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

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner wins titanic battle

10 June 2007 by Rob Hull

Casey Stoner has won a decisive head-to-head with his two closest rivals in the championship, Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa at today’s Catalan GP. The three riders spent the entire race glued...

Catalunya GP: Lorenzo extends 250 lead

10 June 2007 by Rob Hull

Defending World Champion Jorge Lorenzo has tightened his grip of the 250 class with a dominant victory at the Catalan GP. The 20-year-old Spaniard was consistently quickest all weekend and completed a...

Catalunya GP: Slow engine leaves Smith sixth

10 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Bradley Smith finished in a disappointing sixth place in today’s Catalunya 125 GP as a lack of engine speed ruined his bid for a second podium in three races. The British teenager had brilliantly...

Catalunya GP: KTM dominate 125 podium

10 June 2007 by Rob Hull

KTM’s Tommy Koyama has won the 125 race in Catalunya, his first win after an eight year spell in the championship. The Japanese rider took the victory by a fraction of a second from Gabor Talmasci on...

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner fastest in Warm-up

10 June 2007 by Rob Hull

Casey Stoner has posted the fastest lap of this morning’s Warm-up session at the Catalunya circuit. The young Aussie posted a 1.42.908, just topping Kawasaki’s Randy De Puniet who has been the...

Catalunya MotoGP: Jacque ruled out of Barcelona clash

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

French rider Olivier Jacque has been ruled out of tomorrow’s Catalunya GP. The former world 250 champion crashed heavily in this morning’s third free practice session at turn five, suffering neck...

Catalunya MotoGP: Bad luck leaves Capirossi on back row

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Loris Capirossi’s 2007 fortunes nosedived again in Catalunya today when he could only qualify 17th fastest. The veteran Italian, subject of interest from Kawasaki for 2008, could only clock a best...

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi reigns in Spain

09 June 2007 by Mathew Birt

Valentino Rossi will start his quest for a sixth MotoGP victory at the Catalunya circuit from pole position tomorrow. The Fiat Yamaha rider, who could give Yamaha a 150th premier class victory in...

Catalunya GP: Brit Smith claims front row

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

British teenager Bradley Smith has claimed a brilliant front row start for tomorrow’s Catalunya 125 GP in Spain. The Repsol Honda rider finished this afternoon’s decisive final qualifying session with...

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi to watch crunch Barcelona game

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi will take a break from his quest to win for a ninth time in Catalunya tomorrow by watching Barcelona’s star-studded football team in action tonight. Barcelona play Espanyol in a crunch...

Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner leads Bridgestone charge

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner led a Bridgestone top three to top the timesheets in this morning’s third free practice session in Catalunya. The 21-year-old logged the first sub 1.43...

Catalunya MotoGP: Suzuki delay third bike decision

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki has delayed a decision on whether it will supply a third GSV-R 800cc machine in the 2008 MotoGP world championship until the British GP at Donington Park later this month. The Japanese factory...

Catalunya GP: Smith third on second morning

09 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

British teenager Bradley Smith has continued his impressive Catalunya GP form after clocking the third fastest time in this morning’s 125 free practice session. Smith, who was second fastest in...

Catalunya MotoGP: Melandri voices front tyre concerns

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Italian Marco Melandri has revealed major concerns about front tyre durability ahead of Sunday’s Catalunta GP near Barcelona. The former world 250 champion told MCN that he has been struggling with a...

Catalunyan MotoGP: Last eight laps Key for Hopkins

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Factory Suzuki rider John Hopkins believes tyre management will be even more critical than normal in Sunday’s Catalunya GP. The American finished this afternoon’s second free practice session with the...

Catalunya MotoGP: Rossi denies Pedrosa

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi produced a masterful late charge to claim the fastest time in this afternoon’s second free MotoGP practice session at the Catalunya circuit. Rossi clocked his best time of 1.43.313...

Catalunya GP: Bradley Smith seventh quickest

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

After finishing a brilliant second fastest this morning, British teenager Bradley Smith had to settle for seventh place on the provisional grid for Sunday’s Catalunya 125 GP. The Oxfordshire rider...

Catalunya MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa fastest

08 June 2007 by Angus Farquhar

Home favourite Dani Pedrosa made the perfect start to his quest for a first 800cc MotoGP victory this morning when he set the fastest time in opening free practice at the Catalunya circuit. Boosted by...

Ilmor deny Catalunya MotoGP test

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

The cash-strapped Ilmor MotoGP team has denied Andrew Pitt will return to track action in a test session at the Catalunya circuit on Monday. The entire MotoGP grid will test after Sunday’s race and it...

Smith second fastest in Barcelona opener

08 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

British teenager Bradley Smith has made a brilliant start to this weekend’s Catalunya GP by claiming the second fastest time in this morning’s opening free 125 practice. The Repsol Honda rider clocked...

Rossi wary of Catalunya first corner

07 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi is confident the new MotoGP practice start rule should help take away part of the danger posed by Catalunya’s perilous first corner. The first corner of last year’s race saw one of the...

Suzuki not rushing to sign Hopkins and Vermeulen

07 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki’s factory MotoGP team boss Paul Denning has told MCN he is in no rush to secure the services of John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen for the 2008 MotoGP world championship. Hopkins and French GP...

Hayden excused from Suzuka Eight Hour

07 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Reigning MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden has confirmed he will not be contesting the prestigious Suzuka Eight-hour endurance at the end of next month. The Repsol Honda rider was scheduled to fly to...

Edwards not interested in World Superbike return

07 June 2007 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi’s factory Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards had told MCN he isn’t contemplating a return to the World Superbike championship, even if he fails to secure his MotoGP future for...

Life exists elsewhere

07 June 2007 by mike gerrard

Shock news just in… a new exciting branch of motorsport has just been discovered – it’s called 250GP. Hitherto unknown to the motorcycling cognoscenti due to a bizarre and sinister wall of silence, this new branch of the sport shows none of the signs of the killer disease ‘F1 Canker’ known to have infected many sports from its roots in Formula One car racing and international football. Discovered...