Aragon MotoGP: when, where and why to watch
Your guide to watching this weekend's MotoGP race at MotorLand Aragon
INCLUDING Sunday’s Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon (to give it its proper name), there are five races remaining in the 2016 MotoGP world championship.
There are still a lot of questions to answer, like: can a consistently performing Valentino Rossi get a strong result to start pressuring Marc Marquez at the last European race before Valencia in November? Can Brand Binder claim his firs Moto3 world championship in Spain?
But most importantly…
When’s the race?
Qualifying takes place on Saturday with Moto3 first at 11:35, followed by MotoGP at 13:10 and Moto2 at 14:05. Sunday’s races are 10am (Moto3), 11:20 (Moto2) and 1pm (MotoGP).
Where can I watch it?
Your first ports of call should be BT Sport and the MotoGP website. Both require a subscription, but they are the best way to watch MotoGP online, and are guaranteed to be better quality than the numerous illegal free streams available.
If you’re in London, get down to the Bike Shed – they show every race live, have off-street parking for bikes, do great food and coffee, and have a bar.
On Sunday afternoons, MotoGP is vying for screen time with the Premier League so you’ll need to know what pubs are guaranteed to be showing it; try asking in your local. Any decent sports bar with multiple screens should be able to sort you out.
If you miss it live, there's a highlights package on ITV4 on the Monday evening after the race, and races can be wached on demand via BT Sport and MotoGP.com.
Is there a dress code?
Of course there is yes. Moto3 should be enjoyed in pants and/or dressing gown before you make the change into team wear for MotoGP. You're also allowed to stick your leathers on if you want, you weirdo.
Will my wife/girlfriend/significant other/cat like it?
Of course they will, what’s not to like about bike racing? But if for some reason they’re not entranced by the weekend’s action, you could point out that there’s plenty of leather-clad men to look at, which how we get our wives to let us monopolise the TV for so many hours.
Why should I watch?
This weekend’s race has the potential to deliver the ninth different winner from nine races. Nicky Hayden is back with a wildcard entry, riding a bike he knows and Alex Lowes is filling in for Bradley Smith.
In Moto3, Brad Binder could wrap up the title – becoming the first South Africa rider to win a world championship since Jon Ekerold in 1980.
What happened last time?
After the last race at Misano, Rossi and Lorenzo had a tense exchange of words; Lorenzo wasn’t happy with the pass Rossi put on him to take the lead near the start of the race. Lorenzo was still moaning about it in yesterday’s pre-race press conference, so there’s potential for some friction on track.
Who should I look out for?
Do you like walls? If you are, you're in for a treat - Aragon has a massive one, you can't miss it.
If we're talking racing, keep an eye on Nicky Hayden – he knows the track and he’s on the same bike he rode last year. Lorenzo’s won at Aragon for the last two years, but Rossi, who’s hit some consistent form, might have something to say about that and claim his first ever win at Aragon.
