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While the F1 title was concluded with three races to go leaving fans at the stunning and challenging Mexico circuit looking for sub-plots and cheering local hero Sergio Perez, the MotoGP series heads into its final race in Valencia this weekend with it all to race for.
What makes the conclusion even more fascinating is the drama unfolding off the track as a result of incidents involving two of the ‘nice guys’, Valentino Rossi and Mark Marquez. The grand master and his protégé have fallen out!
Their previously good relationship had been tested after the Philips Island GP in Australia at which Rossi accused Marquez of riding for Lorenzo, his main challenger for the championship title, motivated, according to ‘the Doctor’ by a ‘childish’ response to earlier racing incidents this season. If true, this would be quite a turnaround for the two Spaniards (Marquez and Lorenzo) who had to be forced to shake hands by the King of Spain, after they made it plain in the media of their hatred for each other.
However, those watching the early laps at Sepang in Malaysia, the race after Australia, could have some empathy with Rossi as Marquez became embroiled in a close and tense battle after Lorenzo had passed his compatriot with ease.
It appeared, at times, as though Marquez, clearly unperturbed by Rossi’s accusations, wanted to disrupt Rossi at every opportunity giving him the occasional nudge on his way through with the Italian championship leader doing well to stay upright.
The main talking point occurred on the 14th turn of the 13th lap, shortly after Rossi had made angry gestures at Marquez following an earlier overtaking move.
At the sweeping right-hander Rossi took the inside line and, looking across to locate Marquez, ran wide forcing the Spaniard wider. The ‘kick’ from Rossi came after a minor wobble, which suggests that Marquez made contact although several TV angles are inconclusive. Even having watched the slow motion replays I am surprised that Marquez went to ground with some observers suggesting that he took a dive. Certainly he went down more easily than Rossi, who had done well to stay on his bike in the earlier tussles.
To this observer, while I do not believe that the motion from Rossi’s left leg is synonymous with it slipping off the pedal as he claims, I do believe that he had a right to protect himself as Marquez, in the process of being forced wide, appeared to make contact with the No. 46 Yamaha. I would also suggest that Rossi warrants the benefit of the doubt given the uncertainty surrounding the incident, rather than receive the three penalty points that he was awarded.
Former riders appear to concur that Marquez deserved the outcome, his actions before hitting the tarmac lending weight to Rossi’s accusations in the aftermath of the thrilling Japanese race, although opinion is divided as to whether Rossi’s actions were deliberate or not.
Lorenzo, the only rider who can claim the title from Rossi, will have the opportunity to win his fourth title in front of his home fans at a circuit at which he has done well.
Currently Rossi, who leads by seven points as he seeks his 10th world title, will be forced to start the race from the back of the pack after being allowed to keep the 16 points he secured in Malaysia while escaping the disqualification that Lorenzo and Marquez thought he deserved.
However, this is not the end of it! Rossi has appealed the decision of the Sepang race stewards to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking the ‘annulment or reduction of the penalty’. He further requests a stay of execution of the decision. In other words he wants CAS to overturn the decision or delay the enforcement of the decision until the first race of next season. CAS is expected to make a decision before Friday, the outcome of which will have a major impact on the outcome of the race.
FIM MotoGP president, Vito Ippolitto, has appealed to all riders and their teams to respect the best sporting principles ahead of the title decider in Valencia this weekend and deliver a fair fight that would help restore the sport’s ‘poisoned’ image, reminding them of their status as role models.
Irrespective of the decision, it will be intriguing to see whether Marquez continues to focus on preventing Rossi from winning. The Hondas have had a resurgence in form in the back half of the season and, despite this being too little, too late for their own chances, they could have a strong say in who wins.
Rossi, who last won the title in 2009, needs to finish with more points than Lorenzo as the decider, should the points totals be tied, is based on the most race wins in the season. Currently Lorenzo has claimed six victories compared to Rossi’s four. Rossi’s success has been his consistency, finishing on the podium in 15 of the season’s 17 races to date.
At one point Rossi’s championship lead reached 23 points after Lorenzo crashed out at San Marino although has seen this slowly eroded as Lorenzo has won several races at a canter after escaping from the front and building a sizeable lead and safety margin. Of course, with such a lead, the Doctor could legitimately claim to have been riding defensively with the championship in mind, in much the same way that Chelsea once-upon-a-time packed their defence after taking the lead. History demonstrates that this is not always a successful policy.
Realistically, there are only a handful of riders that are likely to win the race, although, unfortunately for Rossi, he has not had the best results at this circuit in the last five years, finishing on the podium three times. By comparison Lorenzo has won twice (2010 and 2013). If Lorenzo wins then Rossi will have to finish right behind him. It seems that Rossi’s best chance would be for Pedrosa to claim the race win
Yet, should CAS uphold the penalty applied after the post-race investigation in Malaysia, could there be a more thrilling denouement than watching Rossi fight his way from the back to claim a podium that also secures the title? A win from the back would mean Rossi having to pass in the region of 24 riders! I would certainly get my kicks from that!
