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

MotoGP second practice

21 October 2006

MotoGP second practice results: Loris Capirossi took more than a second off the pace set by Valentino Rossi this morning to record the fastest lap of the second practice session. The Italian improved...

Barros back to MotoGP

21 October 2006

Alex Barros will return to MotoGP next season with Pramac d’Antin following a stint in World Superbikes in 2006. The 36-year-old spent 15 years at the top level following the jump from 250cc. He made...

MotoGP practice

21 October 2006

125cc first practice: Alvaro BAUTISTA 1’40.542 Nicolas TEROL 1’40.785 Sergio GADEA 1’40.942 Mattia PASINI 1’40.978 Gabor TALMACSI 1’41.049 Mika KALLIO 1’41.116 Hector FAUBEL 1’41.413 Esteve RABAT...

Tamada joins Tech 3

21 October 2006

Makoto Tamada has joined the Tech 3 squad to ride an 800cc Yamaha in 2007. The Japanese rider will continue the development of Dunlop tyres following his switch from the Konica Minolta Honda squad...

Tamada loses GP ride

21 October 2006

Makoto Tamada will split with the Konica Minolta Honda team following a lacklustre season. The decision not to renew the 29-year-old’s contract after the end of the 2006 season was made following...

Nakano leaves Kawasaki

14 October 2006

Kawasaki MotoGP team manager Harold Eckl has confirmed that Shinya Nakano will not be staying with the Kawasaki team for 2007. Eckl has retained the services of French rider Randy de Puniet for next...

Elias wins in Estoril

14 October 2006

Toni Elias has racked up his first Moto GP victory and podium in what could be one of the most historic races in Moto GP history. The Spaniard took a photo finish win from Valentino Rossi who now...

Stoner moves to Ducati

14 October 2006

Casey Stoner will move from LCR Honda to join the factory Ducati MotoGP squad for 2007. News emerged following the Estoril round of the championship that Stoner had signed for the Italian firm a day...

Gibernau out for Valencia

14 October 2006

Sete Gibernau has ridden his last race for the Ducati GP team after surgery on his injuries sustained after his crash in Estoril forced him to sit out the last race of the season. The Spanish rider...

Bayliss to race Valencia?

14 October 2006

Troy Bayliss could race the MotoGP Ducati Desmosedici at the final race of the season at Valencia, according to a blog post by Ducati boss Federico Minoli. Minoli was responding to the possibility...

Bayliss to ride Valencia

14 October 2006

Troy Bayliss will be riding Sete Gibernau’s Ducati in Valencia due to the Spaniard being injured. Gibernau broke his hand and aggravated his shoulder injury when he collided with Casey Stoner’s bike...

Rossi on Estoril pole

14 October 2006

Valentino Rossi has qualified on pole position for the MotoGP round at Estoril on Sunday, October 15, 2006, with a time of 1:36.200, ahead of Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards. Current title...

KTM's 2007 125cc team

07 October 2006

KTM has confirmed it will field three riders in the 125cc GP class in 2007, with Tomoyoshi Koyama, Julian Simon and Randy Krummenacher. Simon (19, Spain), and Koayama (23, Japan), will be the main...

Rossi fastest at Estoril

07 October 2006

Valentino Rossi has gone fastest in the first free practice session for the Estoril round of the MotoGP championship. Loris Capirossi is second faster, followed by John Hopkins and Nicky Hayden.

Ilmor bike unveiled

07 October 2006

The Ilmor MotoGP machine has been unveiled at an offical press conference at Estoril for the Portuguese GP on Thursday, October 12, 2006. The conference was attended by the men behind the project,...

Hopkins rates Brands

01 October 2006

John Hopkins thinks the Brands Hatch circuit would make a great addition to the MotoGP calendar following his two demonstrations runs on the Suzuki GP machine at the British Superbike final round. ...

Melandri stays at Honda

01 October 2006

Marco Melandri is staying with Honda for the 2007 MotoGP world championship. The 24-year-old signed a one-year contract to remain with Fausto Gresini’s squad this afternoon in Italy, crushing...

Nieto moves to 250 GPs

01 October 2006

Pablo Nieto will race in the 250cc GP class for the Wurth Honda BQR team in 2007. The Spanish rider has agreed a one-year deal, with the option of a further season. He’ll be riding alongside Alex...

