The Showdown: Lorenzo and Rossi’s 2015 title fight
Every rider dreams of becoming a world champion. They spend their lives working to get remotely close to a title win. So when their destiny comes down to being chosen in one singular race, it will surely be an unforgettable one.
In MotoGP, riders have often battled for the title in the final race. A fan favourite was the 2015 season. An epic fight between Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi took place, but what made the season truly unforgettable were the iconic on-track battles between the riders.
Let’s revisit the moments that made it an unforgettable year...
Where it all began
At the start of the season, all eyes were set on the three best riders of 2014: the title defender Marc Márquez and the Yamaha teammates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
The season started out strong for Rossi, who won two of the first three races, immediately demonstrating his hunger for victory. It was during the course of these first races that tensions between Márquez and Rossi began to show.
The two were involved in a feisty battle at the Argentinian Grand Prix, where they collided on the penultimate lap whilst fighting for first position. Rossi managed to rejoin, but Márquez was forced off track. This friction became a big part of the title fight, as it never really died down and ultimately became a topic of discussion between fans and riders.
Soon after, Jorge Lorenzo made his way into the title race. He started off quietly gaining points, but then began a streak of four wins which saw him get ahead in the standings.
At this point, the championship leader changed almost every race. Rossi bounced back up to first place when Lorenzo missed out on winning for three races, but once again the throne was reclaimed by Lorenzo when he won at Brno. But at Silverstone, Rossi made his way back up.
Then came the controversies
With five races left, the championship run was still fully open as Valentino was ahead in the standings, but Jorge was feisty to win. The Spaniard went on to win the next race in Aragon before taking second place behind two other Spaniards: Marc Márquez and Dani Pedrosa (the only other winner of that season).
At the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix, the penultimate round of the season, Marquez and Rossi were involved in a crash during lap seven. A controversial moment which marked the history of the 2015 season.
When the two riders collided, they both initially managed to rejoin, but only Rossi was able to finish the race. After the incident, the fans were divided, some believed that Rossi had kicked Márquez off the track, while others believed Márquez was trying to block Rossi and therefore help Lorenzo out in the title run.
The crash was more than just a racing dispute, as Rossi was handed a grid penalty for the last race of the season, therefore finding himself in a complicated position compared to pole sitter Jorge Lorenzo.
The final race
Then came the Valencian Grand Prix. The tension was more than palpable, it was shared. The fans filled the grandstands, ready to witness the most awaited racing event of the year. The riders anxiously waited to give it their all.
The standings saw Rossi ahead of Lorenzo by only seven points. As a consequence of the Malaysian penalty, the Italian started the race in 26th position, a great advantage for the Spanish pole-sitter.
Mathematically, it meant that Rossi had to finish within the first two positions to win the title. As for Lorenzo, his safest aim was to win the race and hope that Rossi would finish somewhere after the third position.
Tension built in the Yamaha paddock, as their two riders were ready to give it their all and bring home the most discussed MotoGP title.
After a year tainted with controversies, the moment arrived. Only 30 laps divided the riders from obtaining the long-awaited answer: who was going to be the 2015 MotoGP World Champion? Only one race was left to live, one more astonishing battle, the final one.
On the first lap, Lorenzo immediately took the lead, as expected. But Rossi made the real surprise, gaining 10 places on the opening lap.
As the race went on, Rossi kept climbing up the standings, and by lap 9 he was up to 7th position. Lorenzo’s race was much calmer compared to Rossi’s, as the Spaniard never lost the lead in the race and therefore only worked on putting a solid gap between himself and Márquez in second place.
With 18 laps to go, Rossi passed Dovizioso and finally made it to P4. As it stood, the live championship count saw Lorenzo ahead by only five points. This information fueled both riders. On one hand, Rossi focused on reaching the summit while Lorenzo sighted the chequered flag.
With more than half the race to go, Lorenzo’s only goal was to hold his gap from Márquez and Pedrosa, as ending in third position would mean losing the championship.
As for Rossi, his goal was hoping Lorenzo would lose position, and trying his best to get up to first position.
The title seal
After 30 laps, many controversies and even more talent, the track finally spoke. Jorge Lorenzo crossed the finish line in first position, followed by Márquez, Pedrosa and finally Valentino Rossi.
Jorge Lorenzo was officially crowned 2015 MotoGP world champion, five points off Valentino Rossi.
An outstanding run to a title, something that was unseen in MotoGP, an unexplainable rush.
Jorge Lorenzo came to clinch his third world title after an incredible season with seven wins and 12 podiums; he scored a total of 330 points.
As one half of the Yamaha paddock cried out of joy, the other half were left deluded.
Although Rossi’s run didn’t end as he would’ve wanted, he put on a ride worth recognition.
With 23 overtakes and an overall solid year, he was part of why the 2015 season was so unforgettable for many. The 2015 Valencian Grand Prix remains one of Valentino’s best races, highlighting his incredible talent and outstanding ability
Real sport is all about heart-pounding moments, and when excellence and raw speed meet, that’s exactly what you’ll get.
The 2015 season was only one of the many emotionally charged chapters in MotoGP. If this sport has taught us anything, it’s that the best moments may still lie ahead of us. We hope to see more seasons that fuel our passion, and give us many more stories like this to tell.
Edited by Dhara Dave
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