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

Loris Baz keen on Forward Yamaha move

02 October 2014 by Matthew Birt

Loris Baz is hoping Forward Yamaha can save his MotoGP dream after the shock collapse of a proposed move to Aspar Honda in 2015. Aspar Honda rejected Baz for a production RC213V-RS alongside Nicky...

Ex-Casey Stoner crew chief to head Jack Miller’s MotoGP switch

01 October 2014 by Matthew Birt

Casey Stoner’s former factory Ducati and Honda crew chief Cristian Gabbarini will play a key role in Jack Miller’s graduation to the MotoGP world championship in 2015. Aussie Miller is Honda’s new...

Suzuki never considered delaying MotoGP return until 2016

01 October 2014 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki had no intention of further delaying its MotoGP return to 2016, despite major technical rule changes in advance of the Japanese factory’s much-hyped comeback. Suzuki has spent months of...

MotoGP Aragon: Dramatic race sees Lorenzo win

28 September 2014 by Steve Hunt

This 800th GP was always going to feel a bit special, and that was before the few spots of rain, concerned technicians and varied tyre choices appearing on the grid for the sighting lap. With both...

Aragon: Honda one-two in dominant qualifying

27 September 2014 by Steve Hunt

Marc Marquez beat the circuit record by just over six-tenths of a second in qualifying to claim pole in Aragon today. The previous record of 1:47.804 was made last year and was – perhaps predictably –...

2015 provisional calendar released

26 September 2014 by Liam Marsden

The first MotoGP round at Donington Park in five years will take place on 30 August as the FIM released their provisional calendar for the 2015 season. Donington’s inclusion comes as the Circuit of...

Yamaha boss: Rossi riding better than last title win in 2009

25 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi is riding better than he did at Yamaha when winning his last MotoGP world championship in 2009. That’s the view of Yamaha boss Kouichi Tsuji, who was full of admiration for the Italian...

Scott Redding targets factory HRC spot in future

25 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding has set his sights on an official HRC seat alongside Marc Marquez in the future after the British rider confirmed he will make a dream return to the Marc VDS Racing squad on a factory...

Andrea Dovizioso targets podium return before end of season

23 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso’s main target in the final five races of 2014 is to add to his two podium finishes on Ducati’s improving Desmosedici. The experienced Italian has finished on the podium in Austin and...

Yamaha under pressure to deliver gearbox upgrade

23 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha is under mounting pressure from Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo to upgrade its year-old seamless shift gearbox to help the factory YZR-M1 pair threaten Marc Marquez’s domination of...

LCR never eyed Crutchlow/Redding British dream team

23 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

A British dream team featuring Cal Crutchlow and Scott Redding in next year’s MotoGP world championship never came close to reality. With Redding unexpectedly back on the rider market for a period...

Tech 3 deny making Yamaha MotoGP offer to Alex Rins

22 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Tech 3 Yamaha boss Herve Poncharal has rubbished claims by Alex Rins that the Spanish teenager turned down the chance to replace Bradley Smith on a factory-backed YZR-M1 in 2015. Rins confirmed in...

Yamaha delighted Jorge Lorenzo’s crew won't be split up

22 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha management have spoken of their delight that Jorge Lorenzo will continue with long-serving crew chief Ramon Forcada until at least the end of 2016. Having signed a new two-year contract to...

Yamaha rethinks Open class project for Forward Racing

19 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha will continue to supply the Forward Racing squad with a factory YZR-M1 engine and chassis after a late strategy change for 2015. Yamaha management have always been adamant that its Open class...

Danny Kent confident Honda will suit style in Moto3

19 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Danny Kent is confident Honda’s Moto3 machine will suit his fast cornering riding style more than the Husqvarna package he has been racing in 2014. As was first reported by MCN in Misano last weekend,...

Jorge Lorenzo happy to keep crew chief

19 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo is to keep faith with long-serving crew chief Ramon Forcada. Speculation has been rife that Lorenzo was contemplating replacing Forcada for 2015 after his failure to seriously threaten...

Dominique Aegerter explains decision to stay in Moto2

18 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Highly rated Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter has explained why he turned his back on a potential MotoGP switch in 2015. Aegerter, who is currently fourth in the Moto2 standings courtesy of a debut win...

Yamaha delighted with Colin Edwards testing deal

18 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis reckons Colin Edwards was the outstanding candidate to play a key role in adapting the YZR-M1 to Michelin tyres for 2016. Having prematurely split from the Forward Racing squad...

Scott Redding gutted to miss out on preferred crew chief

18 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding has admitted he had a lump in his throat when he realised that his number one crew chief option for 2015 was not available. The 21-year-old was hoping to work with Casey Stoner’s...

Jack Miller to make MotoGP move with LCR Honda

17 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Jack Miller will make the huge leap into MotoGP in 2015 after it was finally confirmed the Moto3 world championship leader is to partner Cal Crutchlow in the LCR Honda squad next season. Miller has...

LCR Honda rubbish Jerry Burgess crew chief link

17 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

A shock return to MotoGP in 2015 for Valentino Rossi’s legendary ex-crew chief Jerry Burgess has been dismissed as ‘complete fantasy.’ Burgess, who was sacked by Rossi at the end of last season after...

Lorenzo boss: Misano front tyre choice worth a gamble

17 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo’s factory Yamaha team boss Wilco Zeelenberg believes the Spaniard’s hard front tyre choice in Sunday’s Misano MotoGP race was a gamble worth taking. Lorenzo, who had claimed three...

Rossi tips Bastianini for big future

17 September 2014 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi has backed Italian Moto3 sensation Enea Bastianini to emerge as a big star of the future. Bastianini has been one of the big revelations of 2014 after graduating from the Red Bull...