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.

Final qualifying: 250cc

1) De Puniet 1:35.300. 2) Porto 1:35.379. 3) Poggiali 1:35.596. 4) Pedrosa 1:35.843. 5) De Angelis 1:36.251. 6) Nieto 1:36.447. 7) Rolfo 1:36.611. 8) Bataille 1:36.690. 9) Aoyama 1:36.764. 10) Battaini 1:36.819. 11) Elias 1:36.884. 12) Faubel 1:37.088. 13) Davies 1:37.172. 14) Matsudo 1:37.373. 15) Debon 1:37.382. 16) Marchand 1:37.386. 17) Baldolini 1:37.418. 18) Olive 1:37.605. 19) Guintoli...

Rossi on pole for Welkom

Rossi on pole for Welkom

Valentino Rossi has continued to dominate qualifying for the opening 2004 MotoGP round in South Africa by qualifying on pole for tomorrow’s race (Sunday April 18), with a time of 1:32.647. Rossi,...

Welkom Result: 125cc

1) Dovizioso. 2) Locatelli. 3) Stoner. 4) Nieto. 5) Di Meglio. 6) Borsoi. 7) Giansanti. 8) Jenkner 9) Bautista. 10) Barbera. 11) Simon. 12) Kallio. 13) Pasini. 14) Corsi. 15) Ui. 16) Lorenzo. 17) Perugini 18) Harms. 19) Giuseppetti. 20) Pesek. 21) Lai. 22) Toth. 23) Gadea. 24) Kallio. 25) Angeloni. 26) Manna. 27) Carchano. DNF: Luthi. Simoncelli. Ballerini. Rodriguez. Pellino. Schouten.

Biaggi’s crew chief Cobas dies

Max Biaggi’s influential crew chief Antonio Cobas has died after a long illness. The Spaniard was 52 and was technical director of Biaggi’s Camel Honda MotoGP squad. Team boss Sito Pons said: " As Technical Director of the Honda Pons team, Antonio will forever be remembered for his kindness. He has been a true companion to me for more than 25 years and I shall miss him immensely. " The...

Final qualifying: 125cc

1) Dovizioso 1:40.942. 2) Locatelli 1:41.024. 3) Giansanti 1:41.193. 4) Di Meglio 1:41.195. 5) Stoner 1:41.204. 6) Nieto 1:41.373. 7) Simoncelli 1:41.483. 8) Bautista 1:41.550. 9) Ui 1:41.619. 10) Simon 1:41.644. 11) Barbera 1:41.682 12) Borsoi 1:41.754. 13) Lorenzo 1:41.762. 14) Talmacsi 1:41.866. 15) Kallio (M) 1:41.896. 16) Giuseppetti 1:41.959. 17) Lai 1: 42.038. 18) Jenkner 1:42.106. 19)...

British GP to stay at Donington

British GP to stay at Donington

The future of MotoGP in the UK has been sealed with the announcement that Donington Park will host the British Grand Prix for the next six years. The deal hinged on the redevelopment of the...

BBC announces TV schedule for 04 races

BBC announces TV schedule for 04 races

The BBC has confirmed its initial line-up of bike racing on TV for 2004, though it is subject to changes and additions. For MotoGP: Valentino Rossi interview, Sunday April 11, Grandstand, BBC Two,...

Roberts second quickest… behind Rossi

Roberts second quickest… behind Rossi

Defending world champion Valentino Rossi set the fastest time in rain-interrupted official MotoGP tests at Jerez on Wednesday (March 31). His domination on his new Yamaha comes after setting the...

BBC to show MotoGP live until 2009

BBC to show MotoGP live until 2009

The BBC has announced a new five-year contract to show MotoGP and this year it will show 12 of the 16 races live. The corporation says all rounds will be shown in full whether live or not. The...

Biaggi tops final rain-ruined tests

Biaggi tops final rain-ruined tests

Max Biaggi would normally have been delighted. But being top gun on the final day of these official MotoGP tests could hardly be considered setting the benchmark. Rain ruined the Thursday testing at...

Sign up for MotoGP text alerts

Sign up for MotoGP text alerts

Keep up to date with the latest MotoGP tests, qualifying and race results with our new mobile phone text service from MCN. To subscribe to this great-value service just text MCN MOTOGP to...

MotoGP prepares for test showdown

MotoGP prepares for test showdown

MotoGP teams will go head-to-head on Friday (March 26) at the start of a three-day test at the Catalunya circuit near Barcelona, Spain. It’s the first real chance for all the teams to compare progress...

Rossi fastest in first shoot-out

Rossi fastest in first shoot-out

Valentino Rossi showed the rest have still got it all to do when he set the fastest time at the MotoGP test at Catalunya at the weekend. Rivals had hoped his switch from the all-conquering Honda to...

Win Ducati book signed by MotoGP stars

Win Ducati book signed by MotoGP stars

You can win a Ducati Racing Yearbook, signed by Ducati MotoGP stars Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi. All you have to do is ask the questions you’ve always wanted answers to about the great Italian...

Rossi to test F1 Toyota

Rossi to test F1 Toyota

After years of speculation about Valentino Rossi switching to F1 car racing, it seems he may finally get his first ride in one of the 900bhp cars, and MCN has got an exclusive interview. The...

Rossi matches previous times in Oz

Rossi matches previous times in Oz

Three weeks after his last Phillip Island tests… and Rossi’s clocking almost exactly the same time as he did back then – but he still reckons he’s making progress. His best of 1:30.80 is a tenth of a...

