MotoGP: Where Valentino Rossi needs to finish at Valencia to win the 2015 world championship
VALENTINO Rossi may be starting from the rear of the grid at Valencia, but the MotoGP title is still within his grasp. Here’s where he needs to finish to win it.
VALENTINO Rossi may have it all to do to win a tenth world championship at MotoGP’s season finale, but he still heads to Valencia leading the points standings.
Malaysian GP penalty notwithstanding, Rossi holds a seven-point lead over Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo with just the deciding race at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo left in one of the most enthralling and dramatic MotoGP seasons in memory.
Although Rossi will be starting from the back of the grid - pending his appeal for a stay of execution to the Court of Arbitration for Sport - it is still not a foregone conclusion that Lorenzo will be world champion when the chequered flag waves.
MYTHBUSTING: Debunking fact from fiction in the 2015 Malaysian GP
ANGER: Rossi and Marquez at war over Malaysian GP crash
SANCTION: Rossi penalised for his clash with Marquez
MARQUEZ: ‘It’s no racing incident; he push me with his leg’
PETITION: 275,000 fans sign petition urging MotoGP to drop Rossi’s penalty
MotoGP’s points system pays all the way down to the rider that crosses the line in 15th place.
Here’s where Rossi must finish to win the championship depending on where Lorenzo finishes.
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LORENZO P1 — 25 POINTS
Rossi is world champion if he finishes 2nd.
LORENZO P2 — 20 POINTS
Rossi is world champion if he finishes 3rd or better. If he finishes 4th, he ties Lorenzo on points but loses on countback.
LORENZO P3 — 16 POINTS
Rossi is world champion if he finishes 6th or better. If he finishes 7th, he ties Lorenzo on points but loses on countback.
LORENZO P4 — 13 POINTS
Rossi is world champion if he finishes 9th or better. If he finishes 10th, he ties Lorenzo on but loses on countback.
LORENZO P5 — 11 POINTS
Rossi is world champion if he finishes 11th or better. If he finishes 12th, he ties Lorenzo on but loses on countback.
LORENZO P6 — 10 POINTS
Rossi is world champion if he finishes 12th or better. If he finishes 13th, he ties Lorenzo on points but loses on countback.
LORENZO P7 — 9 POINTS
Rossi is world champion if he finishes 13th or better. If he finishes 14th, he ties Lorenzo on points but loses on countback.
LORENZO P8 — 8 POINTS
Rossi is world champion if he finishes 14th or better. If he finishes 15th, he ties Lorenzo on points but loses on countback.
LORENZO P9 — 7 POINTS
Rossi is world champion if he finishes 15th or better. If he finishes outside the points-paying positions, he ties Lorenzo on points but loses on countback.
LORENZO P10 OR WORSE — 6 POINTS OR LESS
Rossi is world champion wherever he finishes.
Originally published as MotoGP: Where Valentino Rossi needs to finish at Valencia to win the 2015 world championship
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