We were looking forward to the fight for the title reaching the last race and for the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Cheste to once again be an explosion of joy and passion for motorcycling. Unfortunately, the situation experienced in the region and, also, in some nearby areas of Castilla-La Mancha with the storm two weeks ago has made the celebration of the Grand Prix of the Valencian Community unfeasible and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is the headquarters of the last duel of the year.
Jorge Martín and Pecco Bagnaia will have to face the Catalan track in very different circumstances than usual since, traditionally, the Circuit is competed in summer. Therefore, although the track is exactly the same as a few months ago, the conditions and demands will be very different.
So, like the rest of the drivers, the two title contenders will have to adapt to a much colder asphalt than they are used to and, also, to much lower ambient temperatures. In fact, although no rain is expected, the maximum temperature expected for the entire weekend will be around 20ºC and with partially covered skies.
From the outset, that is good news for the show, for the Barcelona Solidarity GP and for all those who are going to attend since the track should be less critical and we could witness more intense duels, although at certain times of the day the lack of temperature could also be pose an extra challenge.
And now focusing on the fight for the title, Jorge Martín a priori has the best options to be champion. With a 24-point advantage over Bagnaia, he can wait and simply follow closely what the Italian does to achieve the long-awaited title. In fact, Martín could be champion as early as Saturday if he scores two more points than Bagnaia in the Sprint race.
For his part, Bagnaia does not depend on himself and is not only forced to win but will have to wait to see what Jorge Martín does. Although the Italian wins both races, the Spaniard has so much margin that he can dedicate himself to managing and dosing it. What Bagnaia cannot do is fail again, but he will surely take all possible risks in search of victory in order to put pressure on Martín who should face the weekend with the maximum possible concentration and calmness.
But in addition to the fight for the title that we will see at the Barcelona Solidarity GP, the battle to see who will accompany Martín and Bagnaia on the final podium of the championship is also something to keep an eye on. Marc Márquez arrives third with a single point advantage over Enea Bastianini, so the battle will likely last until Sunday itself.
Auctions and charity actions during the Barcelona Solidarity GP
As we said, everyone will be paying attention to those affected by DANA two weeks ago and that is why there will be three charity auctions during the weekend. Two will be in person and will take place on Friday and Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and the third will be online for those who cannot attend the Catalan circuit.
In addition, you can make donations and buy the #RacingForValencia t-shirt, the benefits of which will go directly to relief efforts. All the money raised from these actions plus donations from paddock members and the proceeds from a portion of the tickets will be donated to the Red Cross.
Where to see the Great Barcelona Solidarity Awards
This championship finale will bring us back open races for free. We will have three ways to enjoy it, the usual two and television. As for DAZN, if you have contracted the service you will be able to watch it but it will also be broadcast for free for those who do not have it contracted just by registering.
On the other hand, the MotoGP Videopass will be active on the championship website, where you can also access a multitude of multimedia content.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, La Sexta will be in charge of the open broadcast of the Grand Prix, although, yes, only from Saturday.
Schedules of the Barcelona Solidarity Grand Prix
The end of the MotoGP season returns us to the usual schedules in every sense, from training sessions to races.
Friday, November 15
- 09:00-09:35 – Moto3™ – Free Practice
- 09:50-10:30 – Moto2™ – Free Practice
- 10:45-11:30 – MotoGP™ – Free Practice Nr. 1
- 13:15-13:50 – Moto3™ – Practice Nr. 1
- 14:05-14:45 – Moto2™ – Practice Nr. 1
- 15:00-16:00 – MotoGP™ – Practice
Saturday November 16
- 08:40-09:10 – Moto3™ – Practice Nr. 2
- 09:25-09:55 – Moto2™ – Practice Nr. 2
- 10:10-10:40 – MotoGP™ – Free Practice Nr. 2
- 10:50-11:05 – MotoGP™ – Qualifying Nr. 1
- 11:15-11:30 – MotoGP™ – Qualifying Nr. 2
- 12:50-13:05 – Moto3™ – Qualifying Nr. 1
- 13:15-13:30 – Moto3™ – Qualifying Nr. 2
- 13:45-14:00 – Moto2™ – Qualifying Nr. 1
- 14:10-14:25 – Moto2™ – Qualifying Nr. 2
- 15:00 – MotoGP™ – 12 laps – Sprint
Sunday, November 17
- 09:40-09:50 – MotoGP™ – Warm Up
- 11:00 – Moto3™ – 18 laps – Race
- 12:15 – Moto2™ – 21 laps – Race
- 14:00 – MotoGP™ – 24 laps – Race
