Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi is the man to beat, as he continues to lead the Riders' World Championship. Getty

Valentino Rossi comes to Germany on the back of a thrilling victory at "the Cathedral" in Assen, the Netherlands. He continued his fine form and beat Marc Marquez to the top step of the podium on the final turn of the Grand Prix, which saw both riders come together only just managing to keep the bikes on both wheels.

Marquez would have been delighted to be back on the podium after nightmare races in Spain and the Netherlands. Jorge Lorenzo, who won four races in a row, had to settle for the third place after failing to match the pace of the front two.

Honda's other rider, Dani Pedrosa, has been largely absent in the battles at the front this season, but he will hope to continue his good form at this circuit which has seen him win it on four occasions in the past.

Where to watch live

The first practice session of the Spain MotoGP starts at 8.55am BST, with BT Sport 2 and BT Sports 2 HD providing live coverage in the UK.

Live coverage of the second practice session starts at 1.05pm BST. Real-time internet updates are available on MotoGP's official website.

Track Facts

  • Circuit Name: Sachsenring, Germany
  • First MotoGP Race: 1998
  • Circuit Length: 3.7km
  • Number Of Laps: 30
  • Race Distance: 110.1km
  • Most Wins: Dani Pedrosa (4)
  • 2014 Winner: Marc Marquez (Honda)
  • 2014 Pole: Marc Marquez (Honda)

Riders' Championship review

Yamaha's Valentino Rossi (163 points) extended his lead over title rival and teammate Jorge Lorenzo (153) to 10 points following his win at the Assen circuit.

Ducati's Andrea Iannone maintains his position in third after impressive rides in Spain and the Netherlands saw him finish fourth on both occasions. Marc Marquez (89) has jumped ahead of Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso (87) to the fourth place following his second place finish in the previous race.