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

McWilliams takes pole in Phillip Island

21 October 2002

Jeremy McWilliams has put the Proton KR on pole position for Sunday’s MotoGP in Australia. He qualified 0.4 seconds ahead of Australian Gary McCoy. The other Proton KR of Nobuatsu Aoki qualified in...

Biaggi scraps for Sepang victory

14 October 2002

Max Biaggi finally broke his four-stroke duck with a win in the searing heat of Sepang in Sunday’s Malaysian round of the MotoGP calendar. The Malboro Yamaha rider benefited from the three-way scrap...

Barros builds with Sepang pole

14 October 2002

Alex Barros is emerging as the unlikely challenger to the dominance of Valentino Rossi in MotoGP after taking pole in Sepang today ahead of Sunday’s Malaysion Grand Prix. Despite only having sat on...

2003 Grand Prix Calendar

14 October 2002

The FIM has just released the details of dates and venues for the 2003 Grand Prix calendar. Round 1: April 6, Suzuka, Japan Round 2: April 27, Welkom, South Africa Round 3: May 11, Jerez, Spain Round...

Ukawa leads Honda charge in Sepang

07 October 2002

Tohru Ukawa blazed to provisional pole in Sepang today, setting himself at the head of an all-Honda four-stroke front row ahead of Sunday’s MotoGP round in Malaysia. The Japanese rider’s time of...

Pitt to ride ZX-RR at Sepang

07 October 2002

Aussie Andrew Pitt will replace the injured Akira Yanagawa on Kawasaki’s ZX-RR MotoGP machine for the rest of the season, starting with the Malaysian GP in Sepang on October13. The 2001 World...

Abe lands M1 for Phillip Island, Valencia

07 October 2002

It has been confirmed by the factory that Norick Abe will get a four-stroke M1 MotoGP machine from Yamaha to contest the final two rounds of the season. Abe, the leading Yamaha two-stroke rider in the...

McWilliams and Aoki re-sign for Roberts

07 October 2002

Jeremy McWilliams will continue to partner Nobuatso Aoki in the Proton/Kenny Roberts set-up in 2003 it has just been announced. The pair will ride the new Proton/KR V5 four-stroke currently under...

Kato grabs provisional pole in Motegi

01 October 2002

Daijiro Kato put on a show for his home fans with a last gasp stunner to take provisional pole at the Twin Ring in Motegi today. With just a few minutes remaining in the session, Yamaha’s Max Biaggi...

Barros makes good on RCV in Motegi

01 October 2002

Alex Barros repaid Honda and team boss Sito Pons’ faith with a win in Motegi on his debut ride on the West Honda RCV four-stroke as Honda took a one-two-three in today’s MotoGP race. A tense race-long...

Katoh confirms Motegi pole

01 October 2002

Daijiro Katoh will start from pole position in Sunday’s Japanese round of the MotoGP championship after no-one challenged his time of 1.49.052, set during Friday’s qualifying, in Saturday’s...

Roberts re-signs with Suzuki

01 October 2002

Kenny Roberts has just inked a new contract that will keep him with the factory Suzuki MotoGP squad for the next two years. It comes on the back of his maiden podium in the new class, scored at the...

Barros gets RCV for Motegi GP

30 September 2002

Alex Barros has been confirmed as the beneficiary of the sole RCV four-stroke available to the West Honda squad for the rest of the 2002 MotoGP season. Barros said: ” I am very excited about my...

MotoGP’s musical chairs

23 September 2002

The silly season is well and truly upon us. As contract time approaches, Yamaha and Suzuki both feature in the latest tranche of rumour and manoeuvre. Norick Abe is said to be on the verge of quitting...

McWilliams cracks collarbone in Rio

23 September 2002

While Valentino Rossi was popping champaign corks to celebrate his win in Rio and new MotoGp title, Jeremy McWilliams was popping painkillers after his bike seized, spitting the Ulsterman off,...

Rossi to test BAR F1 car

23 September 2002

Valentino Rossi is lined up to test an F1 car at the end of the year. The boss of British American Racing (BAR) David Richards has reached an agreement with the 23-year-old’s Repsol Honda squad to try...

Nakano and Jacque get M1s

16 September 2002

It’s just been announced that Olivier Jacque and his Tech 3 Yamaha teammate Shinya Nakano will get the four-stroke Yamaha M1 MotoGP machines from the Malaysian GP onwards. The Malaysian Grand Prix...

Max Biaggi signs for Honda

16 September 2002

Max Biaggi has just inked a three year deal to ride a Honda RCV V5-engined bike in MotoGP. Biaggi said: ” I was dreaming to race with Honda again and Pramac made my dream come true. ” ” I have...

Rossi takes the title with a win in Rio

16 September 2002

He’s been 125cc world champion, he’s been 250cc world champion and he’s been the 500cc world champion. Now Valentino Rossi can add the maiden MotoGP crown to his trophy cabinet after winning a soaking...