GP tyre testing secrets

01 October 2006

Kenny Roberts Junior and Colin Edwards are two of Michelin’s best MotoGP test riders and crucial contributors to Michelin’s R&D programme. So what do they think is the secret to being a good tyre...

Capirossi wins in Japan

23 September 2006

Loris Capirossi took an impressive flag-to-flag victory at the Japanese GP in Motegi, taking a double win for Italy in front of the Japanese manufacturers. Capirossi qualified on pole and continued...

First pics: Honda 800

23 September 2006

Here is the first picture of Honda’s 800cc MotoGP machine undergoing testing by factory rider Dani Pedrosa. The new bike has been unofficially dubbed the RC212V, and was tested by the Spanish MotoGP...

800cc GP test

23 September 2006

Many of the stars of MotoGP stayed at the Motegi circuit following the Japanese GP on Sunday, September 24, 2006, with Ducati and Honda using their new 800cc machines for 2007. Dani Pedrosa and Nicky...

KTM sign Koyama

23 September 2006

KTM has signed Tomoyoshi Koyama to race in the 125cc GP series in 2007. The 23-year-old Japanese rider has raced for the Ajo Motorsport team in 2006. He is also a winner of the All Japan 125 and Mini...

Capirossi takes pole

23 September 2006

Loris Capirossi has qualified on pole position for the Motegi GP. The Italian dominated the final qualifying session with a lap of 1:45.725, setting a new best lap for the circuit in the process. ...

Rossi fastest in Japan

16 September 2006

Valentino Rossi has gone fastest on the first day of practice for the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, September 24, 2006, having posted a time of 1:46.981. Rossi was the only rider to drop below one...

Hayden on Aussie pole

16 September 2006

Nicky Hayden has bounced back from two disapointing MotoGP races to take pole in the qualifying session for the Australian GP on Sunday, September 17, 2006. The American factory Honda rider recorded...

Hayden stays with Honda

16 September 2006

Nicky Hayden has just signed a new two-year deal with Honda’s official factory MotoGP team, ending speculation he will leave Repsol Honda. The deal has just been announced in the last 15 minutes by...

Melandri takes shock win

16 September 2006

Marco Melandri took the win at the Australian Grand Prix in an unpredictable race full of drama, as wet weather saw the first appearance of the white flag wet weather rule. It was Shinya Nakano who...

Rossi takes shock pole

09 September 2006

Valentino Rossi has taken pole position for the Sepang GP after a massive downpour saw the cancellation of the qualifying session. After a slow start on the first day Rossi went all out during the...

Rossi takes amazing win

09 September 2006

Valentino Rossi has taken a magnificent victory at the Sepang GP after an epic battle with Loris Capirossi. The Ducati and Yamaha riders were the only two in contention for the win after pulling out...

De Puniet tops GP times

09 September 2006

French Kawasaki rider Randy De Puniet has topped the second practice session for the Philip Island MotoGP round, becoming the only rider to drop below one minute 30 seconds for a lap. The GP rookie...

Capirossi tops day 1

02 September 2006

Loris Capirossi has dominated the first day of practice for the Malaysian GP. The Italian rider put in the fastest time in the first session then proceeded to knock a further more than a second off...

Gibernau's Sepang return

01 September 2006

Sete Gibernau will make his return from injury at the Malaysian GP at Sepang for Marlboro Ducati. Meanwhile British 125GP rider Bradley Smith is almost certain to miss the race due to a hand injury. ...

Swedish GP star dies

26 August 2006

The winner of the 1973 and 1974 125cc Grand Prix World championships Kent Andersson has died at the age of 64. Swedish rider Andersson was born on August 1, 1942 in Landvetter, starting to race at the age of 19 with a 250cc Monark. He scored his first Grand Prix points in the 250cc class in 1966 riding for Swedish brand Husqvarana, before a move to Yamaha in 1969 and his first GP wins in Germany...

McCoy tests Brit GP bike

26 August 2006

Former MotoGP star and Grand Prix winner Garry McCoy is testing the British Ilmor GP machine at Albacete. McCoy is riding today, Tuesday, August 29 and Wednesday August 30, 2006. This would suggest...

Ducati keep Capirossi

26 August 2006

Loris Capirossi will again race for the Ducati MotoGP team in 2007, in a renewed one year deal to ride the 800cc Desmosedici GP7. Capirossi has ridden for the Italian team since 2003, and has won...