Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) surprised with a last-minute pole position in the Motul Grand Prix of Japan – his second in the premier class – taking the honor late in the session and with no further laps able to challenge the Frenchman. Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) took...

KTM's first MotoGP chassis has impressed 2017 recruit Bradley Smith, who found "nothing mysterious" during his first test at Valencia.Having spent his first four seasons in MotoGP on Tech3-run Yamahas, Smith is moving to newcomer KTM next year, followed by his Tech3 teammate Pol Espargaro. After KTM test rider Mika...

Bradley Smith says the sound of KTM's new MotoGP engine confused him during his first day of testing at Valencia.Smith joins the Austrian manufacturer as a factory rider in 2017, ending five years with the Tech3 satellite Yamaha outfit.Following KTM's race debut as a wildcard in the Valencia Grand Prix...

KTM team manager Mike Leitner admits the sensor failure that ended its MotoGP debut at Valencia was a "big warning" ahead of its full-time entry in 2017.Test rider Mika Kallio raced the Austrian brand's RC16 as a wild card, with the weekend highlighting a rear-grip deficit. Kallio managed to qualify...

Mika Kallio admits finishing KTM's first day of MotoGP practice at Valencia more than three seconds off the pace was a "big surprise."The Austrian manufacturer is racing with Kallio as a wild card in the season finale, before entering MotoGP full-time in 2017 with Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro.A program...

Mika Kallio says he is not going to Valencia to "be at the back of the pack" in KTM's MotoGP debut this weekend.The Austrian manufacturer is making an early start to its new program in the 2016 season finale, racing as a wild card with Kallio, before Bradley Smith and...

KTM technical director Sebastian Risse says the manufacturer's MotoGP debut at Valencia this weekend will simply be an extended test, before entering the championship full-time in 2017.Mika Kallio will ride KTM's RC16 as a wild card, with current Tech3 Yamaha pair Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro signed for the full...

Tech3 Yamaha MotoGP boss Herve Poncharal admitted he did not expect Bradley Smith to get through the Japanese Grand Prix on his return from injury.The Briton missed three grands prix and spent nearly two months off a MotoGP bike after injuring knee ligaments in a crash during practice for the...

Bradley Smith says he has treated his injured knee "like my own little science project" to minimize his time on the MotoGP sidelines.Related StoriesThe Tech3 Yamaha rider has been out since damaging ligaments in a crash in practice for the Oschersleben 8 Hours endurance race in late August. Since undergoing...

Sepang, Phillip Island and Qatar will again host MotoGP's main pre-season tests in 2017.A largely unchanged schedule for winter testing has been released, to accompany the already announced provisional 2017 MotoGP calendar.Teams will test at Valencia on Nov. 15-16 after this year's season finale, including the first running for Jorge...