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

Honda boss: Tyre life key advantage over Yamaha

29 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Honda boss: Tyre life key advantage over Yamaha

Superior grip on worn tyres was a key advantage that dominant world champion Marc Marquez had over Yamaha duo Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo in last season’s MotoGP campaign. That’s the view of HRC...

Alex Marquez never considered MotoGP move

23 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Alex Marquez never considered MotoGP move

New Moto3 world champion Alex Marquez says he never gave any consideration to making the big leap straight into MotoGP in 2015. The younger brother of dominant double MotoGP world champion Marc...

Mika Kallio motivated by Italtrans move

23 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Mika Kallio motivated by Italtrans move

Moto2 world championship runner-up Mika Kallio believes he can replicate this year’s title challenge in 2015, despite departing the all-conquering Marc VDS Racing squad. The Finnish rider finished...

Cal Crutchlow: Silverstone lowest point of 2014

22 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Cal Crutchlow: Silverstone lowest point of 2014

British rider Cal Crutchlow reckons his disappointing 12th place in his home race at Silverstone in late August was the lowest point of his 2014 MotoGP campaign with Ducati. Crutchlow was struggling...

Aprilia happy to convince Marco Melandri to make MotoGP switch

22 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Aprilia happy to convince Marco Melandri to make MotoGP switch

Aprilia boss Romano Albesiano has spoken of his delight at convincing experienced Italian Marco Melandri to make a shock return to the MotoGP world championship in 2015. Melandri will return to MotoGP...

Eugene Laverty eager to learn from Nicky Hayden

20 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Eugene Laverty eager to learn from Nicky Hayden

Eugene Laverty says he is eager to learn off vastly experienced Drive M7 Aspar Honda teammate Nicky Hayden in the 2015 MotoGP world championship. Laverty has got his big break in MotoGP next season...

New tyres and spec electronics key to new MotoGP fuel limit

19 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

New tyres and spec electronics key to new MotoGP fuel limit

The forthcoming introduction of spec electronics and Michelin tyres were the key factors in fuel tank capacity for MotoGP being set at 22 litres for all entries in 2016. A meeting of the Grand Prix...

Nicky Hayden confident new Open Honda will be competitive

17 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden confident new Open Honda will be competitive

Nicky Hayden is confident that Honda’s upgraded new RC213V-RS Open class bike will help the experienced American be more competitive in MotoGP next season. Hayden will ride the RC213V-RS in the...

Nicky Hayden happy with wrist recovery

17 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Nicky Hayden happy with wrist recovery

Aspar Honda rider Nicky Hayden says he is pleased with the progress his recovering right wrist is making during the winter lay-off. The American underwent major surgery last summer to try and cure a...

HRC expects stronger challenge from Dani Pedrosa after crew reshuffle

17 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

HRC expects stronger challenge from Dani Pedrosa after crew reshuffle

Honda management hope Dani Pedrosa can deliver a stronger title threat in 2015 after the Spaniard’s major crew reshuffle for next season. The Spaniard axed long-serving mechanics Mark Barnett and...

Yamaha wants long-term future with Pol Espargaro

17 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha wants long-term future with Pol Espargaro

Yamaha is confident it can convince Pol Espargaro that he has a long-term future with the Japanese manufacturer, despite denying the highly rated Spaniard a factory YZR-M1 chance until 2017 at the...

Jerry Burgess: Worrying gap to top four in MotoGP

16 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Jerry Burgess: Worrying gap to top four in MotoGP

Valentino Rossi’s legendary ex-crew chief Jerry Burgess says he has not seen anybody capable of bridging the gap that exists between MotoGP’s elite top four and the chasing pack. Only six of the 54...

LCR Honda wanted one more year with Stefan Bradl

16 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

LCR Honda wanted one more year with Stefan Bradl

LCR Honda boss Lucio Cecchinello is convinced Stefan Bradl could have become a consistent podium threat in MotoGP if the German had continued on a factory-backed RC213V next season. Cecchinello wanted...

Ducati boss surprised by 2014 results

15 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Ducati boss surprised by 2014 results

Ducati boss Gigi Dall’Igna has admitted he has been surprised at the rapid rate of progress that the factory Desmosedici made under his stewardship in 2014. Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso finished...

Marquez defends Andorra move

15 December 2014 by Simon Patterson

Marquez defends Andorra move

Speaking for the first time since he announced his controversial decision to move to Andorra in a press conference at Superprestigio in Barcelona, MotoGP champion Marc Marquez says the decision has...

Marquez takes overall victory in Superprestigio Superfinal

15 December 2014 by Simon Patterson

Marquez takes overall victory in Superprestigio Superfinal

Marc Marquez has taken on the best of the American flat track world and won, beating three times AMA Grand National champion Jared Mees to win the overall class at the reintroduced Spanish dirt track...

Aprilia boss: Experienced line-up key for 2015

12 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Aprilia boss: Experienced line-up key for 2015

Aprilia boss Romano Albesiano believes it was vitally important for the Italian factory to sign an experienced line-up for its return to MotoGP competition in 2015. Aprilia will field Alvaro Bautista...

Andrea Dovizioso surprised by 2014 revival

12 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso surprised by 2014 revival

Andrea Dovizioso says he massively exceeded expectations this year after the Italian clinched an impressive fifth position in the overall MotoGP world standings on Ducati’s improved...

Tech 3 boss: Jack Miller always destined for HRC move

11 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 boss: Jack Miller always destined for HRC move

Yamaha never got a sniff of beating Honda to Jack Miller’s signature after it was made clear he favoured a HRC switch for 2015. The teenage Aussie will be fast tracked directly from Moto3 into MotoGP...

