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

Three in a row for Smith

25 November 2005

British youngster Bradley Smith won the final round of the Spanish 125cc championship at the weekend, just missing out on the championship win by one point. The MotoGP Academy rider, who celebrated...

Smith wins again in Spain

18 November 2005

14-year-old British star-in-the-making – Bradley Smith – has bagged his second win in Spanish racing. The MotoGP Academy youngster claimed his second success in the Spanish 125cc Championship at the Ricardo Tormo track near Valencia last weekend. He celebrates his 15th birthday next week.

WCM to use KTM

18 November 2005

With the WCM team still waiting for the brand new Blata V6 engine to appear it seems they might be able to run the ditched KTM engine for some of next year. The Proton KR team ran the engine in 2005...

Yamaha test for Ellison

18 November 2005

James Ellison will test a factory Yamaha YZR-M1 in Sepang at the multi-team MotoGP test beginning on November 28. The British rider’s future took a dramatic twist this week when he began negotiations about riding a full factory YZR-M1 in 2006 for the French-based Tech 3 squad on Dunlop tyres. MCN understands a deal is close to being clinched, and Ellison will then line-up on next year’s MotoGP...

Suzuki test washed out

11 November 2005

Chris Vermeulen’s Thursday (Nov 10) test with Suzuki’s MotoGP team had to be abandoned on as strong winds swept rain showers across an increasingly slippery Valencia circuit. He and John Hopkins had...

Friday practice in Spain

04 November 2005

Marco Melandri was fastest in second free practice for the Valencia season finale MotoGP, on Friday (Nov 4). His time of 1.33.464 beat Carlos Checa’s FP1-topping time by a fraction. Checa clocked...

Checa RCV test disaster

04 November 2005

Carlos Checa made a disastrous Honda RCV debut this morning at Valencia. The Spaniard crashed on only his third lap at turn three as he returned to Michelin tyres after a season with Bridgestone on...

Vermeulen tests Suzuki

04 November 2005

Chris Vermeulen made his Suzuki GSV-R debut on Monday (Nov 7) as preparations for the 2006 MotoGP world championship kicked off in Valencia – less than 24 hours after the final race. The Australian,...

Gibernau on Spanish pole

04 November 2005

Sete Gibernau has qualified on pole position for the final race of the 2005 MotoGP season, which takes place at Valencia in Spain on Sunday, November 6, 2005. The Spanish Movistar Honda rider...

Melandri wins in Valencia

04 November 2005

Marco Melandri has won the final MotoGP race of the year at Valencia. The Italian rider lead the race from start to finish after getting the best start. Hayden was on his tale throughout but could...

Melandri mobbed at NEC

01 November 2005

Honda GP rider Marco Melandri got completely mobbed at the NEC motorcycle show today, Tuesday November 1. The Telefonica Movistar rider came to the show to meet fans and sign autographs on the Honda...

Shakey loses GP ride

01 November 2005

Shakey Byrne’s topsy-turvy season took another dramatic twist today (Nov 1) when his deal to ride the Camel Honda RC211V at Valencia this weekend fell apart. The team did a last-minute U-turn and...

Rossi goes retro

01 November 2005

Valentino Rossi will be racing in the traditional red, yellow and white Yamaha racing colours at this weekend’s Valencia GP. The Yamaha team has decided to go with the retro colours for the final...

Bid on Rossi kit at NEC

28 October 2005

YOU could get your hands on some amazing signed Valentino Rossi gear this Sunday while watching the man himself bid for victory in the final GP of the season at Valencia. Riders for Health is staging...

Turkish GP practice

21 October 2005

125cc free practice one: 1. Kallio 2:05.571. 2. Gadea 2:06.621. 3. Luthi 2:06.782. 4. Pasini 2:07.041. 5. Faubel 2:07.404. 6. Rodriguez 2:07.686. 7. Zanetti 2:07.799. 8. Koyama 2:07.815. 9. De Rosa...

See Rossi lift his crown

21 October 2005

You could be rubbing shoulders with the stars of MotoGP and witness Valentino Rossi receiving his 2005 trophy in Valencia on November 6. The MotoGP Awards Ceremony has never previously been open to...

Suzuki part with Roberts

21 October 2005

The Suzuki MotoGP squad has officially confirmed it will part company with American Kenny Roberts when his contract ends in December, 2005. The 32-year-old American joined the team in 1999 and became...

Bid for Rossi's own lid

21 October 2005

Every now and again a signed Valentino Rossi replica helmet comes up for grabs in an auction or a competition. Much more rare is an actual helmet raced in by Rossi and also signed by the world...

