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

Casey Stoner ‘disappointed’ with wrist operation

18 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner ‘disappointed’ with wrist operation

Former MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner has said he disappointed with the outcome of the left wrist operation that has still not fully recovered from. Despite topping the timesheets on his comeback...

Silverstone provides fresh start for British MotoGP

18 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Silverstone provides fresh start for British MotoGP

Silverstone bosses believe commitment to make radical on and off track changes convinced Dorna to move the British MotoGP race away from its long established home at Donington Park. Asked why he...

Silverstone happy with British MotoGP deal

18 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Silverstone happy with British MotoGP deal

Silverstone Managing Director Richard Phillips believes the Northamptonshire circuit has got value for money with its five-year British MotoGP deal. When Silverstone won the rights to host the British...

MCN Exclusive: Silverstone unveils £5m British MotoGP revamp

18 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

MCN Exclusive: Silverstone unveils £5m British MotoGP revamp

Silverstone’s £5m revamp for the 2010 British MotoGP will have two prime goals – close racing and a better viewing experience for the paying public. That is the blueprint for Silverstone Managing...

Waiting game continues for Marco Melandri

17 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Waiting game continues for Marco Melandri

Italian Marco Melandri still has no clear idea whether he will be able to take his place in the 2009 MotoGP world championship. Left with the prospect that he would not have a ride following the...

2009 MotoGP cost cuts to be agreed

17 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

2009 MotoGP cost cuts to be agreed

Cost-cutting measures for the 2009 season to help theMotoGP world championship ride out the global economic crisis should be finalised tomorrow (Wednesday). The Grand Prix Commission will convene in...

Edwards impressed with Bridgestone endurance

17 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Edwards impressed with Bridgestone endurance

Tech 3 Yamaha rider Colin Edwards has declared himself delighted with the endurance and consistency of Bridgestone’s tyres. The Michelin stalwart completed his first long distance run on Bridgestone...

Sete Gibernau still looking to master electronics

17 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Sete Gibernau still looking to master electronics

Sete Gibernau has told MCN that he is still trying to adapt to the huge increase in electronics since he last raced in MotoGP in 2006. The Spaniard spent the majority of the last test session in...

MotoGP grid numbers unlikely to increase in 2010

17 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP grid numbers unlikely to increase in 2010

Plans to introduce a one bike per ride rule next year in MotoGP to help bolster dwindling grid numbers in 2010 appear to be seriously flawed before the approval stage. Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta...

Nicky Hayden: ‘I expect more’

17 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden: ‘I expect more’

American Nicky Hayden has admitted that he expected much more from his recent 2009 MotoGP debut in Sepang. The new factory Ducati rider was only 11th quickest in the Far East and struggling to get...

Celebrating Rossi's 30th

16 February 2009 by ashley bland

Celebrating Rossi's 30th

We had our own birthday party to help celebrate in style valentino’s 30th birthday. good time had by all!

Valentino Rossi’s 30th birthday messages

16 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s 30th birthday messages

Tom Cruise and Daniel Day-Lewis might have been the A-list stars delivering personal messages to Valentino Rossi on his 30th birthday. But a host of people have been passing on their congratulations...

Kevin Schwantz sad at British MotoGP switch

16 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Kevin Schwantz sad at British MotoGP switch

American legend Kevin Schwantz has spoken of his sadness at seeing his beloved Donington Park lose the British MotoGP race to Silverstone from 2010. Four of Schwantz’s 25 MotoGP victories were...

Hollywood says Happy Birthday to Valentino Rossi

16 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Hollywood says Happy Birthday to Valentino Rossi

Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Daniel Day-Lewis have both sent 30th birthday messages to reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi. Top Gun star Cruise, who attended last year’s American GP race...

Scott Redding tipped as 125GP title challenger

16 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding tipped as 125GP title challenger

German Stefan Bradl believes British sensation Scott Redding will be a serious contender for the 2009 125GP world championship. Speaking at the launch of his Kiefer Racing Aprilia team at the famous...

Valentino Rossi celebrates 30th birthday

16 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi celebrates 30th birthday

Italian MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi is celebrating his 30th birthday today (Monday). Rossi, who began his world championship career with Aprilia in the 1996 125GP series, has gone onto become one of...

Maxtra searching for engine speed

16 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Maxtra searching for engine speed

Increasing engine performance is the next key target for the new Maxtra 125GP squad after a successful two-day test session in Valencia last week. British rookie Matt Hoyle and Austrian Michael...

Matt Hoyle improves but crashes in Valencia

15 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Matt Hoyle improves but crashes in Valencia

British 125GP rookie escaped injury in a crash on the final day of testing in Valencia as he on the new Maxtra machine. The 17-year-old former Red Bull Rookie star knocked a massive three seconds off...

