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

KTM confirm GP squad

03 November 2004

KTM confirm GP squad

Red Bull KTM will enter three riders in the 125cc GP class and one rider in the 250cc championship in 2005. Current squad member Mika Kallio will stay with the team next season, alongside Hnugarian...

Success for Brit racer

01 November 2004

Success for Brit racer

Young British rider Richard Cooper clinched the BMW Youngstar championship with a fifth place at the final round at Valencia. The 21-year-old took the title by one point from Frenchman Guillaume...

Valencia: Rossi wins

27 October 2004

Valencia: Rossi wins

Saturday Final Qualifying: Makoto Tamada is on pole of the final round of the MotoGP championship at Valencia in Spain. Tamada posted a time of 1:32.815 in the second qualifying session, below the...

Ellison confirmed for GPs

20 October 2004

Ellison confirmed for GPs

British rider James Ellison will ride for the WCM team in the 2005 MotoGP series after some impressive performances as a replacement rider in 2004. Ellison scored points for the team on his second...

Roberts boys GP return

20 October 2004

Roberts boys GP return

Both Kenny and Kurtis Roberts will rejoin their MotoGP teams for the final round of the 2004 championship at Valencia on Sunday, October 31. Kenny Roberts will take his place in the factory Suzuki...

Rossi on provisional pole

13 October 2004

Rossi on provisional pole

Valentino Rossi is on provisional pole for the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, a race which could see him clinch the MotoGP World Championship. Rossi can win his fourth successive title with a...

Edwards to Yamaha

13 October 2004

Edwards to Yamaha

Yamaha announced at the Philip Island GP that Valentino Rossi will have a new team-mate for next year, in the shape of former WSB champ, Colin Edwards. Edwards will move from the Telefonica Honda...

Is Rossi the best ever?

13 October 2004

Is Rossi the best ever?

Valentino Rossi reclaimed the MotoGP world crown in Australia on Sunday. His success on a new bike for 2004 has earned him respect beyond measure. You’ve been posting your tributes to the man and his...

Gibernau on Oz pole

13 October 2004

Gibernau on Oz pole

Sete Gibernau has taken pole position for the penultimate round of the MotoGP world championship. Gibernau beat Rossi to the top spot by 0.455 seconds after a late push from the Honda camp that saw...

Rossi is world champion

13 October 2004

Rossi is world champion

Valentino Rossi has proven without doubt that he is the best rider in the world by giving Yamaha the MotoGP world championship for the first time in 12 years. The title fight finished with all...

Haydon stays in MotoGP

06 October 2004

Haydon stays in MotoGP

James Haydon will stand in for Proton KR rider Kurtis Roberts, for the second race in succession, at the Kuala Lumpur round at Sepang on Sunday, October 10. Despite having no experience of the Proton...

Denning to MotoGP

01 October 2004

Denning to MotoGP

Current Crescent Suzuki boss Paul Denning will become the team manager for the factory Suzuki MotoGP team in 2005. Denning replaces current manager Garry Taylor, who steps down after almost 30 years...

Qatar disaster for Rossi

01 October 2004

Qatar disaster for Rossi

Valentino Rossi has seen his championship lead reduced to just 14 points after crashing out of the Qatar GP. The reigning world champion arrived at the circuit with a 39 point lead, but was demoted...

Kagayama gets GP ride

22 September 2004

Kagayama gets GP ride

Yukio Kagayama will replace Kenny Roberts Jnr in the factory Suzuki MotoGP team at the next two rounds; in Qatar ,on October 2, and Malaysia on October 10. Roberts must have his left arm strapped up...

Haydon to ride Qatar GP

22 September 2004

Haydon to ride Qatar GP

James Haydon will replace Proton KR rider Kurtis Roberts for the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday October 2. Haydon has not competed in the GP series since 1996, when he rode a 500cc two-stroke for the...

Byrne out for 2004

22 September 2004

Byrne out for 2004

Shane Byrne says he’s “absolutely gutted” after being ruled out of the rest of the 2004 MotoGP world championship. The 2003 British superbike champion is due to fly to Italy for corrective surgery on...

Motegi win for Tamada

15 September 2004

Motegi win for Tamada

Makoto Tamada has taken the win at his home GP in Motegi, Japan. The Japanese Honda rider managed to avoid the six rider crash on the first corner, then set off after Valentino Rossi taking the lead...

Hopkins fastest in Japan

15 September 2004

Hopkins fastest in Japan

Suzuki rider John Hopkins has claimed his first MotoGP provisional pole ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi. Hopkins is on a roll, having claimed his best race finish -sixth – at...

