Saturday at the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky certainly didn’t disappoint after a thrilling qualifying session, which gives you all the more reason to tune into race day in Brno.
Here’s 10 reasons why you can’t miss the Czech GP, and don't forget to make your predictions on MotoGP™ League:
1. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) starts his 100th Grand Prix race with Ducati from pole position. This is his 6th pole position in the premier class, his first since Sepang back in 2016 and his first in dry-weather conditions since Qatar in 2015.
2. Dovizioso’s pole position is his 5th with Ducati and the 39th for the Italian manufacturer in the MotoGP class since 2002. From his five previous appearances on a Ducati at Brno, Dovizioso has never finished higher than sixth.
3. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who won his first ever Grand Prix race in Brno back in 1996, starts from second on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was on pole position at his home round in Mugello earlier this year.
4. Rossi (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc and 4 x MotoGP™) is the most successful rider on the current grid at the Brno circuit with 7 wins. He will be aiming to finish inside the Top 10 to become the first rider in history to reach the milestone of 6000 points scored in Grand Prix racing.
5. Yamaha riders have not won since Assen last year with Rossi (19 successive races). The Last time Yamaha had a winless streak of more than 19 races was the 22-race sequence including the 15 races of 1997 and the opening seven races of 1998.
6. Winner last year at the Czech GP, Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) completes the front row on the grid, which is the 78th time he qualified inside the Top 3 on what is his 100th Grand Prix race in the premier class.
7. Heading the second row on the grid is Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) who will be aiming to win for the third time at the Czech GP in the premier class after 2010 and 2015, which was also the last victory of a Yamaha rider at this track.
8. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), who won his first Grand Prix race in 2016 at Brno from tenth on the grid, has qualified in fifth as the highest-placed Independent Team rider, which is his best qualifying result since he was second at the Dutch TT earlier this year.
9. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), who won the Moto2™ race at the Czech GP in 2015, heads the third row on the grid as the third Independent Team rider, which is his best qualifying result since he was on pole at the French GP this year.
10. Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who crossed the line in third last year in Brno, has qualified in 12th, equaling his worst qualifying result this year so far along with Qatar.