Venue: Eresol, Italy Date: 8 September Kick-off: 1315 BST Coverage: Saturday lap highlights on BBC Two, Grandstand BBC Red Button and BBC Sport website, plus Full highlights on BBC One on Sunday 0930 BST. Full schedule
Ostrich skull Emblems
Venue: Eresol, Italy Date: 8 September Start: 1445 BST, Silverstone BBC Red Button Coverage: Saturday lap highlights on BBC Two, Grandstand BBC Red Button and BBC Sport website, plus Full highlights on BBC One on Sunday 0930 BST.
Welcome back to the BBC MotoGP power rankings.
It’s time for the thrilling final rounds of the world championship with a host of debutants, with the top seeds and the dominant Yamaha duo poised to fight it out in Ayrshire and Naples.
Some of these newcomers will have boosted their rankings with a win over the summer whilst others could be pushed down a peg or two – but all are likely to have made a good impression in some way.
Happy Sunday!
Year created: 1947
Debutante
Romaine Pozzi (Italy)
8 September start: Ayrshire, final practice 0930 – 1330 BST, GP Red Button 1330 – 1715, BBC Two 1715 – 1830, BBC iPlayer
Topping the rookie scoreboard after three races is Italian hotshot Romaine Pozzi, who scores major points in the standings with his first victory on the MotoGP bike at Misano on home soil. The 19-year-old dazzled all season but the sharpest start helped him nail down the win of the season so far on his Honda.
Race win
Valentino Rossi (Italy)
9 September start: Ayrshire, final practice 0930 – 1330 BST, GP Red Button 1330 – 1715, BBC Two 1715 – 1830, BBC iPlayer
The Italian legend climbs the rankings after dominating opening race on home soil to make it an all Italian one-two for the third year in a row.
World championship
Movistar Yamaha Tech 3
6th
Total points: 184
Average lap speed: 174.127mph
Jorge Lorenzo (Spain)
12th
Total points: 174
Average lap speed: 171.479mph
Dani Pedrosa (Spain)
11th
Total points: 175
Average lap speed: 171.423mph
Main factory contenders with current world champion Valentino Rossi rarely racing at the front – but Italian Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso outrunning the Yamaha rider on the team’s launch day in July suggested Ducati’s Albert Park factory as the top on home turf.
MotoGP statistics
6 MotoGP races
34 wins for Valentino Rossi
29 race starts for Andrea Dovizioso
8 MotoGP world championship titles for Valentino Rossi
76 MotoGP races all-time for Valentino Rossi (including 633 Moto2 and AMA GP starts)
1609km
9 wins in 105 starts by Marco Simoncelli
221 points after two rounds
2 fourth place finishes by Andrea Dovizioso in the last three races
1542 points after seven races for Jorge Lorenzo (2083 points after 10)
945 points after six races for Dani Pedrosa (1048 points after eight)
Other statistics
TOTAL points: 2
Valentino Rossi has collected at least 50 points in seven of the last nine races
Valentino Rossi has won each of the last five races on the 2014 DTM bike that he competes in
Valentino Rossi is on track to equal Paul Maino’s record of 26 podium finishes
Dario Franchitti overtook Simoncelli and Lee Jacobs as the first Italian to score 50 points in a Grand Prix of the series
Valentino Rossi’s last win for Ducati was the 2005 Spanish Grand Prix
Last 10 MotoGP race winners
2013 – Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
2012 – Dani Pedrosa (Honda)
2011 – Casey Stoner (Ducati)
2010 – Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
2009 – Valentino Rossi (Ducati)
2008 – Dani Pedrosa (Honda)
2007 – Casey Stoner (Ducati)
2006 – Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati)
2005 – Valentino Rossi (Ducati)
2005 – Casey Stoner (Ducati)