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

Stunning lap gives Marquez pole at COTA

11 April 2015 by Steve English

Stunning lap gives Marquez pole at COTA

Marc Marquez took arguably the most impressive pole position of his career with the world champion recovering from a mechanical failure to set the pace at the Circuit of the Americas. After the first...

Dominant pole position for Kent

11 April 2015 by Steve English

Dominant pole position for Kent

Moto3 qualifying started with a flurry after rain was forecast inside the first fifteen minutes so there was a series of fast times from the outset with Danny Kent initially setting the pace by almost...

Brits on form in thrilling FP3

11 April 2015 by Steve English

Brits on form in thrilling FP3

Cal Crutchlow laid down a marker in this morning FP3 session with the LCR Honda rider second fastest behind Marc Marquez and guaranteeing his place in the second qualifying session this afternoon.

Friday roundup from COTA

11 April 2015 by Steve English

Friday roundup from COTA

The opening day of practice at the Circuit of the Americas was one that surprisingly gave a lot of talking points for a day that had minimal dry weather running. With a dog on track, the first time...

Rossi puts pressure on Marquez, Lorenzo looks to win

10 April 2015 by Steve English

Rossi puts pressure on Marquez, Lorenzo looks to win

Keen to dampen expectations for this weekend Valentino Rossi stressed that the Circuit of the Americas is more suited to the Honda’s than the Yamaha’s. Rossi’s season opening win in Qatar has set a...

Dovi growing in confidence

10 April 2015 by Steve English

Dovi growing in confidence

An exceptionally relaxed Andrea Dovizioso talked to the media about his chances this weekend and the Italian now has the confidence of a rider that knows the package underneath him will be competitive...

Smith aiming for top six

10 April 2015 by Steve English

Smith aiming for top six

Bradley Smith is aiming to break into the top six this weekend and take advantage of Dani Pedrosa missing the Grand Prix of the Americas. Smith, who finished eighth in Qatar, enjoyed a solid winter...

Updated bike for Crutchlow in Austin

10 April 2015 by Steve English

Updated bike for Crutchlow in Austin

Cal Crutchlow will have an updated bike for this weekend with a new chassis and seat for his LCR Honda. The Englishman is on “give or take” the same package as the Repsol Honda riders, having received...

Iannone talks about his first premier class podium

08 April 2015 by Steve English

Iannone talks about his first premier class podium

After claiming the first premier class podium of his career Andrea Iannone spoke about what it meant for him to stand on the rostrum in Qatar alongside Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso. It must be...

Aoyama sorry for Pedrosa but looking forward to COTA

07 April 2015 by Steve English

Aoyama sorry for Pedrosa but looking forward to COTA

Having been cast aside by MotoGP over the winter Hiro Aoyama became an official test rider for HRC and having sat out the Qatar Grand Prix the Japanese rider will make his return to the grid as Dani...

Ducati duo talk Texas and marquez

07 April 2015 by Steve English

Ducati duo talk Texas and marquez

Ducati’s double podium in Qatar was highly impressive. The Bologna based squad had showed impressive pace throughout the winter but being able to convert that into 36 points on race day will have...

Marquez puts Qatar behind him

07 April 2015 by Steve English

Marquez puts Qatar behind him

After fighting back through the field in the Qatar Grand Prix to finish fifth Marc Marquez is keen to get his season back on track in this weekend’s Grand Prix of the Americas. “I’m really looking...

What does a rider feel with arm pump?

04 April 2015 by Steve English

What does a rider feel with arm pump?

Dani Pedrosa’s surgery yesterday for arm pump has once again brought the condition to the forefront of the MotoGP paddock. Arm pump is an exceptionally debilitating condition for any rider but on a...

Pedrosa undergoes surgery

03 April 2015 by Steve English

Pedrosa undergoes surgery

Dani Pedrosa has undergone surgery this morning in Spain for his ongoing arm pump problems with the Spaniard now set to face at least two races on the sideline with Hiroshi Aoyama replacing him at...

Full round-up from Qatar

03 April 2015 by Steve English

Full round-up from Qatar

Qatar was the season opener that had it all; a typically action packed Moto3 race, a race that seemingly nobody wanted to win in Moto2 and an incredibly exciting MotoGP. You couldn’t have written a...

Laverty looking towards Texas after electronics woes

03 April 2015 by Steve English

Laverty looking towards Texas after electronics woes

Eugene Laverty was left curing his luck at Qatar but the Irishman is looking forward to next weekend’s Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas. Making his premier class debut Laverty’s pace in practice...

Pedrosa to undergo surgery tomorrow, Aoyama to stand in

02 April 2015 by Steve English

Pedrosa to undergo surgery tomorrow, Aoyama to stand in

Dani Pedrosa has confirmed that he will undergo surgery for the arm pump issues that left him struggling in Qatar. The Spaniard, who has already had surgery twice on his right forearm, will go under...

Strong Honda debut for Crutchlow

01 April 2015 by Steve English

Strong Honda debut for Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow finished the Qatar Grand Prix where he aimed to as the leading satellite rider. A qualifying crash left him down the grid in 12th and it meant that salvaging seventh place at the flag...

Redding: We need to find our own with the bike

01 April 2015 by Steve English

Redding: We need to find our own with the bike

Scott Redding had a torrid time in Qatar with the Marc VDS rider struggling throughout the weekend with his corner entry speed. Redding eventually finished 13th and to be just 1.5s ahead of Hector...

