MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix 2015: Race Schedule, Live Stream and Top Riders
Tensions are running high ahead of Sunday's MotoGP title showdown at the 2015 Valencia Grand Prix following the controversy surrounding Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi in Malaysia.
The legendary Italian has been penalised after appearing to knock Marquez off his bike at Sepang and will start the final race of the season from the back of the grid.
Rossi leads the championship going into the final weekend, but Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo sits just seven points back. It is set to be a thrilling final race at the Ricardo Tormo circuit.
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Read on for a look at the full race schedule for this weekend along with live streaming information and a closer examination of the top riders to keep an eye on.
| Date | Time (GMT) | Event |
| Friday, Nov. 6 | 8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. | Free Practice 1 |
| Friday, Nov. 6 | 1:05 p.m - 1:50 p.m. | Free Practice 2 |
| Saturday, Nov. 7 | 8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. | Free Practice 3 |
| Saturday, Nov. 7 | 12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m. | Free Practice 4 |
| Saturday, Nov. 7 | 1:10 p.m. - 1:25 p.m | Qualifying 1 |
| Saturday, Nov. 7 | 1:35 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. | Qualifying 2 |
| Sunday, Nov. 8 | 1 p.m. | Race |
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | Nation | Points |
| 1 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | ITA | 312 |
| 2 | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha | SPA | 305 |
| 3 | Marc Marquez | Honda | SPA | 222 |
| 4 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | SPA | 190 |
| 5 | Andrea Iannone | Ducati | ITA | 188 |
| 6 | Bradley Smith | Yamaha | GBR | 171 |
| 7 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | ITA | 153 |
| 8 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | GBR | 118 |
| 9 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati | ITA | 107 |
| 10 | Pol Espargaro | Yamaha | SPA | 103 |
Full schedule and standings available courtesy of the official MotoGP website.
All the action can be streamed live via the BT Sport website.
Valentino Rossi
Rossi holds the initiative going into Valencia despite the prospect of him having to start the race at the back.
He can guarantee a seventh MotoGP world title if he finishes first or second. If Lorenzo fails to finish or cannot place higher than 10th, Rossi will win the title no matter what he does.
But the fallout from the Malaysian Grand Prix has undoubtedly rattled Rossi. The 36-year-old was not impressed with "dirty" Marquez and clearly feels he does not deserve his punishment, per BT Sport MotoGP:
Rossi has been here before many times, and he knows what it takes to win a world championship. The task has been made much harder for him after Malaysia, but he is still in a fine position to take the title.
He will need to keep his cool and draw on all his experience, but a bravura display on track from Rossi should see him claim a seventh title on Sunday.
Jorge Lorenzo
Lorenzo must go for top spot in Valencia to give himself the best possible chance of pipping Rossi at the final hurdle. The Spaniard can do nothing more than repeat his triumphs of 2010 and 2012 and hope that his team-mate finishes lower than second.
The title is not in his hands, but he has been handed a significant advantage following events in Malaysia.
Lorenzo has done magnificently well to stay in touch with Rossi throughout the season, the current seven-point gap between the pair is significantly smaller than it was just a few weeks ago, per Crash.net:
He is now in a prime position to be top of the standings when it really matters—at the end of the year.
A two-time previous MotoGP world champion, Lorenzo has a terrific chance to add a third this weekend, but his main focus must simply be on winning the race, as the rest is out of his hands.
Marc Marquez
Defending world champion Marquez will lose his crown on Sunday, but he could yet have a huge say in who takes it from him.
Per Crash.net, Rossi recently accused him of favouring his fellow Spaniard Lorenzo in the title fight.
Whether that is true or not, where Marquez finishes on Sunday could make a big difference in the outcome of the world championship. Should he win the race, he will hand Rossi an advantage. Should he split Lorenzo in first and Rossi in third, he could help to crown his compatriot champion.
What is likely is that the 22-year-old will go out on Sunday with no intention other than to win in Valencia, as he did last season in winning his second consecutive championship.
He cannot claim a third title this season, but a final-race victory would set him up well heading into next year and could make a big difference to the outcome of the championship.
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