Motul Grand Prix of the Comunitat Valenciana 2015
Posted on Nov 02, 2015 by Nick Harris
ROUND EIGHTEEN 2015 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – SUNDAY 8TH NOVEMBER
The final showdown - The head to head of the decade
Two new World Champions will be crowned at the 18th and final round of a truly extraordinary MotoGP™ season at the Motul Grand Prix of the Comunitat Valenciana in Spain on Sunday. The world will be watching the 30 lap MotoGP race round the 2.489 miles Ricardo Tormo circuit on the outskirts of Valencia as the Movistar Yamaha pair of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo fight for the title.
Earlier in the day 21 year old Danny Kent has the opportunity of a lifetime to clinch the Moto3™ World Championship to become the first British World Champion since Barry Sheene in 1978.
Thirty six year old championship leader Rossi has appealed to the Court of Arbitration in Sport after receiving three penalty points following an incident with current world champion Marc Marquez at the previous round in Malaysia. That means Rossi, who leads the world championship by seven precious points, will have to start the race from the last place on the grid.
Below are the scenarios of how either Rossi or Lorenzo could be crowned the 2015 World Champion – only one thing is certain there will be a new World Champion after the 30 lap showdown in front of a sell-out crowd of over 100,000 fans.
The MotoGP Scenarios
If the two riders finish equal on points then Lorenzo will take the title because he has more wins in 2015.
• If Lorenzo wins the race then Rossi needs to finish second to become world champion.
• If Lorenzo finishes second then Rossi needs to finish on the podium to become world champion.
• If Lorenzo finishes third then Rossi needs to finish sixth or better to become world champion.
• If Lorenzo finishes fourth then Rossi needs to finish ninth or better to become world champion.
• If Lorenzo finishes fifth to ninth then Rossi needs to finish no more than six places further back to become world champion.
• If Lorenzo finishes lower than ninth then Rossi will be world champion.
Fourth time lucky for kent
For the fourth race in succession Danny Kent has the chance to re-write the history books in the 24 lap Moto3 race – this time the 21 year old West Country rider should do it, although the finger nails have taken a bashing. Riding the Leopard Racing Honda he was just two places away from clinching the title in Malaysia but dropped those places at the final corner while his only Championship rival Miquel Oliveira gained a place to win the race. The Portuguese KTM rider is 24 points behind Kent and the scenarios for Kent to become the first British World Champion for 38 years are very clear.
Moto3 Scenarios
• Danny Kent will become World Champion if he finishes in the top 14.
• Miguel Oliveira will become World Champion by winning the race with Danny Kent failing to finish in the top 14.
Brits Watch
Bradley Smith is sixth in the MotoGP World Championship with an 18 point advantage over the factory Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso. Whatever happens he will finish both the top British and Satellite Factory rider in the championship.
Eighth placed Cal Crutchlow is 11 points in front of Danilo Petrucci while 13th placed Scott Redding is just nine points behind 12th placed Maverick Viñales.
Sam Lowes has every chance of finishing fourth in the Moto2™ World Championship with a 12 point advantage over fifth placed Tom Luthi.
Valencia Voices
This year will be the 17th Grand Prix of Valencia, which has been held every year at the Ricardo Tormo circuit since the first visit in 1999. Below are some facts and stats about grand prix racing in Valencia:
• This will be the 14th successive year that Valencia has hosted the final race of the season, making it the circuit that has been the venue for the final event of the year on most occasions.
• The Valencia circuit is named after Spanish racer Ricardo Tormo, who won the 50cc world title riding for Bultaco in 1978 and 1981. In addition to his 15 Grand Prix victories in the 50cc class he also had 4 wins in the 125cc class. His career ended in 1984 due to leg injuries suffered in a crash whilst test riding. Tormo sadly died from leukaemia in 1998.
• Dani Pedrosa is the most successful rider at the Valencia circuit with six wins; three in MotoGP, two in 250cc, and one in the 125cc class. The only rider other than Pedrosa with more than two wins at Valencia is Casey Stoner (1 x 125cc, 2 x MotoGP).
• Of the current riders, the next most successful after Pedrosa, with two wins each, are: Valentino Rossi (2 x MotoGP), Maverick Viñales (1 x 125cc, 1 x Moto3), Mika Kallio (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc), Jorge Lorenzo (2 x MotoGP); Marc Marquez (1 x Moto2, 1 x MotoGP) and Hector Barbera (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc)
• The premier-class race at Valencia has been won seven times by Spanish riders; Sete Gibernau won the 500cc race on a Suzuki in 2001; Dani Pedrosa won the MotoGP race in 2007, 2009 and 2012; Jorge Lorenzo won in 2010 and 2013; Marc Marquez won last year.
• Since the introduction of the four-stroke MotoGP formula in 2002, Honda has been the most successful manufacturer with eight victories at the Valencia circuit. Yamaha has had three wins and Ducati two.
• Andrea Dovizioso’s fourth place finish last year was the best result for a Ducati rider at Valencia since Casey Stoner was second in 2010.
• Suzuki’s only podium at Valencia in the MotoGP era is third with John Hopkins in 2007. • Last year Marc Marquez won the race in Valencia after qualifying in fifth place on the grid – the first time that the MotoGP race in Valencia has been won by a rider not starting from the front row.
• Only two riders have competed at all sixteen previous grand prix events at the Valencia circuit: Valentino Rossi and Randy de Puniet.
Television Times
BT Sport2
Friday November 6th 7.30am – 3.00am (practice)
Saturday November 7th 8.00am – 3.13am (practice and qualifying)
Sunday November 7th 7.30am – 3.00am (warm –up and races)
ITV 4 Highlights
Monday November 9th 19 8.00 - 9.00 pm