Smith pleased with Qatar outcome

01 April 2015 by Steve English

Smith pleased with Qatar outcome

Bradley Smith had a strong first race of the season with the Tech3 Yamaha rider finishing eighth in Qatar and just behind Cal Crutchlow in the fight for top satellite rider honours. After the race it...

Ducati now limited to 22 litres of fuel

01 April 2015 by Steve English

Ducati now limited to 22 litres of fuel

Ducati’s strong start to 201t has seen the Italian manufacturer lose the first of their Factory Option concessions with the red machines now limited to 22 litres of fuel via the regulations. The...

Strong start for McPhee

01 April 2015 by Steve English

Strong start for McPhee

John McPhee stormed through on the last lap to take fifth position at the flag after a difficult day for the Scottish rider. McPhee, teammate to race winner Alexis Masbou, was hamstrung throughout by...

Marquez pleased to salvage fifth after first corner mistake

31 March 2015 by Steve English

Marquez pleased to salvage fifth after first corner mistake

Marc Marquez’ chances of winning the Qatar Grand Prix ended at the first corner after a mistake from the world champion saw him run off the track and fall to last in the field. The Repsol Honda rider...

Rossi looks forward to ultra competitive MotoGP season

31 March 2015 by Steve English

Rossi looks forward to ultra competitive MotoGP season

The race day turnaround by Valentino Rossi and Yamaha was exceptionally impressive after the Italian struggled with grip problems throughout the weekend in Qatar before claiming a stunning...

Bautista slams Marquez for Qatar DNF

30 March 2015 by Simon Patterson

Bautista slams Marquez for Qatar DNF

Alvaro Bautista has slammed Marc Marquez for a collision between the duo during last night’s opening race of the 2015 MotoGP season. The incident, at turn one on the opening lap, left the Aprilia...

Dani Pedrosa set to sit out MotoGP races?

29 March 2015 by Simon Patterson

Dani Pedrosa set to sit out MotoGP races?

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has dramatically announced only hours after finishing sixth in the opening MotoGP race of 2015 that he may be forced to sit out the next few rounds as he continues to...

Qatar MotoGP: Rossi wins from Ducati duo!

29 March 2015 by Simon Patterson

Qatar MotoGP: Rossi wins from Ducati duo!

Valentino Rossi has won the first MotoGP race of 2015 – incredibly, after holding off the Ducati duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone in one of the best races the class has seen in years. Rossi...

Qatar Moto2: Folger wins war of attrition

29 March 2015 by Simon Patterson

Qatar Moto2: Folger wins war of attrition

Jonas Folger has inherited his first Moto2 win after a battle of attrition that saw many of the pre-race favourites fall by the wayside. It was pre-race favourites Sam Lowes and Johann Zarco who led...

Qatar Moto3: Masbou converts pole to win after frantic battle

29 March 2015 by Simon Patterson

Qatar Moto3: Masbou converts pole to win after frantic battle

Alex Masbou has become the first victor of the 2015 Moto3 season, converting his pole position into the win after a frantic battle that saw eight race leaders. The Honda rider just held off Enea...

Dovi: The feeling from qualifying is special but we won't know our level until the race

29 March 2015 by Steve English

Dovi: The feeling from qualifying is special but we won't know our level until the race

Last year in Motegi Andrea Dovizioso claimed a stunning pole position that surprised the paddock but when the Italian set the pace in qualifying for the season opening Qatar Grand Prix it merely met...

Lowes aiming for first GP win

29 March 2015 by Steve English

Lowes aiming for first GP win

After storming to pole position Sam Lowes was in no mood to downplay his goals for tonight’s Qatar Grand Prix with the Englishman confident that he can finish at least on the rostrum but he’s aiming...

Qatar MotoGP: Dovi christens Ducati GP15 with debut pole

28 March 2015 by Simon Patterson

Qatar MotoGP: Dovi christens Ducati GP15 with debut pole

Andrea Dovizioso has christened the new Ducati GP15 machine with pole position on it’s first ever ride in anger, taking the top spot off Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez under the floodlights in...

Qatar Moto2: Lowes maintains hold for pole

28 March 2015 by Simon Patterson

Qatar Moto2: Lowes maintains hold for pole

Sam Lowes has maintained his hold on the Moto2 grid at the first race of the year, setting the fastest Moto2 lap ever of the Losail circuit to take pole position despite a crash in the closing stages...

Qatar Moto3: Masbou takes first ever pole

28 March 2015 by Simon Patterson

Qatar Moto3: Masbou takes first ever pole

Alex Masbou has taken his first ever pole in a frantic Moto3 qualifying session at Qatar, exploiting being in the right place at the right time to take a four-bike slipstream over the line. “We were...

Any mistake will be punished in qualifying

28 March 2015 by Steve English

Any mistake will be punished in qualifying

Tonight’s MotoGP qualifying session will have a lot to live up to following the thrilling climax to FP3 that saw the top 21 riders separated by just 1.3s at the Losail International Circuit. Even when...

Qatar Moto2: Lowes continues domination in Moto2

27 March 2015 by Simon Patterson

Qatar Moto2: Lowes continues domination in Moto2

Sam Lowes has continued his domination of the opening weekend of the Moto2 World Championship, trading blows with Johann Zarco before getting the better of the French rider to finish 0.136 clear of...