MotoGP fans will gather to salute double world champion and home favourite Marc Marquez this weekend as the 2014 season reaches its climax with the Valencia Grand Prix in Spain, exclusively live on BT Sport.
Marquez has already been confirmed as 2014 MotoGP world champion with an unassailable lead in the standings following his record-breaking win in Malaysia, but there is still the battle for the runner-up spot to be decided between Yamaha team-mates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
Home to MotoGP’s final race of the season since 2002, Valencia’s unique circuit layout, which allows all parts of the circuit to be seen from any of the main grandstands, helps to create a unique atmosphere enjoyed by Spanish and international riders alike and as the last race of the season there is always an end-of-term party feeling to the race weekend.
This year will be the 16th Valencia MotoGP, which has been held every year since the first visit in 1999 and indeed this is the 13th successive year that the Ricardo Tormo circuit has hosted the final race of the season.
Last year Marquez arrived at the Spanish track for the final round looking to become the youngest ever premier class world champion and this time he arrives in a more relaxed mood, having made history this season with his incredible performances to become the youngest ever back-to-back title winner in the premier class.
Marquez’s win in Malaysia at the penultimate round was his 12th victory this year, equaling the record for most wins in the premier class in a single season, held by Mick Doohan since 1997.
Another triumph to tally in Valencia this weekend would see Marquez take the record outright, with the Repsol Honda rider having already also set a record of 13 premier class poles in a season last time out at Sepang.
Spanish riders have won the last 10 MotoGP races on Spanish soil and the last non-Spanish rider to win a MotoGP race in Spain was Casey Stoner at Jerez in 2012, in what was his final race before retirement.
The task for Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s nine-time world champion Rossi is to end that run, which would also see him clinch second place in the 2014 standings over his teammate Lorenzo, who trails him by 12 points as they head to Valencia.
Meanwhile, Marquez’s teammate Dani Pedrosa is out of the race for second but could well be a contender for victory on Sunday, as he is the most successful rider at the Valencia circuit with six wins, including three in MotoGP, and no other rider has won more premier class races at the Valencia circuit.
Elsewhere, Britain’s Cal Crutchlow races for the Ducati team for the last time this weekend, after a relatively disappointing single season with the Italian team, before he heads to the CWM-LCR Honda Team for 2015 and he will get his first ride with his new squad team in the post Valencia test the following week after the race.
Bradley Smith and Scott Redding, Britain’s other representatives in MotoGP will also be looking put in impressive performances in the final race weekend of the year, while there is plenty of British interest in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, featuring up and coming young riders such as Sam Lowes, Danny Kent and John McPhee.
Follow the climax to the 2014 MotoGP season in Valencia live on BT Sport this weekend, or by watching ITV4’s highlights show on Monday night.
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BT Sport will screen exclusively live coverage of the entire Valencia MotoGP weekend as the world’s fastest riders descend on the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana for the final round of the 2014 season.
The channel brings to end its first season of MotoGP with more than 17 hours of live coverage from the season finale in Valencia, starting on Friday morning with the opening free practice sessions.
Every practice, qualifying session and race across all three classes – MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 – will be shown live and uninterrupted throughout the weekend on BT Sport 2 and in high-definition on BT Sport 2 HD.
Craig Doyle and Abi Griffiths will present BT Sport’s live coverage from BT Sport’s Olympic Park studios with former World Superbike champion James Toseland offering expert analysis, while fellow former superbikes champion Neil Hodgson will offer his views direct from the circuit.
Popular duo Keith Huewen and Julian Ryder will be in the commentary box for all the key sessions across the weekend, assisted by Motorcycle News chief grand prix correspondent Matt Birt, while Gavin Emmett will be BT Sport’s roving reporter in the pit lane.
Following the race weekend, the final edition of BT Sport’s regular magazine show MotoGP Tonight will be broadcast on Tuesday, November 11, presented by Craig Doyle and Iwan Thomas.
In a bonus for MotoGP fans, BT Sport viewers will be able to get the first look at the riders on their 2015 machinery as the channel will be screening live coverage of the MotoGP winter testing sessions from the Valencia circuit, on the Monday and Tuesday after the final round of the season, plus highlights from the FIM Awards Ceremony where MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez will receive his world championship trophy.
Alongside comprehensive TV coverage, MotoGP fans can enjoy all the action wherever they are and on the go throughout the weekend via the BT Sport app.
Fans will be able to watch the main coverage and choose from seven other camera views, including four fitted to bikes hitting more than 200mph, a helicopter view and live timing and tracking screens.
Full races and highlights, including interviews and features, will also be available to watch on the app and via btsport.com.
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ITV Sport will broadcast free-to-air highlights of the 2014 Valencia MotoGP as the season reaches the final round in Spain.
The one-hour highlights programme, airing on ITV4 and ITV4 HD on Monday, November 10, at 8.00pm will feature extended highlights of the MotoGP race, as well as the best of the action from the supporting Moto2 and Moto3 races.
ITV4’s highlights programme will use BT Sport’s live commentary feed provided by Keith Huewen and Julian Ryder, while reporter Gavin Emmett provides the voice-over.
The Valencia Grand Prix concludes ITV4’s coverage of the 2014 MotoGP, the first time that ITV has covered the sport, after it secured a deal with series promoter Dorna earlier this year which guarantees free-to-air highlights of every MotoGP race, though it is yet unclear whether this will continue into 2015.
Each of ITV’s MotoGP highlights programmes will be available to watch via catch-up service ITV Player.
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Saturday 8th November 08:00 Moto3: Free Practice 3 08:55 MOTOGP: Free Practice 3 09:55 Moto2: Free Practice 3 LIVE: 8.00am-11.00am BT Sport 2 11:35 Moto3: Qualifying 12:30 MOTOGP: Qualifying 14:05 Moto2: Qualifying LIVE: 11.00am-3.15pm BT Sport 2
Sunday 9th November 10:00 Moto3: Race 11:20 Moto2: Race 13:00 MOTOGP: Valencia Grand Prix LIVE: 9.30am-2.30pm BT Sport 2
Monday 10th November MotoGP: Winter Testing (Day 1) LIVE: 1.00pm-4.00pm BT Sport 2 MotoGP: Valencia Grand Prix Highlights: 8.00pm-9.00pm ITV4 FIM Awards Ceremony Highlights: 9.30pm-10.30pm BT Sport 2
Tuesday 11th November MotoGP: Winter Testing (Day 2) LIVE: 10.00am-12.00pm & 1.00pm-4.00pm BT Sport 2 MotoGP Tonight 8.00pm-9.00pm BT Sport 2
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