Motor Oil's 2016 Moto3 Preview

Moto3 never disappoints. Ever. There is always a battle. There are always insane overtaking moves. There are always blazing rows. It is the purest, most incredible spectacle on two wheels. Sure, MotoGP has the best riders, and Moto2 has a lot of talent, but for the thrillseekers amongst you, you need to be watching Moto3. It's worth the early Sunday morning.

The thing is, it's hard to preview this helter skelter. You can barely predict if a rider is going to finish a race, never mind win the championship. Alas, it falls upon me to try.

A brief refresher

Moto3 has existed since 2012, when it replaced the 125cc world championship. I miss those little wasps.

Each Moto3 bike has a 250cc, single cylinder engine. Like MotoGP, and unlike Moto2, it is open to any manufacturer. The combination of bike and rider must be at least 148kg (326lbs, or 23st 4lbs in old money). Riders must be 28 or younger, and newbies must be 25 or under - including wildcard entrants.

Guaranteed new world champion

Last year, Danny Kent was the most consistent of the field, the British rider becoming the first world champion from the UK since Barry Sheene. If you don't know who Barry Sheene is, firstly shame on you, secondly use your preferred search engine and look him up. Incredible man.

Kent, however, does not defend his world title. He is making the step up to Moto2, meaning that we are guaranteed a new champion. Who will that person be?

The main contenders

With Kent out of the picture, his fiercest rival from last year, Enea Bastianini, must be one of the favourites to take the title this year. He is your typical hard-nosed Italian racer, not afraid of getting physical if necessary, and a damn good rider to boot. He will definitely be a strong contender.

As well as Bastianini, you could look to others who gave Kent some trouble last year. Look out for Brad Binder, Niccoló Antonelli, Romano Fenati and Jorge Navarro.

It would also be wise to keep an eye on Kent's former team, Leopard Racing. Having curiously taken KTM engines on board despite winning a world title with a Honda, you can guarantee that they will have a competitive bike. Of their three riders, expect the exceptionally-talented Fabio Quartararo to mount the hardest challenge for the title.

Elsewhere in the field, Maria Herrera cannot be overlooked. A woman who is in the field on talent alone, she can mix it with the best of them. She'll pick up plenty of points.

Our coverage of the 2016 Moto3 season starts tomorrow with a preview of this weekend's Qatar GP. Come back and check it out, and stick with us for every race weekend in 2016.