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

MotoGP: Michelin ‘very focused’ on Argentinian GP

04 April 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Michelin ‘very focused’ on Argentinian GP

MotoGP sole tyre manufacturer Michelin have admitted that they’re going into this weekend’s Argentinian Grand Prix ‘very focused’ on the job at hand, after the issues that they suffered last year at...

MotoGP: Tyre life key for Marquez in Argentina

03 April 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Tyre life key for Marquez in Argentina

Marc Marquez says that the key to this weekend’s second round of the 2017 MotoGP world championship will be tyre life, as he prepares to take the fight to Maverick Viñales after finishing the opening...

MotoGP: ‘Difficult to know what to expect’ in Argentina for Smith and KTM

03 April 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: ‘Difficult to know what to expect’ in Argentina for Smith and KTM

Red Bull KTM rider Bradley Smith says it’s hard to know what to expect this weekend when he and teammate Pol Espargaró make their debut on the RC16 machine at Argentina’s Termas de Rio Hondo...

MotoGP: Baz wants to build on Qatar form

03 April 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Baz wants to build on Qatar form

Reale Avintia Ducati rider Loris Baz says that he needs to capitalise on his best ever dry result in the first round of the 2017 MotoGP championship in Qatar last month if he wants to maintain the...

MotoGP: Yamaha boss Jarvis delighted with garage atmosphere

02 April 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Yamaha boss Jarvis delighted with garage atmosphere

Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis has admitted that with the first race of 2017 in the bag, he’s delighted with the changes in his team’s garage after a series of years of tension between Valentino Rossi and...

Moto2: Dream start for Oliveira and KTM project

02 April 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto2: Dream start for Oliveira and KTM project

KTM’s first foray into the middleweight class of Grand Prix racing since the end of the 250GP class has gotten off to a dream start, after Miguel Olivera took the machine to an impressive fourth place...

MotoGP: Iannone ‘wasted a positive result’

01 April 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Iannone ‘wasted a positive result’

Andrea Iannone has admitted that he wasted a chance for a strong result in the opening race of the 2017 MotoGP season, after the Italian replicated his 2016 performance at the Qatar Grand Prix by...

MotoGP: ‘Strange’ opening weekend for Lowes

01 April 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: ‘Strange’ opening weekend for Lowes

Sam Lowes has admitted that his opening night in MotoGP was ‘a bit strange,’ after the rookie made his debut at a rain-delayed and confused Qatar Grand Prix that saw numerous delays hit the grid...

MotoGP: Tyre choice destroys Marquez’s chances

31 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Tyre choice destroys Marquez’s chances

The wrong decision on front tyre choice cost Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez any chance he had of battling for the podium at the opening race of the 2017 season at the weekend, after he folded on the...

MotoGP: Rins’ fitness in doubt for Argentina after motocross crash

31 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Rins’ fitness in doubt for Argentina after motocross crash

Suzuki Ecstar rider Alex Rins could be in doubt for the second round of the 2017 MotoGP season at the Argentinian Grand Prix next weekend after falling from his motocross bike during training...

Moto3: Mir has ride of his life for Qatar win

31 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto3: Mir has ride of his life for Qatar win

Qatar Grand Prix winner Joan Mir has admitted that it took the ride of his life to take his second victory in the Moto3 class, after a ferocious battle that went right down to the chequered flag at...

MotoGP: Grand Prix Commission scrap penalty points

30 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Grand Prix Commission scrap penalty points

MotoGP rulemaking body the Grand Prix Commission have announced the scrapping of their penalty points structure in the follow-up of changes made last year to the way race direction penalises riders...

MotoGP: Lorenzo not experienced enough to challenge

30 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Lorenzo not experienced enough to challenge

New Ducati signing Jorge Lorenzo has conceded that a lack of experience was the reason for his poor showing during his debut for the Italian firm in the opening race of 2017, after that and a first...

Moto3: McPhee aiming to challenge for 2017 title

30 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto3: McPhee aiming to challenge for 2017 title

British Talent Team Honda rider John McPhee says he’s in a position to become the second British rider to challenge for the Moto3 world title in only three seasons, after a strong start to the season...

Moto2: First round a learning experience for Kent

29 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto2: First round a learning experience for Kent

Danny Kent has chalked the opening round of the 2017 Moto2 world championships down to a learning experience, after the former Moto3 champion made a strong start to Sunday’s race only to fall down the...

MotoGP: Opening night on Channel 5 draws nearly half a million

29 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Opening night on Channel 5 draws nearly half a million

The opening night of Channel 5’s new deal to show highlights of the 2017 MotoGP season drew in record crowds of nearly half a million, according to industry blog F1 Broadcasting, helping last Sunday’s...

MotoGP: Strong season opener for Miller

29 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Strong season opener for Miller

Jack Miller has made a strong start to the 2017 MotoGP season after taking the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda to his best ever dry weather performance of eighth at the season-opening Qatar Grand...

MotoGP: Espargaró stuns in opening Aprilia race

29 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Espargaró stuns in opening Aprilia race

Aleix Espargaró has stunned the MotoGP paddock by taking his new Gresini Racing Aprilia machine to an impressive top six finish first time out on the machine at the Qatar Grand Prix. Running at a pace...

