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

Mugello MotoGP: Bradley Smith talks successful Italian job

31 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

British rider Bradley Smith seized the lead in the 125GP world championship with a dominant performance in an enthralling Italian GP in Mugello. The 18-year-old’s second victory in the last three...

Mugello GP: Casey Stoner takes the win in Italy

31 May 2009 by James Keen

Ducati Marlboro rider Casey Stoner took the win at Mugello to earn 25 points and a place at the top of the championship standings. Spaniard and Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo rallied after a crash on...

Mugello GP: Mattia Pasini claims home win

31 May 2009 by James Keen

Italian rider Mattia Pasini took the win in front of his home crowd at the Mugello 250 GP clash. On lap ten Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista and Metis Gilera rider Marco Simoncelli bashed fairings...

Mugello GP: Brit Bradley Smith victorious in 125 GP

31 May 2009 by James Keen

British rider Bradley Smith held off a last lap challenge from Nico Terol to take victory in the 125 GP at Mugello. This gives the young Bancaja Aspar Team rider the points he needs to take the lead...

Mugello MotoGP: Valentino Rossi confident despite missing front row

30 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi remains confident that he can claim an incredible eighth successive MotoGP victory in Mugello, despite missing out on a front row start in qualifying this afternoon. The Fiat Yamaha...

Mugello MotoGP: Italy stunned as Jorge Lorenzo grabs pole position

30 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi and thousands of his loyal fans were stunned in Mugello today as Jorge Lorenzo romped to pole position for the 23-lap Italian MotoGP clash. While world championship leader Lorenzo was...

Mugello MotoGP: 91 entries for Moto2 600cc class

30 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP bosses have confirmed massive interest in the new 600cc four-stroke Moto2 class, with applications for 91 riders to compete in the 250cc world championship replacement series. Interested teams had to submit applications for entry by yesterday (Friday) to the International Race Teams Association. And it has just been confirmed in Mugello the mass interest in the new class, which will...

Mugello MotoGP: More injury torment for Dani Pedrosa

30 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa’s injury nightmare continued in Mugello today, the luckless Spaniard suffering serious muscle damage in his right leg during an incident in this morning’s final free practice session. ...

Mugello MotoGP: James Toseland down in ‘disastrous’ 14th

30 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

British rider James Toseland branded his 14th place on the grid for tomorrow’s Italian MotoGP race a ‘disaster’. The 28-year-old gave himself a mountain to climb in tomorrow’s 23-lap race as a best...

Mugello GP: Bautista on pole for 250 GP

30 May 2009 by James Keen

Mapfre Apsar rider Alvaro Bautista has earned pole for the 250 GP by lapping Mugello in 1’52.804 in the 250 qualifying session. Metis Gilera rider Marco Simoncelli was second quickest, closely...

Mugello GP: Lorenzo quickest in qualifying

30 May 2009 by James Keen

Fiat Yamaha rider and current championship leader Jorge Lorenzo has secured pole position on the grid for tomorrow’s Mugello GP clash. The 22-year old Spaniard put in a 1’48.987 lap of the Italian...

Mugello MotoGP: Bradley Smith and Scott Redding 1-2 on grid

30 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith and Scott Redding claimed a stunning British 1-2 on the grid for tomorrow’s Italian 125GP race in Mugello. Incredibly, today’s result is the first time that a British duo has occupied...

Mugello MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo shocks Valentino Rossi

29 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo gave Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi plenty to think about after the Spaniard topped the timesheets in opening practice in Mugello today. A best...

Mugello MotoGP: Arm pump hinders James Toseland

29 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

British rider James Toseland was delighted with his performance in Mugello today, despite being severely restricted by a rare arm pump problem in a hot and humid opening free practice session. The...

Mugello MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa smashes top speed record at 217mph!

29 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Dani Pedrosa created history in Mugello this afternoon, the Spaniard’s Repsol Honda RC212V 800cc machine blasting through the speed traps at a record-breaking 217.04mph! The triple world champion...

Mugello MotoGP: Marco Melandri plays down home hopes

29 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Marco Melandri has played down his hopes of springing another major surprise in this weekend’s Italian MotoGP clash in Mugello. Melandri has been the sensation of the 2009 season so far and heads into...

Mugello MotoGP: Jorge Martinez targets 2010 MotoGP entry

29 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Martinez is launching another determined bid to join the MotoGP world championship in 2010. The Spaniard has been knocked back by Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki and Kawasaki in flawed attempts to move...