Hodgson Suzuki-bound?

15 September 2004

Hodgson Suzuki-bound?

Rumours are growing that Neil Hodgson is about to sign to switch from Ducati to Suzuki for the 2005 season. MCN is in Japan for this weekend’s Motegi race and will be rooting around for the truth...

Tamada takes pole

15 September 2004

Tamada takes pole

Makoto Tamada has taken pole position for the Japanese round of the Moto GP world championship in Motegi. The Japanese rider was setting the pace throughout both qualifying sessions finishing third...

Fabrizio replaces Byrne

01 September 2004

Fabrizio replaces Byrne

Michel Fabrizio will replace Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne on the Aprilia RS Cube this weekend at the Portuguese GP. Englishman Byrne is currently recovering from a dislocated wrist and is hopeful to return...

Estoril practice times

01 September 2004

Estoril practice times

The Portuguese GP takes place at Estoril on Sunday but action is already underway. We’ll bring you updates throughout the weekend. Here are the first practice times from Friday morning. MotoGP: 1)...

Rossi extends title lead

01 September 2004

Rossi extends title lead

Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi extended his MotoGP championship lead on Sunday, winning the Estoril GP in Portugal by five seconds from Makoto Tamada. Tamada had started the race from pole. Alex Barros was...

Rossi tops GP test

25 August 2004

Rossi tops GP test

After the fans went home from the Czech GP on Sunday most of the teams stayed behind to put in two days of testing on the Brno circuit. Valentino Rossi set the fastest time of the test with a...

Hayden out for Estoril?

25 August 2004

Hayden out for Estoril?

Nicky Hayden has broken his right collarbone and may miss the next GP at Estoril in Portugal on September 5. The American Repsol Honda rider fell from a Honda CRF450 whilst training in Pavia, near...

Bid for MotoGP passes

18 August 2004

Bid for MotoGP passes

MotoGP paddock passes for the Estoril and Valencia GPs are up for grabs in a unique charity auction. Race fans know how tricky it is to get their hands on a MotoGP paddock pass. You certainly can’t...

KTM confirm 250GP entry

18 August 2004

KTM confirm 250GP entry

KTM has officially announced an entry into the 250cc Road Racing World Championship in 2005, with Casey Stoner likely to move up a class. The Austrian firm confirmed the decision at the Czech Grand...

Gibernau wins in Brno

18 August 2004

Gibernau wins in Brno

Sete Gibernau has won Sunday’s Czech grand prix, leading the race from start to finish. The Spaniard started the race from pole position and kept his lead throughout, but Valentino Rossi worked him...

Wet Brno benefits Checa

18 August 2004

Wet Brno benefits Checa

Carlos Checa made the best of a wet qualifying session at Brno for the Czech GP, putting his Yamaha into provisional pole position. But the biggest suprises were in the top ten. Factory Ducati riders...

Gibernau on pole

18 August 2004

Gibernau on pole

Sete Gibernau has taken pole position for the Czech GP in a rain drenched qualifying session at Brno. Carlos Checa looked set to hold on to pole position with the time that he set during a dry spell...

2005 MotoGP dates

18 August 2004

2005 MotoGP dates

The provisional dates for next year’s MotoGP season have been announced, with the new US round of the championship taking place in July without the 250 or 125 bikes present. Next year’s season will...

Brno GP begins

18 August 2004

The first session of free practice for the Czech GP at Brno is due to take place this morning (August 20) – so keep checking back for the latest times. Qualifying is on Friday afternoon, the second...

US MotoGP for 2005

18 August 2004

US MotoGP for 2005

America will host a MotoGP round in 2005 at Laguna Seca in California. It will be the first time the championship has returned to the USA since 1994, and marks the start of a five-year run agreed in...

BMW ends race series

11 August 2004

BMW ends race series

BMW has announced this will be the last season of the BoxerCup. The flat-twins have delivered close, exciting racing as part of the MotoGP tour. Two road-replica models have been available in limited...

Your Donington anger

01 August 2004

Your Donington anger

MYSELF and two friends drove 500 miles from the north of Scotland looking forward to a repeat of the tremendous weekend we had at Donington three years ago. Arriving at the track we were subjected to...

82,000 see Rossi win

21 July 2004

82,000 see Rossi win

Both Rossi and Gibernau were using hard compound rear tyres but Edwards had gambled and chosen a soft compound tyre. The added grip that this gave him at the beginning of the race saw him nearly catch...