MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix 2015: Race Schedule, Live Stream and Top Riders
| Friday, Sept. 25 | 8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. | Free Practice 1 |
| Friday, Sept. 25 | 1:05 p.m - 1:50 p.m. | Free Practice 2 |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. | Free Practice 3 |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m. | Free Practice 4 |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 1:10 p.m. - 1:25 p.m | Qualifying 1 |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 1:35 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. | Qualifying 2 |
| Sunday, Sept. 27 | 1 p.m. | Race |
Marc Marquez’s dramatic win at Misano last weekend, in one of the most exciting MotoGP races ever, leaves the Aragon Grand Prix with plenty to live up to.
The Spaniard triumphed on his Honda in chaotic scenes at the San Marino circuit. But it was heartbreak for Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo, who, while hunting down team-mate Valentino Rossi for the world championship lead, crashed out from second place, allowing the Italian to take a 23-point lead atop the standings.
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Aragon will pose a unique challenge for all the riders, including the experienced Rossi, who has never won at the venue. Here’s a closer look at the men vying for glory, the key viewing details and the schedule for what should be another enthralling race in a gripping 2015 season.
| 1 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | ITA | 247 |
| 2 | Jorge LORENZO | Yamaha | SPA | 224 |
| 3 | Marc MARQUEZ | Honda | SPA | 184 |
| 4 | Andrea IANNONE | Ducati | ITA | 159 |
| 5 | Bradley SMITH | Yamaha | GBR | 135 |
| 6 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | Ducati | ITA | 128 |
| 7 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | SPA | 109 |
| 8 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | ITA | 93 |
| 9 | Pol ESPARGARO | Yamaha | SPA | 81 |
| 10 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | Honda | GBR | 79 |
All the action can be streamed via the BT Sport website.
Valentino Rossi
Rossi wasn’t able to get the podium finish so many would have craved from him last time out, but what looked to be turning into a disappointing day for the Italian quickly became a positive one, as Lorenzo’s DNF helped bolster his advantage in the race for the world championship.
As noted here by MotoGP writer Julian Ryder, Rossi’s fifth-place finish ended an incredible run of consistency from the nine-time world champion:
With Lorenzo likely to be champing at the bit going into these final five races, it’s a standard the Yamaha star will have to rediscover looking forward. It’s a groove he’s never quite struck at Aragon before, with just one podium finish in the last five years and zero wins overall as a MotoGP rider.
Rossi has admitted in the build-up to the race that he’s expecting a big challenge when the action gets under way and revealed he’s a little wary of Lorenzo’s pace around the circuit after some testing earlier in the year, per Crash.net:
"Now we go to Aragon, a track where we have tested some weeks ago. The results were positive but also Jorge went very fast. Our competitors are usually strong here too, so it will be a very challenging weekend. We have to work well from the first day and hopefully the received data from the tests will help us.
"
But Rossi has been impeccable in the main this season, as is evident by the 247 points accrued and the 23-point lead he has currently enjoys. The pressure of being in this position would be enough to faze a lot of riders, but with his wealth of know-how to call upon, expect another accomplished performance from Rossi.
Jorge Lorenzo
The Spaniard would have been devastated not to have capitalised on Rossi’s first finish outside the top three this season in San Marino, especially from what was an exceptional position.
After tussling with his team-mate for long spells, Lorenzo had eventually shook him off going into the final embers of a rain-interrupted race. But he lost his composure, slipping off the track at Turn 15 with just seven laps remaining.
As we can see here courtesy of BT Sport MotoGP, it was a remarkable moment in a race filled with thrilling highlights:
Lorenzo, on 224 points for the season, will need to bounce back in style here. Encouragingly for the Mallorcan, he will have positive memories of this venue from 12 months ago after a comprehensive victory. In addition, the Yamaha man has also finished on the podium four out of the five times he has raced at this tremendous circuit.
Also, the confidence still seems to be there. In the build-up to this race, Lorenzo was bullish when assessing his chances of winning the world title, insisting he has enough to reel in Rossi, per Marca (h/t Jamie Klein of Motorsport.com):
"During this championship, I have been faster than Valentino in the dry, by between three and six tenths.
The title definitely isn’t lost. I don’t need to win every race; finishing in front of Valentino would be sufficient to win the championship. It’s difficult, but possible. I think that the points [gap] is recoverable if I don’t have bad luck and if we don’t face unusual conditions.
"
The forecast for the weekend in Aragon suggests rain is unlikely, which should assist Lorenzo as he seeks to haul his way back into contention for this championship. A good record counts for plenty at a circuit too, especially when you consider Rossi has never been able to get the job done here.
Marquez’s resurgence will see him race clear again this weekend, but expect Lorenzo to perform well throughout the grand prix and chop the deficit on Rossi going into the final four races of the season.
Prediction: 1. Marquez 2. Lorenzo 3. Rossi
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