motogp top 5
2. valentino rossi runner up, four Grand Prix victories, fifteen podiums, & a points-scoring finish in every race of 2015
When we look back on 2015 in ten years or so, we will perhaps be able to appreciate just what an astounding year of racing it has been in MotoGP. Once time has taken edge off the anger and bitterness of the last three races of this year, we will see the performance of both Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi for what they are: feats of almost superhuman effort and ability. This is truly the Golden Era of MotoGP. The era is made all the more golden by the achievements of Valentino Rossi. At thirtysix years of age, Rossi was winning races and appeared to have the championship in hand. He demonstrated all of his talents: he won in Argentina through sheer preparation, choosing the right tyre early and working to get the best out of it. At Assen, he outfoxed Marc Márquez, leaving him high and dry when Márquez pushed him through the gravel of the final chicane. In Silverstone, he demonstrated his mastery in the rain to take another win. When he couldn’t win, he finished on the podium, his remarkable run of podiums ending only in the dry-then-wet-then-dry freak show at Misano. It all fell apart during the flyaways. At Motegi, it took all of Rossi’s concentration to beat Lorenzo, leaving him drained after the race. He lost out to Andrea Iannone at Phillip Island, forced into fourth. And that is when the strain started to tell: Rossi has always been known for his mind games and mental strength, but accusing Márquez of wanting to help Lorenzo win the title was frankly bizarre. The clash at Sepang which left Márquez on the floor was the inevitable outcome of a year’s worth of stress, and ultimately cost him the title. What happened after that is, frankly, best forgotten.