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

Rossi dominates Portuguese GP

02 September 2003

Valentino Rossi dominated the MotoGP race at Estoril today, extending his lead in the championship. Rossi was able to pull clear from early challenger Max Biaggi and left championship rival Sete...

Jacque closes in on Rossi

02 September 2003

Olivier Jacque has stormed up the time sheets in the first qualifying session at the Estoril GP, knocking three seconds off his practice time to take second place on the provisional grid. But it...

Rossi and Gibernau close in practice

02 September 2003

Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau have started their battle for the top spot early, finishing just 0.46 seconds apart in the first practice session for round 11 of the MotoGP world championship in...

WCM four-stroke to race

02 September 2003

Chris Burns will finally get the chance to race his Harris WCM four-stroke this weekend at Sunday’s GP, in Estoril, Portugal. The bike was originally due to start racing at the beginning of the season...

Kato tribute planned for Motegi GP

01 September 2003

Fausto Gresini, the former team boss of the late Daijiro Katoh, has announced he will invite 1000 people to a special ceremony in honour of the rider at the Pacific GP at Motegi on October 5. The...

Ui replaced by Vincent in 125GPs

26 August 2003

Arnaud Vincent will race for the Aprilia Sterilgarda Racing team at the next round of the 125cc championship at Estoril in Portugal on September 7, after the team terminated the contract of current...

Times tumble at Czech GP

12 August 2003

With the track dry after the morning’s downpours the afternoon qualifying session for the Czech GP in Brno has seen the top six riders lapping faster than the race lap record. Max Biaggi took the...

Edwards tops damp first practice at Brno

12 August 2003

Colin Edwards has taken his Alice Aprilia to the top of the time sheets in a damp first practice session for round 10 of the MotoGP world championship at Brno in the Czech Republic. The skies cleared...

Rossi on pole for Czech GP

12 August 2003

Valentiono Rossi is on pole for round 10 of the MotoGP world championship at Brno in the Czech Republic. Rossi spent the most time out on the track in the final qualifying session for Sunday’s race...

Rossi wins Czech GP

12 August 2003

Valentino Rossi took the win at round 10 of the MotoGP world championship in Brno after a scintillating race that went right down to the line. The race was dominated by a five way tousle between Troy...

KTM sacks world champion

05 August 2003

KTM has parted company with reigning 125cc world champion Arnaud Vincent, claiming the Frenchman will be ” released immediately from his contract. ” Finnish rider Mika Kallio will replace Vincent...

Kato monument unveiled

05 August 2003

Japanese fans of Daijiro Kato have unveiled a monument at his home track, the Autopolis circuit in the Kyusyu district of Japan. Kato, the former 250cc World Champion, began his career at the circuit,...

American GP postponed until 2005

01 August 2003

The plans to run an American Grand Prix have been postponed until 2005. ” There have been talks about having a GP in the U.S. in 2004, specifically in Birmingham, Alabama, ” says Dorna Sports CEO...

Rossi takes provisional pole

22 July 2003

Valentino Rossi has taken the provisional pole position after the first qualifying session for Sunday’s German GP. The Italian knocked almost a second off his time from the morning’s practice session...

Gibernau triumphs over Rossi in Germany

22 July 2003

Sete Gibernau celebrated victory at the Sachsenring circuit in Germany after a race long battle with Valentino Rossi. Rossi and Gibernau both made a clean break from the pack, with the reigning...

Perugini denies Stoner first win

22 July 2003

Australian Casey Stoner took his first ever podium position at the 125cc German GP. But the Aussie had to settle for second after Stefano Perugini slipped past on the penultimate lap. The leading...

Biaggi steels pole from McWilliams

22 July 2003

Max Biaggi has taken pole position for the German Grand Prix after topping the final qualifying session but Jeremy McWilliams made an outstanding run on his outdated two-stroke Proton KR3 to start in...

Edwards escapes 160mph fireball

22 July 2003

Colin Edwards survived a 160mph fireball in the first free practice for Sunday’s German Grand Prix, escaping with only minor burns to his left side. The American rider was going through the fastest...

Proton KR stays on two-strokes for German GP

22 July 2003

The Proton KR team has announced it will continue to run its two-stroke machines for the German GP at the Sachsenring on July 27. The track may favour the light and nimble strokers, but it is a...

Rolfo gets maiden win in Germany

22 July 2003

Roberto Rolfo claimed his first victory in 80 GP starts in a last lap battle with Fonsi Nieto and Randy De Puniet. His win came at round nine of the 250cc GP championship in Germany. Rolfo defended...

We ride Harris WCM bike

15 July 2003

MCN’s Trevor Franklin was at Rockingham last week getting an exclusive ride on the Harris WCM GP bike The bike has been banned from taking part in the world championship for being too similar to the...

De Angelis fastest in 125cc practice

08 July 2003

Alex De Angelis pipped Australian Casey Stoner to go fastest in the second practice for the British 125cc GP on Sunday. The Italian heads four Aprilias covered by just 0.076 of a second, with Stefano Perugini in third and Hector Barbera in fourth. Andrea Dovizioso has dropped to fifth on his Honda after leading first qualifying on Friday. Daniel Pedrosa is sixth, Pablo Nieto seventh, Finn Mika...