Don’t forget: Saturday is the Rio GP

16 September 2002

Free practice for the MotoGP class has just ended in Rio ahead of Saturday’s Grand Prix, and it’s Valentino Rossi topping the timing sheets. 1)V Rossi (1:52.359) 2)N Abe (1:52.712) 3)M Biaggi...

Biaggi claims provisional Rio pole

16 September 2002

Yamaha’s soon-to-be-ex rider Max Biaggi has slotted his Yamaha M1 on provisional pole at the Nelson Piquet Circuit in Rio ahead of Saturday’s Brazilian Grand Prix. His time of 1:51.854 pipped...

Bayliss and Capirossi on Ducati GP bike

16 September 2002

It has just been revealed that Troy Bayliss will join forces with Loris Capirossi on the Ducati MotoGP machine in 2003. The two riders have signed two-year contracts to ride the new Desmosedici V4 in...

Estoril GP results

09 September 2002

Valentino Rossi won the Portuguese MotoGP round at Estoril today after runaway leader Suzuki’s Sete Giberanu crashed in torrential rain. MotoGP: 1)V Rossi 2)C Checa 3)K Roberts 4)A Barros 5)M Biaggi 250: 1)F Nieto 2)M Melandri 3)S Porto…7)L Haslam 125: 1)A Vincent 2)S Sanna 3)S Jenckner Rossi extends his lead over his Repsol Honda teammate Tohru Ukawa in second place to 89 points with four rounds...

Hayden will ride alongside Rossi

09 September 2002

Sources inside the MotoGP paddock are saying that reigning AMA Superbike champion Nicky Hayden has signed to ride a Honda RCV in 2003, possibly alongside Valentino Rossi in the Repsol/HRC...

GP qualifying times from Estoril

02 September 2002

Alex Barros has snatched provisional pole from under the nose of Daijiro Kato, by just 7/1000ths of a second ahead of Sunday’s Portuguese GP at Estoril. The Brazilian rider has consistently been the...

Brits look forward to Estoril GP

02 September 2002

This weekend, September 7-8, sees the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, the scene of pre-season testing for most teams earlier in the year. And for most of the Brits taking part, it’s coming on the...

Max power stops Honda in Brno

26 August 2002

Max Biaggi became the first man this season to break the Honda hegemony with his debut win of the MotoGP era at the Czech GP in Brno, today. He lead from pole, taking with him Valentino Rossi and...

Biaggi busts records for Brno pole

19 August 2002

Max Biaggi became the first man to crack the sub-two minute lap at Brno today to snare pole position in Sunday’s Czech MotoGP. His time of 1:59.646 was fractions faster than Daijiro Kato on the...

Rossi tops Brno free practice

19 August 2002

Valentino Rossi topped this morning’s free practice ahead of Sunday’s Czech MotoGP. The Italian’s time of 2:00.943 was four tenths of a second faster than second place man Alex Barros around the...

McWilliams claims provisional Brno sixth

19 August 2002

He may have been giving away almost 15mph to the top men, but that didn’t stop Jeremy McWilliams from claiming provisional sixth in MotoGP qualifying at Brno today. The Ulsterman lines up alongside...

Capirossi chooses wife, but not team

12 August 2002

Loris Capirossi is making the most of the break in the GP schedule this year. He officially married long time girlfriend Ingrid Tence at a civil service in Monte Carlo last month, but the couple will...

Ueda hopes for Brno return

12 August 2002

Nobby Ueda is hopeful he’ll be back to fitness in time for the Czech GP at Brno on August 25. The 35-year-old veteran of the 125cc class has been out since he injured his neck and hip crashing heavily...

Checa extends contract with Yamaha

01 August 2002

Carlos Checa has extended his contract with Yamaha to run for another two years. He will continue the ride the YZR-M1 that has taken him to fifth so far this season. The 29-year old Spaniard has raced...

Pere Riba aims for Brno return

01 August 2002

Pere Riba says his broken leg won’t be 100 per cent in time for the Czech GP at Brno on August 25, but he’s going to race anyway. Riba says; ” I’m feeling better and my condition is improving. I...

Roberts to miss Germany, but Ryo rides again

15 July 2002

Kenny Roberts will miss the German Grand Prix in order to have surgery on his right arm. The operation is to cure the arm ” pump ” which has been a reason for his poor performances this season,...

Rossi makes it seven in a row

15 July 2002

Despite a poor start, Valentino Rossi claimed victory in Germany, making it seven wins in a row for the Italian. It was his Honda team-mate, Tohru Ukawa, who led the early stages of the race, until Alex Barros found his way past on lap seven, leading an eight-man fight for the lead. Barros was locked in a tussle with Frenchman Olivier Jacque, but both riders failed to finish. It was Max Biaggi who...