MotoGP: What Lies Ahead

The year 2016 was the best MotoGP season in years, so why the record-breaking nine different winners? And can 2017 be even more thrillingly unpredictable?

The new MotoGP season gets under way in Qatar on the 26th of March, with the genuine prospect of an even better championship than last year’s. Jorge Lorenzo switches to Ducati, Maverick Viñales to Yamaha and Andrea Iannone to Suzuki, while Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi stay where they were, at Honda and Yamaha respectively. Meanwhile, Cal Crutchlow should be stronger than ever.

Last year’s major technical overhaul — Michelin tyres and same-for-all Magneti Marelli rider aids — made history. Nine different riders and four different manufacturers won races, a first in a championship that began back in 1949. Will we see 10 or more different winners in 2017?