Paul Bird MotoGP machinery up for sale

11 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Paul Bird MotoGP machinery up for sale

Fancy owning a unique MotoGP bike that Michael Laverty and Broc Parkes scored world championship points on during the 2014 premier class campaign? Now you have the chance after Cumbrian businessman...

Cristian Gabbarini: Tough to turn down Scott Redding crew chief role

10 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Cristian Gabbarini: Tough to turn down Scott Redding crew chief role

Casey Stoner’s highly regarded ex-crew chief Cristian Gabbarini has admitted it was incredibly tough to tell Scott Redding that he wouldn’t be the British rider’s technical mastermind in the 2015...

Ducati boss: Andrea Dovizioso staying key for future

10 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Ducati boss: Andrea Dovizioso staying key for future

Ducati boss Gigi Dall’Igna has admitted it was essential for the Bologna factory to have persuaded Andrea Dovizioso to sign a new two-year contract. The Italian was the outstanding star for Ducati in...

Yamaha content with two-rider Open class effort

09 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha content with two-rider Open class effort

Yamaha bosses have denied being disappointed at the lack of interest in its successful Open class YZR-M1 project for 2015. Forward Racing rider Aleix Espargaro dominated the new Open class, which was...

Pramac, Aspar and Forward disappointed to miss out on Scott Redding signing

09 December 2014 by Matthew Birt

Pramac, Aspar and Forward disappointed to miss out on Scott Redding signing

Pramac Ducati, Aspar Honda and Forward Yamaha management have spoken of their disappointment at missing out on a potential opportunity to sign British rider Scott Redding for the 2015 MotoGP...

Rossi takes second at Monza Rally

08 December 2014 by Simon Patterson

Rossi takes second at Monza Rally

Valentino Rossi has taken second place in this year’s Monza Rally, finishing only twelve seconds behind former F1 and current WRC driver Robert Kubica. The event, which uses the infamous banked...

Albesiano cries freedom in MotoGP

04 December 2014 by Gordon Ritchie

Albesiano cries freedom in MotoGP

The man in charge of Aprilia’s big move from full WSB factory status to full MotoGP status in 2015, Romano Albesiano was encouraged by the first real test of the new pneumatic valve Aprilia engine and...

Baz adjusts to MotoGP

03 December 2014 by Gordon Ritchie

Baz adjusts to MotoGP

After all the controversy surrounding Loris Baz’s initial MotoGP plans that ended in accusations that he was just too tall for a Honda MotoGP bike, the lanky Frenchman and recent WSB rider for...

Melandri struggling to start his new MotoGP adventure

02 December 2014 by Gordon Ritchie

Melandri struggling to start his new MotoGP adventure

Marco Melandri spent the previous four years unlearning all he knew about MotoGP in order to be a top Superbike rider. He won more WSB races at the end of this year than anyone but his re-introduction...

Celebrating a year of glory for the Marquez brothers

01 December 2014 by MCN Staff

Celebrating a year of glory for the Marquez brothers

Of the many records smashed in 2014 by the Marquez brothers, the most impressive by far is surely their double world titles. Doing something never before achieved by a pair of brothers, the duo took...

Aprilia working on seamless shift gearbox for 2015

28 November 2014 by Matthew Birt

Aprilia working on seamless shift gearbox for 2015

Aprilia is working on a new seamless shift gearbox ahead of its factory return to the MotoGP world championship in 2015. But Aprilia boss Romano Albesiano has said he can’t give any cast iron...

HRC outline RC213V plan for Crutchlow and Redding

28 November 2014 by Matthew Birt

HRC outline RC213V plan for Crutchlow and Redding

The factory prototype RC213V machine that Cal Crutchlow and Scott Redding will race at the start of the 2015 MotoGP campaign will be a compromise of the spec used by official HRC duo Marc Marquez and...

Wet and wild at Jerez testing

27 November 2014 by Gordon Ritchie

Wet and wild at Jerez testing

The promised rains came along with a vengeance at the Jerez tests, accompanied by near gale force winds that effectively stopped any track action at times on Thursday. Michele Pirro took his MotoGP...

Honda extends Moto2 engine supply deal until 2018

27 November 2014 by Matthew Birt

Honda extends Moto2 engine supply deal until 2018

The Moto2 world championship will be Honda-powered until the end of 2018 at least after HRC signed an extended three-year deal to be exclusive engine supplier to the intermediate class. Honda has...

Alex Marquez: Rabat talent key to Marc VDS Moto2 switch

27 November 2014 by Matthew Birt

Alex Marquez: Rabat talent key to Marc VDS Moto2 switch

The opportunity to learn off reigning Moto2 world champion Tito Rabat was a crucial factor in Alex Marquez opting to join the dominant Marc VDS Racing squad for the 2015 campaign. The newly crowned...

HRC boss: Jack Miller promotion a ‘big gamble’

27 November 2014 by Matthew Birt

HRC boss: Jack Miller promotion a ‘big gamble’

Honda boss Shuhei Nakamoto has admitted his personal mission to get Jack Miller fast tracked into MotoGP in 2015 is a ‘big gamble’. Aussie Miller is the first rider in over decade to be promoted from...

Melandri eases into MotoGP return

27 November 2014 by Gordon Ritchie

Melandri eases into MotoGP return

Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing) found the swap from a factory WSB RSV-4 Aprila to the first version a factory Aprilia MotoGP machine a difficult one at Jerez. Tyres were his main concern, having to...