Proton V5 to join MotoGP tests

Proton V5 to join MotoGP tests

Proton Team KR will join the big guns for shakedown tests of its V5 at Valencia in Spain this weekend. The March 6-7 tests bring together HRC, Ducati, Suzuki and Kawasaki, too. Valentino Rossi and the...

Hayden quickest at Valencia tests

Hayden quickest at Valencia tests

Honda’s Nicky Hayden was fastest at the MotoGP tests in Valencia over the weekend. The test brought together Honda, Ducati, Suzuki, Aprilia and Proton with Kurtis Roberts getting his first ride on the...

Weather limits Rossi’s progress in Oz

Weather limits Rossi’s progress in Oz

Damp conditions have limited world champion Valentino Rossi’s test progress at Phillip Island, Australia. He was only able to get in 14 laps on a drying track in an afternoon bright spell. But he did...

Tyre supply hampers Hodgson’s test times

Tyre supply hampers Hodgson’s test times

WSB champion Neil Hodgson finished the third and final day of his latest MotoGP test down on time and feeling down in the dumps. He says his struggle has not been helped by a lack of the new Michelin...

Ducati dominates day two at Phillip Island

Ducati dominates day two at Phillip Island

The second day of MotoGP testing at Phillip Island, Australia, proved to be a memorable one for Ducati with rookie GP rider Ruben Xaus crashing badly and factory rider Loris Capirossi setting the...

Rossi ups the pace despite slower engine

Rossi ups the pace despite slower engine

Valentino Rossi looks set to disprove his doubters, closing the gap on the Hondas on the second day of MotoGP testing at Sepang, Malaysia. This was despite using a prototype engine down on power from...

Hodgson crash at first major test

Hodgson crash at first major test

D’Antin Ducati rider Neil Hodgson had a bad start to the opening day of GP testing in Sepang after crashing his Ducati Desmosedici only a few hours into the test. The 2003 World Superbike Champion was...

Hayden fastest in Sepang

Hayden fastest in Sepang

Honda’s Nicky Hayden has finished the final day of MotoGP testing at Sepang as the fastest rider, posting a time of 2:02.041 on his factory Honda RC211V. The American headed fellow Honda riders Max...

Edwards tops first day at Phillip Island

Edwards tops first day at Phillip Island

Colin Edwards immediately stamped his mark at the top of the time sheets as the MotoGP circus moved on to Phillip Island, Australia, after its week-long session in Malaysia. The Honda rider clocked a...

Share your memories of Sheene

Share your memories of Sheene

Barry Sheene touched the lives of millions of motorcyclists so to commemorate his death MCN is planning a special tribute. Everyone who met the great man has a story to tell, and we’d like to hear...

Hodgson and Davies go head to head

Hodgson and Davies go head to head

Grand Prix stars Neil Hodgson and Chaz Davies were racing head to head for the first time last week when they met up for the launch of Scalextric MotoGP. The two Brits were given the first go on the...

Suzuki star Hopkins breaks both ankles

Suzuki star Hopkins breaks both ankles

Suzuki MotoGP star John Hopkins has undergone surgery following a crash in a supercross event. American Hopkins fractured both ankles in practice for a ‘cross over’ event at San Diego on Saturday,...

Rossi closes the gap on Biaggi

Rossi closes the gap on Biaggi

Valentino Rossi has knocked 0.63 seconds off his best time in his second day of testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. Rossi had his first ride on the Yamaha YZF-M1 on Saturday after winning the...

Yamaha Sepang MotoGP test, official release

Yamaha Sepang MotoGP test, official release

In gruelling heat Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team) was inside his own previous lap record of 2m 03.82 seconds at the 5.548km Sepang track in testing today. He recorded a best time of 2m...

Biaggi dominates Sepang day two

Biaggi dominates Sepang day two

Max Biaggi continued his domination of preseason testing at Sepang in Malaysia by improving on his first day best by half-a-second. Biaggi had the benefit of using a 17 inch front wheel, compared to...

Rossi rattles rivals in first Yamaha test

Rossi rattles rivals in first Yamaha test

Defending world MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi looks like making it business as usual in this year’s title race, despite his move from the all-conquering Honda to a struggling Yamaha. He completed 59...

Rossi plays down title hopes

Rossi plays down title hopes

Valentino Rossi is talking down his chances of clinging on to his world title on the eve of his debut test with Yamaha. The reigning MotoGP champion has seen Max Biaggi beat his lap record at Sepang,...

Rossi 1.2 seconds down on Biaggi

Rossi 1.2 seconds down on Biaggi

These are the first pictures of Valentino Rossi as he takes his debut ride on the Yamaha YZF-M1. The 2003 world champion has just finished his first day of testing on the new bike and ended the...

Biaggi ends test 1.2 secs faster than Rossi

Biaggi ends test 1.2 secs faster than Rossi

Max Biaggi has continued his dominance of Honda’s pre-season MotoGP testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia by ending the final day with a best lap 1.2 seconds faster than Valentino Rossi’s best...

Suzuki riders close to Biaggi's best

Suzuki riders close to Biaggi's best

MotoGP testing in Sepang came to a close on Friday for the Suzuki, Kawasaki and Moriwaki teams, with all the squads claiming a big improvement over last year’s machines. Suzuki riders John Hopkins and...