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

Dani's bike faster

27 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Dani's bike faster

Marco Melandri has hinted that factory Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has already received engine upgrades on the new RC212V 800cc contender. The Italian spoke to MCN having followed the triple world...

Barros targets win

27 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Barros targets win

Brazilian veteran Alex Barros believes he is capable of making a winning return to the MotoGP world championship in 2007. The 36-year-old is back in the premier class after a year with in World...

800s like two strokes

27 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

800s like two strokes

Former world 250 champion Marco Melandri says that the new generation 800cc MotoGP machines have the same aggressive power characteristics of a two-stroke. Though he never raced a two-stroke 500 in...

Rossi backs Edwards

27 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Rossi backs Edwards

Valentino Rossi has backed factory Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards to finally deliver in the MotoGP world championship. The American is still searching for his first premier class victory having spent...

Fuel no worry for Honda

27 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Fuel no worry for Honda

Former world champion Kenny Roberts Jr reckons Honda’s new RC212V has no worries over fuel consumption with tank capacity slashed to 21 litres for 2007. Fuel consumption has been one of the most...

Rear progress for Colin

27 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Rear progress for Colin

Colin Edwards has been boosted by a breakthrough with rear set-up on his new factory Yamaha 800. Edwards experimented with yet another new Ohlins rear shock set-up having made a significant...

Carlos gets comfy

27 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Carlos gets comfy

Carlos Checa has unveiled some of the secrets to his rapid improvement in winter testing on board the LCR Honda RC212V 800 contender. The Spaniard has begun to recapture his best form in recent tests...

Michelin boss talks 16

27 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Michelin boss talks 16

Having made the first aggressive move in the 2007 MotoGP tyre war with a new 16-inch front tyre becoming one of the big talking points of winter testing. Michelin boss Jean-Philippe Weber has told MCN...

Nicky needs early speed

26 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Nicky needs early speed

Reigning world champion Nicky Hayden reckons he has got to come out of the gate faster at every race to bolster his hopes of retaining the MotoGP crown in 2007. Hayden admitted one of his weaknesses...

Meetings help Yamaha

26 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Meetings help Yamaha

A new regime has helped Yamaha become the manufacturer everybody wants to beat when the new 800cc MotoGP world championship kicks off on March 10, 2007 in Qatar. That’s the view of factory rider Colin...

Beeb unveil '07 plans

23 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Beeb unveil '07 plans

All 18 rounds of the 2007 MotoGP world championship will be screened live on the BBC. Coverage plans were confirmed by BBC MotoGP series producer Belinda Rogerson at the start of the IRTA test in...

Wet, wet, wet in Jerez

23 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Wet, wet, wet in Jerez

The opening morning of the final IRTA test in Jerez has been dominated by soaking wet conditions that have seen none of the full-time MotoGP riders out on track in the first two hours. Only Ducati...

Pitt waits on new parts

23 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Pitt waits on new parts

Andrew Pitt is hoping that vital engine upgrades for the struggling Ilmor 800 arrive in time for this weekend’s final IRTA test in Jerez. Pitt and team-mate Jeremy McWilliams are waiting on a new...

Yamaha's 800 edge

23 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha's 800 edge

Honda duo Marco Melandri and Carlos Checa reckon rivals Yamaha have a clear advantage going into the inaugural 800cc MotoGP world championship next month. Former world champion Valentino Rossi and...

Hayden: Engine still key

23 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Hayden: Engine still key

Nicky Hayden believes Honda’s new RC212V 800cc motor can improve despite the V4 appearing close to its rivals in testing in Qatar last week. Hayden has been a vocal critic at the lack of performance...

Edwards on Jerez test

23 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Edwards on Jerez test

In-form factory Yamaha rider Colin Edwards has backed the factory’s YZR-M1 800 machine to continue its blistering winter pace when pre-season testing reaches its climax in Jerez. Edwards said he is...

800 just a tool

23 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

800 just a tool

Legendary Aussie chief engineer Jerry Burgess says he doesn’t expect MotoGP to change too drastically despite the capacity reduction to 800cc for 2007. Burgess, who is working with Yamaha and...

Rizla Suzuki's 2007 livery revealed

23 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Rizla Suzuki's 2007 livery revealed

This is the first look of the new livery to be run by Rizla Suzuki’s MotoGP team in 2007. The bike was officially unveiled at Jerez moments ago (on Thursday afternoon), and is designated the...

