MotoGP Grand Prix of Spain 2015: Race Schedule, Live Stream and Top Riders
The 2015 MotoGP season is already hotting up, and the thrills are set to continue in the Grand Prix of Spain on Sunday.
The race follows a dramatic outing in Argentina, where reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez was forced to retire after crashing into Valentino Rossi with one-and-a-half laps remaining:
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Rossi went on to win the Grand Prix, leaving him top of the standings with 66 points.
Despite breaking his finger in a dirt-bike accident last Saturday, it has been confirmed that Spaniard Marquez will take to the track on the Circuito de Jerez:
Here is the full race schedule and a look at the key riders.
| Date | Time (BST/ET) | Event |
| Friday, May 1 | 8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m./3:55 a.m. - 4:40 a.m. | Free Practice 1 |
| Friday, May 1 | 1:05 p.m. - 1:50 p.m./8:05 a.m. - 8:50 a.m. | Free Practice 2 |
| Saturday, May 2 | 8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m./3:55 a.m. - 4:40 a.m. | Free Practice 3 |
| Saturday, May 2 | 12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m./8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. | Free Practice 4 |
| Saturday, May 2 | 1:10 p.m. - 1:25 p.m./9:10 a.m. - 9:25 a.m. | Qualifying 1 |
| Saturday, May 2 | 1:35 p.m. - 1:50 p.m./9:35 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. | Qualifying 2 |
| Sunday, May 3 | 1 p.m./9 a.m. | Race |
Available live on BT Sport 2 (UK) and Fox Sports 1 (U.S.), with live streaming via BT Sport Player and Fox Sports Go.
Valentino Rossi
The six-time MotoGP world champion has started the 2015 season in fine form, winning in Qatar and Argentina and finishing third in the Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas.
The Italian will be looking to stretch the 30-point lead he holds over title rival Marquez with a victory in Jerez, where he has won eight times across all classes.
Making the podium in Spain would be a landmark for the 36-year-old, who is just one top-three finish away from 200 podiums in his Grand Prix career, per MotoGP.com.
According to Matty Adams of AllSportsNews.co.uk, Rossi's Yamaha is far from the fastest on the grid, while Marquez regularly tops practice sessions and qualifying.
However, as MotoGP point out, this hasn't stopped Rossi from winning:
Rossi is as experienced as a rider can be, so expect another strong performance from him on a track that has served him so well over the years.
Andrea Dovizioso
Rossi's compatriot Andrea Dovizioso has also enjoyed a majestic season so far, finishing second each time to sit comfortably behind Rossi on 60 points.
Dovizioso has been aided by Ducati's production of a fantastic bike this year, one that Kevin Cameron of CycleWorld.com believes to match the ideal held by veteran race engineer Jeremy Burgess—that is, "a machine that is not just fast in the hands of one rider (as with Casey Stoner in 2007), but which can be ridden fast by any top rider."
Motorsport journalist Dennis Noyes has pinpointed the Ducati's main strength—its unrivaled power in the straights:
This will serve Dovizioso well on the 607-metre straight in Jerez.
Finishing second in all three races, Dovizioso is riding consistently well, and will carry that momentum into Spain.
With Rossi almost certainly set to put in a strong performance and Marquez determined to close the gap between himself and the Italians, it should be a three-way fight for the chequered flag.
As with the Grand Prix of the Americas, it's likely that the trio will all achieve a podium finish.
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