MotoGP Grand Prix of Aragon 2014: Race Schedule, Live Stream and Top Riders

The 2014 MotoGP Grand Prix of Aragon will see teams from Honda and Ducati compete for top spot. The former has had the advantage, thanks to riders Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez.

The latter won this race in 2013 and will want a repeat to cement his status as the leader of the Championship standings. Pedrosa meanwhile, will be keen to upset his teammate and repeat 2012's success.

Before taking a closer at the top riders, here's the race schedule and live streaming details:

Date	Class	Event	Time
Saturday, September 27	Moto3	FP3	8 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. (BST)
Saturday, September 27	MotoGP	FP3	8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. (BST)
Saturday, September 27	Moto2	FP3	9:55 a.m. - 10:40 a.m. (BST)
Saturday, September 27	Moto3	QP	11:32 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. (BST)
Saturday, September 27	MotoGP	FP4	12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (BST)
Saturday, September 27	MotoGP	Q1	1:10 p.m. - 1:25 p.m. (BST)
Saturday, September 27	MotoGP	Q2	1:35 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. (BST)
Saturday, September 27	Moto2	QP	2:05 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. (BST)
Sunday, September 28	Moto3	WUP	7:40 a.m. - 8 a.m. (BST)
Sunday, September 28	Moto2	WUP	8:10 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. (BST)
Sunday, September 28	MotoGP	WUP	8:40 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. (BST)
Sunday, September 28	Moto3	Race	10:00 a.m. (BST)
Sunday, September 28	Moto2	Race	11:20 a.m. (BST)
Sunday, September 28	MotoGP	Race	1 p.m. (BST)

Live Stream Links: BT Sport App , Motogp.com.

Here is a closer look at three of the top riders expected to dominate the elite MotoGP class:

Top Riders

Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda

Striking for Poll 

Marquez and Pedrosa will naturally be among the favourites at Aragon. Both have a good history on the track. The pair confirmed their status as the drivers to watch by setting a commanding pace during the FP1, per Motogp.com:

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Marquez, who rates Aragon as one of his favourite tracks, finished a chilly FP1 in third position, behind Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing). A time of 1’49.290s had Marquez just 0.295s behind pace setter Iannone on his updated Ducati.

Pedrosa finished further down the order in fifth for the opening session. FP2 two saw Pedrosa’s time improve by almost a whole second, down to a 1’48.734s. This put the experienced Repsol Honda rider third overall.

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Interestingly, Pedrosa noted that both riders tried different types of tyres to see how the rears of their respective bikes dealt with the unforgiving Brno circuit.

The results were apparently inconclusive, per the same Motogp.com report:

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We tried the soft and hard tyres and it is still difficult to say which is better on the rear, but the intermediate worked well for us on the front. We have to keep putting in laps at this circuit to improve our feeling, because this is a track where the tyres give plenty of grip at the start and then performance drops off, so you need to get used to finding pace with used tyres.

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This is something that could prove significant for the riders in Aragon. A drag in the rear has already been noticeable during some of the practice sessions.

Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi both experienced the problem during the FP1. However, like Pedrosa, a solution to the traction issue was not obvious, at least to Rossi.

That's according to another Motogp.com report:

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Together with Yamaha and Bridgestone we decided to try the hard rear to understand if it’s good option but it proved difficult. At the same time I struggled with the front as I was suffering some under steer so we decided to try the soft front; that was not so bad.

"

Getting the mix right will be vital on a MotorLand course noted for its high number of sharp corners, as well as some tricky narrow stretches.

If Marquez and Pedrosa struggle to strike the right balance, a chief rival could take full advantage.

Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati

Andrea Dovizioso has already made a strong impression on the Spanish circuit. He posted the fastest practice time in the second session, per the Ducati Team official Twitter feed:

At the moment though, that is merely a psychological advantage. However, it does show Dovizioso has quickly adapted to the tricky Aragon track.

His 1:48.285 time was certainly proof of impressive riding:

What Dovizioso was able to show off was the capability and efficiency of his new GP14.2 bike. He combined the new engine with soft rubber tyres, per Motogp.com, to produce speed and handling power that was just too much for the rest.

The factory Ducati rider will hope his slim-lined bike and more forgiving tyres hold up to make quick work of such a fast track. While other riders are still working out the best way to approach the Aragon circuit, Dovizioso already seems to have hit upon a workable balance.

However, MotoMatters.com writer David Emmett is skeptical about the early pace set the Ducati bike. He cited the pace of the G14.2 over a solitary lap, as scant evidence of the biker delivering over the full race.

It will be fascinating to see if that carries over into the race proper. It will be equally intriguing to see what prime contenders such as Marquez and Pedrosa come up with to counter.