MotoGP: Will Valentino Rossi or Jorge Lorenzo Win the 2015 Championship in Valencia?

A look at where Lorenzo and Rossi have to finish at the final round for each to win the title

By Andrew Trevitt
October 27, 2015

The 2015 MotoGP Championship standings closed up yet again at the Malaysian Grand Prix, with Valentino Rossi finishing behind Jorge Lorenzo and retaining just a seven-point advantage as the series heads into the final round of the season, at Valencia, November 8. The Movistar Yamaha teammates have an unassailable lead over the rest of the field, so one will be crowned champion at the end of the weekend. Who has the best chance? Here, we look at the points structure for MotoGP, and at who would win the championship based on the outcome of the final race in Valenica.

To start, MotoGP points are structured as follows, with finishing position shown in the top row and points awarded on the bottom row:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
25 20 16 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Now, Valentino Rossi heads into the Valencia race with 312 points, while Jorge Lorenzo has 305. The main points to consider then are these:

  • If Lorenzo wins at Valencia, Rossi must finish second to clinch the title.
  • If Lorenzo finishes second, Rossi must finish third (or win, of course).
  • If Lorenzo finishes third, Rossi must finish sixth or better.

Note that after the dust-up in Sepang, where Rossi and Marc Marquez collided and the Repsol Honda rider crashed out, Rossi will be forced to start from the back of the grid no matter where he finishes in qualifying, making it an uphill battle for the Italian even though he has a slim points lead heading into the finale. Note also that in the event of a tie at the end of the season, the championship would go to Lorenzo, as he would have more victories - Rossi has won four events so far this year (Qatar, Argentina, Assen and Silverstone) while Lorenzo has won six (Jerez, Le Mans, Mugello, Catalunya, Brno and Aragon).

For a more detailed look at who would need to finish where to win the 2015 MotoGP Championship, refer to the chart below. Lorenzo's finishing positions are across the top of the chart, while Rossi's are down the side. Simply work down from Lorenzo's position in the race and across from Rossi's to find out who would be crowned champion with that finishing combination. The race is sure to be a thriller, maybe even print the chart out and have it taped to the corner of your TV or computer monitor so you can keep track.

Latest