Colin Edwards renews attack on James Toseland

13 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards renews attack on James Toseland

Colin Edwards has launched another attack on British rider James Toseland over the controversial crew chief switch at Tech 3 Yamaha for 2009. Edwards lost his crew chief Gary Reynders to Toseland for...

Kenny Roberts stars in celebrity golf tournament

13 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Kenny Roberts stars in celebrity golf tournament

American MotoGP legend Kenny Roberts’ departure from the paddock enabled him to spend more time indulging in his passion for golf. And the Californian seems to have put his spare time to good use as...

Pics: James Toseland’s Sepang crash helmet

13 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Pics: James Toseland’s Sepang crash helmet

These exclusive pictures of James Toseland’s Airoh helmet shows why the British rider was lucky to escape with only minor injuries after his 125mph testing high-side in Sepang. Toseland destroyed his...

Fast start for Marco Simoncelli in Valencia

13 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Fast start for Marco Simoncelli in Valencia

Reigning world 250GP champion Marco Simoncelli kicked off preparations for the defence of his crown in positive fashion when he logged the quickest time in Valencia yesterday (Thursday). The Italian...

Matt Hoyle makes official 125GP debut

13 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Matt Hoyle makes official 125GP debut

British rider Matt Hoyle made his debut for the new Maxtra 125GP team in Valencia yesterday (Thursday), ending 10th quickest for the John Surtees-inspired project. The 17-year-old clocked a best time...

A chance encounter with James Toseland

13 February 2009 by Tricia Bignell

A chance encounter with James Toseland

I thought you may like to see these pictures of a huge coincidence! I was waiting for a flight to Holland at Birmingham airport on Wednesday (11th) and had just been reading my MCN about poor JT’s...

Valentino Rossi drinks MCN’s Monster

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi drinks MCN’s Monster

This is the first official picture of Valentino Rossi using energy drink Monster – using cans hand delivered by MCN! MCN MotoGP reporter Matthew Birt carried out five cans of Monster in his luggage to...

My Rossi tattoo

12 February 2009 by david owen

My Rossi tattoo

I was hoping you would print a photo of my new Valentino tattoo. I’ve just had it done for the new season and was really hoping to get it personally signed by rossi when he comes to Donington. Ed:...

James Toseland given all-clear after 125mph Sepang crash

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

James Toseland given all-clear after 125mph Sepang crash

James Toseland has been given the all-clear following medical checks after his spectacular 125mph high-side crash during last week’s Sepang MotoGP test session in Malaysia. The British rider passed...

Andrea Dovizioso sure Honda will be competitive

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso sure Honda will be competitive

Italian Andrea Dovizioso is confident that Honda’s new RC212V will be competitive enough to challenge Yamaha and Ducati in the 2009 MotoGP world championship. The former world 125 champion reckons the...

Ducati hold high expectations for Mika Kallio

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Ducati hold high expectations for Mika Kallio

Ducati bosses are confident that Finnish rookie Mika Kallio will be able to make a big impression in MotoGP in his rookie campaign. The former KTM 250GP rider continued his promising pre-season...

Casey Stoner ready to step up training

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner ready to step up training

Former MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner will step up his pre-season training campaign after he topped the timesheets at last week’s Sepang test in Malaysia. The Aussie cast aside the constant pain...

Valentino Rossi doubts Kawasaki quit motives

12 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi doubts Kawasaki quit motives

Reigning world champion Valentino Rossi has voiced doubts that Kawasaki quit the MotoGP world championship purely because of the global economic crisis. Kawasaki quit MotoGP at the beginning of...

Winter testing to be slashed again in MotoGP

11 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Winter testing to be slashed again in MotoGP

Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner’s winter preparations for the 2010 MotoGP world championship could be restricted to just eight days of testing under future cost-cutting plans. The impact of the...

Loris Capirossi fitter and stronger for 2009

11 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi fitter and stronger for 2009

Italian veteran Loris Capirossi reckons a punishing new training regime has put him in the best physical shape of his long career ahead of his 20th MotoGP campaign in 2009. The triple world champion...

Randy de Puniet admits Bridgestone troubles

11 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Randy de Puniet admits Bridgestone troubles

French rider Randy de Puniet is hoping he can find a direction with Bridgestone’s 2009 tyres after he struggled badly during the opening test in Malaysia last week. The LCR Honda rider could only post...

Yamaha boss reluctant to stop engine development

11 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha boss reluctant to stop engine development

Yamaha’s MotoGP boss Masao Furusawa believes urgent cost-cutting measures must not sacrifice engineering and technology development. Furusawa, who has masterminded Yamaha’s return to prominence since...

Valentino Rossi not surprised by record lap times

11 February 2009 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi not surprised by record lap times

Reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi says he isn’t shocked by the record-breaking lap times currently being produced in winter testing. There were fears that the controversial introduction...