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: Crutchlow pleased with Phillip Island race pace

27 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Crutchlow pleased with Phillip Island race pace

Cal Crutchlow has come away from the three days of testing pleased with the pace he’s able to set on the LCR Honda despite losing the time to set a fast lap on the final day of testing and to improve...

MotoGP: Marquez shoulder dislocation at Jerez ‘nothing serious’

25 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Marquez shoulder dislocation at Jerez ‘nothing serious’

Marc Marquez has shrugged off a dislocated shoulder at today’s private Jerez test for the Repsol Honda team as ‘nothing serious,’ after once again popping out the joint that he’s repeatedly dislocated...

MotoGP: Tension building between Viñales and Marquez

24 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Tension building between Viñales and Marquez

Tensions are already starting to build between 2017 MotoGP championship favourite Maverick Viñales and reigning champion Marc Marquez ahead of the start of the season next month, brought to a head...

Moto3: Bulega tops rain-hit Jerez test

24 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto3: Bulega tops rain-hit Jerez test

Nicolò Bulega has topped two days of Moto3 testing at Jerez, finishing the two-day outing in good form as he sets up a year in which he starts the series as one of the favourites for Valentino Rossi’s...

MotoGP: Oakley to become title sponsor of Mugello race

23 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Oakley to become title sponsor of Mugello race

Sunglasses brand Oakley will become the title sponsor of this year’s Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, replacing Italian telecommunications giant TIM in the role. The deal sees Oakley, owned by Milanese...

Moto3: Ducati nearing lightweight class return

23 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto3: Ducati nearing lightweight class return

Ducati are nearing a return to MotoGP’s lightweight class for the first time in nearly sixty years, with MCN’s sources confirming that the Italian manufacturer’s new Moto3 machine has taken to the...

MotoGP: Michelin to run wet track test at Valencia

22 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Michelin to run wet track test at Valencia

MotoGP tyre manufacturer Michelin will take the almost-unprecedented step of running a special wet track test later this season at Valencia, with plans to douse the Spanish track in water to test...

Gallery: Red Bull KTM's 2017 MotoGP RC16

22 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Gallery: Red Bull KTM's 2017 MotoGP RC16

With the 2017 MotoGP season now well underway after the completing of the second test at Phillip Island last week and with the Red Bull KTM squad dashing back to Austria to launch their new bikes at...

MotoGP: Smith and Espargaró reveal KTM contender

20 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Smith and Espargaró reveal KTM contender

The Red Bull KTM duo of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró have pulled the covers off the 2017 MotoGP machine that the pair will campaign in the coming season. The pair flew directly from Australia and...

Moto3: McPhee out to make the most of Honda potential

20 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto3: McPhee out to make the most of Honda potential

2016 Moto3 race winner John McPhee has come away from his first test of 2017 – and his first time on a bike since his season-ending crash at Phillip Island last year – delighted with the potential of...

Moto2: Rossi and VR46 Academy take on the world

19 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto2: Rossi and VR46 Academy take on the world

Valentino Rossi and his army of VR46 Academy protégés have set themselves the ambitious target of securing victory in all three classes in 2017. In Moto3, Rossi’s SKY backed team of Andrea Migno and...

Opinion: Why does MotoGP test where we race?

18 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Opinion: Why does MotoGP test where we race?

One complaint that was issued more than any other this week during MotoGP’s three-day testing visit to Phillip Island was the weather. Now, with beautiful sunshine, no rain, and track temperatures...

MotoGP: KTM pleased with progress despite positions

17 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: KTM pleased with progress despite positions

The KTM duo of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró have come away from the second of MotoGP’s three pre-season test pleased with the progress made on the new RC16 machine, despite the timing screens...

MotoGP: Rookie Folger fires warning shots

17 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Rookie Folger fires warning shots

MotoGP rookie Jonas Folger has fired an important warning shot on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine during three days of testing at Phillip Island, taking the machine to fourth overall and coming away...

MotoGP: Rossi improving, but not fast enough

17 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Rossi improving, but not fast enough

Valentino Rossi has admitted that despite some positive results form this week’s three-day MotoGP test at Phillip Island, he and his Movistar Yamaha team didn’t find the progress that they were hoping...

MotoGP: Viñales and Marquez throw down gloves in Phillip Island

17 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Viñales and Marquez throw down gloves in Phillip Island

Movistar Yamaha new signing Maverick Viñales and reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez have thrown down gloves – and perhaps shown us the direction of the 2017 season – after they went head to head on...

MotoGP: Crutchlow a danger man according to Viñales

16 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Crutchlow a danger man according to Viñales

Cal Crutchlow is a danger man for the 2017 MotoGP season according to Maverick Viñales, who says people are forgetting the potential of last season’s double race winner despite another strong...

MotoGP: Redding lucky to avoid injury in Bautista collision

16 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Redding lucky to avoid injury in Bautista collision

Scott Redding was lucky to escape injury free from the second day of testing at Phillip Island today after a high-speed collision with fellow Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista on the start-finish straight...

MotoGP: Suzuki and Aprilia roll out new winglet design

16 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Suzuki and Aprilia roll out new winglet design

Suzuki and Aprilia have become the latest MotoGP manufacturers to roll out a newly designed aerodynamic package as they try to skirt rules banning winglets for the 2017 season, with unusually designed...