Dovizioso tops 125 practice

08 July 2003

First practice for the 125GP bikes at MCN Donington Park has just finished with Andrea Dovizioso topping the time sheets. Dovizioso took his Team Scot Honda to a fastest time of 1:38.761 on the last of his 22 laps, beating Pablo Nieto to the top spot by just .3 of a second. Nieto was the first of seven Aprilias to follow Dovizioso home with Stefano Perugini, Steve Jenkner, Casey Stoner, Youichi...

Rossi tops practice at Donington

08 July 2003

Valentino Rossi has set a hot pace right from the start of the British Grand Prix at MCN Donington Park just beating Troy Bayliss to the top spot in the first practice session. Rossi put in 29 laps in...

Dovizioso on 125cc provisional pole

08 July 2003

Italian Andrea Dovizioso is on provisional pole for the 125cc race at Sunday’s British GP. Dovizioso posted a time of 1:38.297, just ahead of Spaniard Daniel Pedrosa. Both riders are on Hondas, heading the Aprilia of Stefano Perugini in third. Fourth is Hector Barbera, with Steve Jenkner fifth. Top Brit is Leon Camier in 28th place, three seconds down on Dovizioso. Wildcards Paul Veazey and Kris...

Perugini on pole for 125GP

08 July 2003

Stefano Perugini is on pole for the 125cc British GP at MCN Donington Park. The Italian rider took his Aprilia to a 1:37.984 lap beating all four of the Hondas that were battling for the top spot in the final qualifying session. Daniel Pedrosa came home second fastest while Team Scot team-mates Andrea Dovizioso and Simone Corsi finished the front row of the grid Mika Kallio, Hector Barbera and...

Biaggi on pole for British GP

08 July 2003

Max Biaggi has stormed into pole position for the start of the British GP at MCN Donington Park on Sunday. Telefonica Movistar Honda rider Sete Gibernau was the first rider to better championship leader Valentino Rossi’s already quick time but Biaggi went on to knock over a second off his time from yesterday’s qualifying session to jump in to first place for the start of the race. Rossi only...

Rossi on provisional pole for British GP

08 July 2003

Valentino Rossi is on provisional pole at the end of the first qualifying session for the British GP at MCN Donington Park. Honda RCV rider Rossi upped his already quick pace from the morning’s...

Capirossi fastest in second practice

08 July 2003

Loris Capirossi was the fastest man around the Donington track this morning, in preparation for qualifying for Sunday’s British GP. The Italian Ducati rider posted a time of 1:31.218, topping Sete Gibernau and Max Biaggi. Olivier Jacque was fourth fastest on the Yamaha M1, with Colin Edwards fifth on the Aprilia. Reigning champion Valentino Rossi was sixth. Troy Bayliss survived a crash during...

Fonsi Nieto tops 250cc practice

08 July 2003

Fonsi Nieto leads 250cc practice from fellow Spaniard Toni Elias, giving the Repsol Telefonica Movistar Aprilia team a 1-2 in free practice. Nieto is the only rider to post a lap below 1:35, with a time of 1:34.584, almost 0.7 seconds ahead of his teammate. Nieto holds the fastest lap of the circuit, set in 2002 at 1:33.558. But the circuit lap record is held by Daijiro Kato at 1:34.096. Aprilias...

Nieto on provisional pole for 250GP

08 July 2003

Fonsi Nieto is on provisional pole for the 250GP race at MCN Donington Park at the end of the first qualifying session. Repsol Telefonica Movistar rider Nieto knocked 0.8 seconds off his best time...

Rossi denied win at Donington

08 July 2003

Valentino Rossi celebrated another win at MCN Donington Park today only to have it renounced by race officials when they awarded him a ten second penalty after realising he had passed under a yellow...

Nieto on pole for 250GP

08 July 2003

Fonsi Nieto will be starting Sunday’s 250cc British GP in pole position after setting the fastest time in the qualifying sessions at MCN Donington Park. Manuel Poggiali was the fastest rider in...

Nieto wins 250GP

08 July 2003

Fonzi Nieto has taken his first win this season in the 250GP at the eighth round of the world championship at MCN Donington Park. Nieto took the win after a long battle with Manuel Poggiali, who was determined to ride well after already suffering three crashes over the weekend, but Nieto pushed hard and crossed the line 0.269 seconds ahead to take the win. Toni Elias and Poggiali were fighting for...

Crowds pour into Donington

08 July 2003

Sete Gibernau has set the fastest time in an eventful warm up session for this afternoons British GP at MCN Donington Park, while huge crowds pour in to the circuit to catch all the action. Gibernau...

Kagayama to replace Roberts for British GP

01 July 2003

Yukio Kagayama will be on a high this week as it’s been announced he will replace the injured Kenny Roberts Jr for the British MotoGP round this weekend. The news was revealed the day after the...