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

First pic: Rossi's 800

19 August 2006

Valentino Rossi and Loris Capirossi got a taste of their new bikes yesterday as they took to the Brno track on the 2007 800cc machines. These pictures are the first look at Rossi’s new bike as he put in a quick test of the machine in-between laps of his current M1. Despite the bike being an early prototype he managed to get within 2 seconds of his lap pace during Sunday’s GP. Capirossi was also...

GP bikes ride in London

19 August 2006

Loris Capirossi had the chance to intimidate some couriers in London on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 as he rode the Ducati Desmosedici in a display for around 20,000 people. The event was held to...

Ducati tests MotoGP 800

19 August 2006

Loris Capirossi has tested the new 800cc Ducati MotoGP machine which will race under new rules in 2007, lapping just 1.6 seconds off the pace of his current Desmosedici race bike. The unveiling took...

Rain hits Brno test

19 August 2006

Rain hit the second day of MotoGP testing at Brno on Tuesday, August 22, with Loris Capirossi testing the Desmosedici GP7 under wet conditions for the first time. With rain from 10am till midday,...

Capriossi takes Brno win

19 August 2006

Loris Capriossi stunned the GP paddock today with a flag to flag victory in the Brno GP. Capirossi stormed off the line from his second place on the grid to take a one second lead by the end of the first lap. The Ducati rider went on to stretch out a massive lead throughout the rest of the race eventually slowing on the last lap to take a comfortable five second win. After escaping the scrum it...

Wildcards for Japan GP

19 August 2006

Test rider Naoki Matsudo and Kousuke Akiyoshi have both been confirmed as wild card entries for the Japanese Grand Prix on September 24, 2006. Matsudo has spent the 2006 season as the test rider for...

Rossi takes pole

19 August 2006

Valentino Rosi has continued his domination of the Brno round of the MotoGP championship taking pole position for Sunday’s race. The Italian took the fastest lap both on Friday and in the Saturday...

Rossi to ride 800 at Brno

12 August 2006

Valentino Rossi has just confirmed to MCN that he will be riding next season’s 800cc Yamaha MotoGP bike at Brno circuit on Monday. The bike is currently in transit from Japan and Rossi has been told...

Rossi tops Brno day 1

12 August 2006

Valentino Rossi has topped the first day of practice for the Brno GP. The Yamaha rider dominated the second session of the day setting a time almost a second and a half faster than any rider well...

Tyre boss on 2006 GPs

05 August 2006

With six races to go in the 2006 MotoGP world championship, Hiroshi Yamada, Bridgestone Motorsport’s Motorcycle Racing Manager, has spoken about the season so far Mr. Yamada, how would you summarise...

Stolen GP bikes found

01 August 2006

Police have recovered four of five Suzuki 500cc GP bikes stolen four years ago from the team’s Edenbridge, Kent workshop during September 2002. The GP bikes include those ridden by world champions...

Takahashi injured

22 July 2006

Humangest 250cc GP rider Yuki Takahashi will miss the Suzuki 8-Hour endurance event after fracturing his left forearm during testing. Takahashi took his second victory of 2006 at the German round of...

Vermeulen on US pole

22 July 2006

Chris Vermeulen has taken his first dry pole position by setting the fastest lap in qualifying for the US GP at Laguna Seca. The Australian Suzuki rider beat a hoard of Americans to take the top spot...

Surgery for Gibernau

22 July 2006

Sete Gibernau may miss the next round of the MotoGP championship at Brno in the Czech Republic after an operation to correct problems with the titanium plate inserted in his left collarbone. Gibernau...

Roberts dominates day 1

22 July 2006

Kenny Roberts has dominated the first day of practice for the US GP at Laguna Seca. Roberts set the fastest time in both the morning and afternoon practice sessions with only fellow American Nicky...

Hayden wins US GP

22 July 2006

Nicky Hayden has won the American MotoGP round at Laguna Seca for the second year in succession, and extended his championship lead at the same time. It was a dramatic GP, with Rizla Suzuki rider...

Spy video of Brit GP bike

22 July 2006

We’ve got exclusive footage of the never before seen 800cc Ilmor GP bike. MCN Reader Deborah Harriman filmed the bike at a track day in Silverstone, not knowing what she’d shot. But she sent it to us...

Rossi wins in Germany

15 July 2006

Valentino Rossi overcame a titanic four-way fight for the race win at the Sachsenring on July 16, 2006, claiming victory after starting from 10th on the grid. Rossi had qualified in 11th for the...

New shareholder in GPs

15 July 2006

MotoGP rights holder Dorna has announced that Bridgepoint will replace CVC as a shareholder in the company. The value of the deal is undisclosed, with Dorna continuing withe xclusive rights to...

GP: Pedrosa on pole

15 July 2006

250cc free practice 2: Jorge Lorenzo posted the fastest time on the Fortuna Aprilia, ahead of Humangest Honda duo Andrea Dovizioso and Yuki Takahashi. 1 Jorge LORENZO 1’25.520 2 Andrea DOVIZIOSO...

Roberts tops 1st practice

08 July 2006

Kenny Roberts Jr has gone fastest in the opening practice session for the German MotoGP round on Sunday, July 16, 2006, with a time of 1:24.319 on the Team Roberts KR211V. He heads a trio of Hondas,...

Racers back for Germany

08 July 2006

The German GP at the Sachsenring on July 16 will see a number of riders returning after recovering from injury. Foremost among them will be Sete Gibernau, who missed the Dutch and British GPs due to a broken left collarbone. Team-mate Loris Capriossi was also injured in the same turn-one incident at Catalunya, but was able to ride for the last two races, and should be 80-90 per cent fit for the...