Schumacher rides Desmo

21 October 2005

F1 Ferrari racing legend Michael Schumacher is doing a Rossi – he’s riding a MotoGP bike at 11am today (Oct 24). Schumacher will get a blast on Loris Capirossi’s Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP around...

Schuey can't match Rossi

21 October 2005

It doesn’t look like Valentino Rossi has much cause to worry about Michael Schumacher snaffling his MotoGP ride any time soon: the German was 23s off Rossi’s Mugello pole position time after his first...

Bid to join MotoGP stars

21 October 2005

Tickets to the MotoGP Awards ceremony – at which stars including Valentino Rossi are officially presented with their world championship trophies – are seldom made available to the public. But this...

Melandri wins in Turkey

21 October 2005

Marco Melandri took his first MotoGP victory at the Turkish GP, taking the lead from Sete Gibernau at the first corner and holding off Valentino Rossi until the chequered flag. Gibernau saw his hopes...

Gibernau on pole

21 October 2005

Sete Gibernau is on pole for the first Turkish Gran Prix at the Istanbul Park circuit on Sunday, October 22, 2005. Gibernau benefitted from a mistake by Marco Melandri, who had dominated the practice...

Suzuki sign Vermeulen

21 October 2005

Suzuki has officially introduced Chris Vermeulen as part of the 2006 MotoGP squad at the International Motorcycle Show in Birmingham. The Australian rider was at the show to announce his departure...

Hayden on pole

14 October 2005

Nicky Hayden has taken his third pole position of the season after setting the fastest ever lap round Philip Island. The American beat newly recrowned world champion Valentino Rossi to the top spot by just one tenth of a second with Honda rider Sete Gibernau finishing the front row of the grid a further three tenths down. Carlos Checa, Colin Edwards and Max Biaggi make up the third row while GP...

Ito in for Capirossi

14 October 2005

Shinichi Ito will race for the Ducati Marlboro team as a replacement for the injured Loris Capirossi. Capirossi suffered chest injuries from a crash in practice for the previous round in Australia,...

Rossi takes fifth in a row

14 October 2005

Valentino Rossi has taken yet another win at Phillip Island, taking his tally at the circuit to five wins in a row. The newly crowned World Champion dominated the race, holding back Honda rider Nicky...

Get MotoGP exclusives

14 October 2005

In Motor Cycle News, October 19, 2005, MotoGP reporter Matthew Birt reveals what is happening in the current contract frenzy engulfing the GP paddock, including: Honda brough to the brink by Chris...

Rossi fastest in Oz

14 October 2005

250cc free practice one: 1. Porto 1:34.700. 2. De ANgelis 1:35.011. 3. Lorenzo 1:35.066. 4. Barbera 1:35.635. 5. Stoner 1:35.824. 6. Dovizioso 1:35.893. 7. De Puniet 1:35.905. 8. Locatelli...

Vermeulen gets GP ride

01 October 2005

Chris Vermeulen will ride for the Camel Honda team at Phillip island as a substitue for the injured Troy Bayliss. The news will boost the young Australian, who saw his World Superbike title hopes end with the cancellation fo the second race at Imola, due to rain. There is one race left in the WSB championship at Magny-Cours, after which Vermeulen will fly out to join current Camel Honda rider...

Rossi fights for Qatar win

01 October 2005

Melandri took the lead after Gibernau’s mistake and held Rossi in second over a hard fought lap before the world champion blasted past Melandri on the straight at the start of lap 19. The pair swapped...

Qatar GP: Qualifying

30 September 2005

Loris Capirossi has claimed his third pole position in a row to start the Qatar GP on Saturday, October 1, 2005. Sete Gibernau and Colin Edwards both held provisional pole in the opening stages of...

Qatar GP: Practice

23 September 2005

Despite wrapping up the 2005 MotoGP championship at the previous round, Valentino Rossi is not easing off on his MotoGP rivals. The Italian waited until the dying moments of the second practice...

World champ speaks

23 September 2005

After winning his seventh world title at Sepang on Sunday Valentino Rossi is more than a little happy, releasing a lengthy statement about his win. We’ve published it in full for you to read...

Rossi wins 7th title

23 September 2005

Valentino Rossi has taken his seventh GP title after coming second to Loris Capirossi in the Malaysian GP. Capirossi started from pole and lead for most of the race only slipping to second during the middle of the race when Rossi moved up from seventh to take the lead. But the Ducati rider fought back, re-took the lead and eventually finished with a considerable advantage. Second Ducati rider...

Gibernau top 1st practice

23 September 2005

Sete Gibernau has set the fastest lap on the first day of practice for the Malaysian GP. Gibernau set the 2:03.299 lap in the opening practice session with rain hitting the afternoon session stopping...