at a special launch of the...

Valencia MotoGP: Sito Pons team shows off Kalex Moto2 bike

07 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Sito Pons team shows off Kalex Moto2 bike

Former 250GP world champion and leading MotoGP team boss Sito Pons showed off the bike his Spanish squad will campaign in the inaugural Moto2 600cc four-stroke world championship in 2010. Pons’ team...

Valencia MotoGP: New Italian Moto2 bike unveiled

07 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: New Italian Moto2 bike unveiled

This is a new Italian contender built for the new Moto2 class that was unveiled in the Valencia paddock yesterday. Built by Modena-based NCS Rapid Inside, the bike will be exclusively run by the Scot...

Valencia MotoGP: James Toseland just edges out Ben Spies

06 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: James Toseland just edges out Ben Spies

James Toseland started his final race for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad by clocking the 13th best time in opening practice at Valencia. And much to the relief of the 28-year-old, his best lap of...

Tech 3’s new Moto2 entry

06 November 2009 by Gary Pinchin

Tech 3’s new Moto2 entry

Alex Hofmann just posted this pic on Twitter of the new Tech 3 Moto2 bike that’s on display at Valencia this weekend. He said: ”So 250s gonna die this weekend! Just had a seat on the Tech 3 moto2...

Valencia MotoGP: Casey Stoner fastest with late attack

06 November 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valencia MotoGP: Casey Stoner fastest with late attack

Aussie Casey Stoner comfortably set the fastest time in Valencia today after producing a brilliant series of fast laps in the final minutes of opening practice for Sunday’s final MotoGP race. In...