Moto3: McPhee thrilled with opening night performance

28 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto3: McPhee thrilled with opening night performance

British Talent Team Honda rider John McPhee has come away thrilled from his opening night of the 2017 Moto3 season, after taking a strong podium position – his first in dry conditions – at the Qatar...

MotoGP: Hero to zero for rookie Zarco

28 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Hero to zero for rookie Zarco

Johann Zarco has went from hero to zero in the opening MotoGP race of his career in the premiere class, setting an impressive precedent by leading for six laps before crashing out of the lead. The...

MotoGP: Dovi delighted with podium success

28 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Dovi delighted with podium success

Andrea Dovizioso has come away from the opening round of the 2017 MotoGP championship delighted with his performance, after managing to secure his third consecutive runner-up spot at the opening...

MotoGP: Redding happy with steady start to the season

28 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Redding happy with steady start to the season

Scott Redding has come away from the opening round of the 2017 MotoGP world championship pleased with a steady start on the Pramac Ducati, taking seventh at the flag to match his own expectations for...

Moto2: Morbidelli finally breaks the duck

27 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto2: Morbidelli finally breaks the duck

Franco Morbidelli has finally broken his Moto2 duck by doing what he threatened to do in the second half of the 2016 season and taking a dominant victory in the opening race of 2017 at the Qatar Grand...

MotoGP: Crutchlow lucky to escape intact

27 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Crutchlow lucky to escape intact

Cal Crutchlow was lucky to escape injury last night in the opening race of the 2017 MotoGP season after not one but two crashes, with the second one a direct result of the initial fall for the LCR...

MotoGP: Viñales feeling incredible after debut victory

27 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Viñales feeling incredible after debut victory

Maverick Viñales says he’s feeling incredible after a debut victory for the Movistar Yamaha team last night in Qatar, where he laid down a huge marker to the rest of the field by setting up a perfect...

MotoGP: Viñales delivers on promises with stunning race win

27 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Viñales delivers on promises with stunning race win

Maverick Viñales has delivered on his preseason promises by taking a stunning race victory in the opening round of the 2017 MotoGP world championship, after a rain-delayed race start and a fight to...

Moto2: Morbidelli romps to dominant victory

26 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto2: Morbidelli romps to dominant victory

Franco Morbidelli has romped to an easy victory in the opening Moto2 race of the 2017 season at the Qatar Grand Prix, never potting a foot wrong to eventually take the win by 2.6 seconds over...

Moto3: Mir wins, McPhee second as normal service resumes

26 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto3: Mir wins, McPhee second as normal service resumes

Joan Mir has taken a stunning victory in the inaugural Moto3 race of 2017 ahead of Brit John McPhee, resuming normal service in the lightweight class by presiding over a frenetic race at Qatar’s...

MotoGP: Cancelled qualifying gives pole to Viñales

25 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Cancelled qualifying gives pole to Viñales

Maverick Viñales will start the opening race of the 2017 MotoGP season from pole position despite not taking to the track on qualifying day, after heavy rain at the Losail circuit saw the entire day...

MotoGP: New schedule as heavy rain hits Qatar

25 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: New schedule as heavy rain hits Qatar

MotoGP organisers have been forced to put in place a new schedule for this afternoon’s activities at the Losail circuit, after heavy rain hit the Qatari track this morning. The new schedule will see...

MotoGP: ‘Little by little’ take Iannone to second

25 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: ‘Little by little’ take Iannone to second

Andrea Iannone has finished the second day of the 2017 MotoGP season in second on the time sheets, after ‘little by little’ improvements helped the Suzuki rider to find his pace after struggling on...

Moto3: McPhee not phased by chances of wet race

25 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto3: McPhee not phased by chances of wet race

British Talent Team Honda rider John McPhee says he’s not phased by the possibility of a wet season-opening race under the floodlights in Qatar – and that the forecast conditions might even give him...

MotoGP: Viñales remains on top despite free practice fall

24 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Viñales remains on top despite free practice fall

Maverick Viñales has remained in control of the MotoGP action at the Qatar Grand Prix, finishing the second day on track still top of the timesheets despite a small fall during the first of two...

Moto2: Marc VDS duo Morbidelli and Marquez lead the way

24 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto2: Marc VDS duo Morbidelli and Marquez lead the way

The Marc VDS duo of Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez have led the way on the second day of action at the Qatar Grand Prix, topping the Moto2 time sheets from a strong performance by former Moto3...

Moto3: Martin and Fenati double up for Honda

24 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto3: Martin and Fenati double up for Honda

Jorge Martin and Romano Fenati have made it a Honda one-two at the top of the time sheets after the second day of Moto3 action in Qatar, topping the day’s only session to finish 0.172 apart and 0.170...

MotoGP: Crutchlow lucky to escape high speed oil leak

24 March 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Crutchlow lucky to escape high speed oil leak

Cal Crutchlow says he’s lucky to have walked away from a high speed incident last night during the opening MotoGP free practice of 2017, when a loose plug caused oil to flow out of his LCR Honda on...