Valentino Rossi to race Lawson, Rainey and Roberts

28 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Italian icon Valentino Rossi will race fellow Yamaha MotoGP world champion’s Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey and Kenny Roberts in a special karting clash at the Laguna Seca GP in early July. The...

Mugello MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo chasing famous win

28 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo has admitted he will need to ride at the peak of his form to have any chance of ending Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi’s incredible home record in Mugello. Lorenzo heads into this...

Mugello MotoGP: Valentino Rossi feeling home pressure

26 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Valentino Rossi has admitted he is feeling the weight of expectation ahead of this weekend’s crucial Italian MotoGP race in Mugello. The 30-year-old is looking to notch an...

Mugello MotoGP: Casey Stoner predicts tough fight

26 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner is confident he can challenge Valentino Rossi’s domination of the Mugello race this weekend. Stoner is level on points with Rossi and is just a single point away from the Italian’s Fiat...

Mugello MotoGP: Nicky Hayden hopes to impress Ducati fans

26 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

American Nicky Hayden is hoping thousands of Ducati fans will inspire him to a major breakthrough on the GP9 MotoGP machine in this weekend’s massive Mugello clash. The Kentucky rider has had a...

Mugello MotoGP: Bradley Smith looks to strengthen title tilt

26 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Briton Bradley Smith is looking to strengthen his 125GP title bid in Mugello this weekend as he goes in search of a second podium of 2009. The 18-year-old goes into the Italian GP weekend trailing...

James Toseland targets qualifying improvement

22 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

James Toseland has admitted he needs to drastically improve his qualifying performances to boost his hopes of threatening closer to the top six in MotoGP. The British rider has shown steady...

Casey Stoner doubts Honda weakness

22 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Ducati’s Casey Stoner has questioned whether major complaints about the competitiveness of Honda’s new RC212V are fully justified. Repsol Honda duo Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso have both launched...

Hayate look for more improvement

22 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

The Hayate MotoGP team is looking to continue its startling 2009 progress to help Marco Melandri become a consistent top six finisher. The Italian has been the major sensation of the season so far...

Valentino Rossi shrugs off latest Ferrari F1 link

20 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has brushed aside the latest speculation linking him with a shock move to Ferrari in Formula One – despite showing his adeptness at pit stops during last weekend’s Le Mans MotoGP...

Suzuki duo await engine upgrade

20 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen are anxiously waiting news on whether Suzuki will be able to deliver a new GSV-R motor in time for the Italian GP race in Mugello. Suzuki is readying a new improved...

Casey Stoner not expecting major GP9 tweaks

20 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Former world champion Casey Stoner has denied his factory Ducati GP9 is about to receive a major overhaul to bolster the Aussie’s hopes of recapturing the MotoGP world title in 2009. Stoner is...

Rossi is great

20 May 2009 by wilf cook

I’ve met Valentino twice and he is great – just down to earth and very well mannered.

Nicky Hayden trying to stay positive

19 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden is adamant he will not let his current Ducati struggles get him down as the American desperately tries to put a positive slant on a nightmare start to 2009. The 2006 world champion has...

Dani’s Pedrosa’s Japanese MotoGP tyre issue unveiled

19 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Bridgestone have released the findings of an investigation into the front tyre issue that struck Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa during the recent Japanese MotoGP race. The Spaniard still managed to...

Valentino Rossi motivated by Jorge Lorenzo challenge

19 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Reigning world champion Valentino Rossi has told MCN the fierce challenge posed by Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo will help motivate him in hid bid to clinch a seventh premier class crown in...

Sete Gibernau targets Catalunya return

19 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Spanish veteran Sete Gibernau is hopeful he will be fit to return action in his home race in Catalunya next month after undergoing successful surgery on his broken left collarbone yesterday. Gibernau...

Le Mans MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo seizes championship lead

17 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo produced a masterful display of wet and dry weather riding to seize back the MotoGP world championship lead in Le Mans. The Spaniard’s second win in the last three races moved him to the...

Le Mans MotoGP: Marco Melandri hails stunning second

17 May 2009 by Matthew Birt

Marco Melandri was in dreamland after he produced the first major shock of 2009, the Italian riding the unfancied Hayate to a stunning second place in the French MotoGP race. The former world 250...