MotoGP: Viñales demolishes field on day two at Phillip Island

16 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Viñales demolishes field on day two at Phillip Island

Movistar Yamaha rider Maverick Viñales has demolished his 2017 MotoGP opposition on the second day of action at the Phillip Island pre-season test, setting a fast time early on and backing it up in...

MotoGP: Government advisor calls Circuit of Wales ‘highly risky’

15 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Government advisor calls Circuit of Wales ‘highly risky’

A leading economist who acts as an advisor to the Welsh Government on strategic infrastructure investment has slammed the Circuit of Wales project, casting doubt on plans to underwrite the £425...

MotoGP: ‘Much better start’ for Lorenzo and Ducati

15 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: ‘Much better start’ for Lorenzo and Ducati

Jorge Lorenzo has admitted that the Phillip Island test has gotten off to a much better start than the first Sepang test of the 2017 season did earlier this month, with the triple world champion...

MotoGP: Yamaha duo start strong in Australia

15 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Yamaha duo start strong in Australia

The Movistar Yamaha duo of Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales have made a strong start to testing in Phillip Island, finishing the opening day of three second and fourth and pleased with the work...

MotoGP: Marquez leads Rossi on first day at Phillip Island

15 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Marquez leads Rossi on first day at Phillip Island

Marc Marquez has topped the first day of MotoGP’s three-day outing at Phillip Island, finishing the second official test of 2017 well clear of Valentino Rossi as the field got the chance to take to...

Cal Crutchlow wins MCN Man of the Year

15 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Cal Crutchlow wins MCN Man of the Year

2016 double MotoGP race winner Cal Crutchlow has fended off stiff opposition from Isle of Man TT winner Ian Hutchinson and double World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea to win the fan’s vote for MCN...

MotoGP: Two Wheels for Life auctioning exclusive paddock passes

14 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Two Wheels for Life auctioning exclusive paddock passes

MotoGP charity Two Wheels for Life have launched an auction for a series of exclusive ‘money-can’t-buy’ paddock passes for the 2017 season, with two passes for every round of the 18-race calendar up...

MotoGP: Rabat forced to sit out Phillip Island test

14 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Rabat forced to sit out Phillip Island test

Marc VDS Honda rider Tito Rabat has been forced to sit out this week’s second pre-season MotoGP test of 2017 at Phillip Island as he continues to recover from heavy injuries sustained last time out at...

MotoGP: Second official test gets underway at Phillip Island

14 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Second official test gets underway at Phillip Island

MotoGP’s second official pre-season test of 2017 is set to get underway this evening at 2245 UK time, with the full field taking to Australia’s Phillip Island for three days of action at one of the...

MotoGP: No ITV highlights for 2017 season

13 February 2017 by Oli Rushby

MotoGP: No ITV highlights for 2017 season

British MotoGP fans hoping to watch race highlights on ITV4 this year are set to be disappointed with it soon to be announced the channel won’t continue with the coverage this season. ITV4 have aired...

Moto3: McPhee delighted with Honda debut

10 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto3: McPhee delighted with Honda debut

Scotsman John McPhee says that his debut on the new British Talent Team Honda machine that he’ll compete for the 2017 Moto3 championship on has gone even better than expected, after completing two...

Moto2: Oliveira takes new KTM to top of the timesheets

10 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto2: Oliveira takes new KTM to top of the timesheets

Miguel Oliveira has proven that Austrian manufacturer KTM mean business as they make their first forays into Moto2, by topping the first of 2017’s private tests at Valencia this week. Completing two...

Gallery: Team Sky VR46 unveil Moto2 and Moto3 machines

09 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Gallery: Team Sky VR46 unveil Moto2 and Moto3 machines

Valentino Rossi’s Team Sky VR46 squad have revealed not only the Moto3 machines that Andrea Migno and Nicolo Bulega will campaign when the season gets underway next month but also their new Kalex...

Moto3: Title contender Di Giannantonio breaks collarbone

09 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Moto3: Title contender Di Giannantonio breaks collarbone

Gresini Honda rider and 2017 Moto3 title contender Fabio Di Giannantonio’s season has gotten off to a bad start, after the 18-year-old crashed out of today’s private Valencia test and broke his...

Video: ECSTAR Suzuki in action at Sepang

09 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Video: ECSTAR Suzuki in action at Sepang

With two new signings in the form of Andrea Iannone and rookie Alex Rins joining the ECSTAR Suzuki MotoGP team for the coming season, the squad have released a little look at some of the action from...

MotoGP: Yamaha boss Jarvis ‘We’ve assembled a dream team’

09 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

MotoGP: Yamaha boss Jarvis ‘We’ve assembled a dream team’

Yamaha Racing boss Lin Jarvis says that the addition of the youth of Maverick Viñales to the experience of Valentino Rossi for the 2017 and 2018 seasons mean that the squad have now assemble his...

Gallery: Baldassarri and Marini launch Forward Racing Moto2

08 February 2017 by Simon Patterson

Gallery: Baldassarri and Marini launch Forward Racing Moto2

Lorenzo Baldassarri and Luca Marini have launched the 2017 Forward Racing machines that they’ll ride in this year’s Moto2 world championship, pulling the covers off the Kalex bikes that they’ll ride...