Hopper gets shocked

23 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Hopper gets shocked

John Hopkins is undergoing intensive electric shock treatment in Jerez to ensure he returns close to 100 per cent fitness for the season’s opening GP in Qatar on March 10, 2007. With the final IRTA...

Webb injured in crash

23 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Webb injured in crash

British teenager Danny Webb will need a late fitness check before deciding whether he can ride in the final 125 winter test session in Qatar next week. The 15-year-old scraped skin off three fingers...

Vermeulen rates rivals

22 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Vermeulen rates rivals

Aussie Chris Vermeulen reckons Yamaha’s new YZR-M1 has set the early benchmark in the new 800cc MotoGP era with the new season due to kick off in less than three weeks. The factory Suzuki rider...

Hopper: more speed

22 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Hopper: more speed

Injured American John Hopkins reckons Suzuki’s new GSV-R 800 needs more power. The 23-year-old believes this is necessary to ensure it will be a competitive force when the new MotoGP world...

GP blow for Brits

22 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

GP blow for Brits

British interest in the world championship has been slashed by a third just two weeks before the first race in Qatar. The Winona WCM 250 team, which was to field an all-British line-up with Dan...

WSS carnage

22 February 2007 by Michael Guy

Within eight minutes of the start of the first World Supersport Free Practice of the season in Qatar there was a four bike pile up which brought out the red flags. The crash was caused when Hungarian...

Kawasaki: Fuel no problems

22 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Kawasaki: Fuel no problems

Kawasaki bosses have confirmed they have no worries about the new fuel capacity regulations that will come into force for the 2007 MotoGP world championship. Tank capacity has been cut from 22 to 21...

Stoner happy with Rossi

22 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Stoner happy with Rossi

Casey Stoner says he was delighted when he heard that seven-times world champion Valentino Rossi had extended his Yamaha contract until the end of 2008– because he wants to beat the Italian! Stoner is...

Elias reluctant to push

22 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Elias reluctant to push

Toni Elias has admitted he won’t push too hard on tyres he’s not 100 per cent happy with because he’s scared of getting injured for the new season. The Spaniard has struggled in winter testing while...

Yamaha chatter finished

22 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha chatter finished

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief Jerry Burgess reckons the chatter problems that dogged Yamaha in the early part of last season are now a long and distant memory. Yamaha engineers have ensured the new...

Barros: Good to be back

21 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Barros: Good to be back

Alex Barros is hoping he can repay the faith Ducati has shown in him in the 2007 MotoGP world championship. The 36-year-old South American made a surprise return to the premier class having thought...

No tyre issue for Edwards

21 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

No tyre issue for Edwards

Colin Edwards has backed the new tyre restrictions that will come into force for the 2007 MotoGP world championship. In a cost-cutting move, Michelin, Bridgestone and Dunlop agreed to limit the number...

Wind problmes for Checa

21 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Wind problmes for Checa

Carlos Checa is still hoping that a new fairing will arrive for his LCR Honda 800 machine before the new MotoGP season kicks off in Qatar on March 10 to give him more protection. The Spaniard, who...

Burgess happy at Yamaha

21 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Burgess happy at Yamaha

Aussie crew chief Jerry Burgess says he has got no intention of ending his formidable partnership with seven-times world champion Valentino Rossi. Rossi recently extended his Yamaha contract to run...

Blog: Desert Storm

19 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Blog: Desert Storm

MCN’s MotoGP Matt Birt gives an update on what’s happening behind the scenes midway through the IRTA tests in Qatar. Greetings all from the barren desert landscape that is the Losail circuit in...

Aoki on Jerez standby

19 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Aoki on Jerez standby

Japanese rider Nobuatsu Aoki has been placed on standby by Suzuki with American John Hopkins a major doubt for this weekend’s IRTA test session in Jerez. American Hopkins will be in Spain for the...

Reed's first win

19 February 2007 by Gary Pinchin

Reed's first win

Chad Reed won his first AMA Supercross Series race of the year aboard a Yamaha at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego in front of 60,529 fans. Although Suzuki’s Ivan Tedesco won the race to the first corner...

Marco seeks tyre life

19 February 2007 by Matthew Birt

Marco seeks tyre life

A disappointing test in Qatar this week has left Marco Melandri bemoaning rear tyre endurance as the time ticks away for Bridgestone to make better rubber for the Italian’s Honda. With the first race...