MotoGP

Marc Marquez took his 2014 MotoGP record to nine wins from nine on Sunday, weathering through adverse conditions at Sachsenring to come out on top once again. 

And it was an all-Spanish podium for the third time this season as the official MotoGP Twitter account confirmed that Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo clinched second and third-place finished, respectively:

Her's how the top 10 finished at the German MotoGP on Sunday:

For a look at the full results, visit the official MotoGP website:

Marquez took pole position on Saturday for the seventh time in his 2014 campaign, although Germany native Stefan Bradl threatened to throw a spanner in the works early on Sunday.

However, Bradl's bike showed some struggle in keeping up such a furious pace, per MotoGP, and Marquez was of course more than happy to snap at his chances:

The 21-year-old stretches his lead at the top of the riders' standings to 77 points as a result, and if his title retention wasn't already looking like a foregone conclusion, Sunday's display would certainly have helped change that.

David Cushnan of SportsPro was quick to hail the Spaniard's latest feat:

Here's how the riders' standings look after Marquez's German triumph:

After all, the 2014 season is now halfway through, and the budding superstar is only cementing his place as one of the most promising talents ever to have ridden at the MotoGP level.

Marquez's recovery is especially impressive considering he suffered a horrible spill in the first practice session, as he pointed out:

Pedrosa did well to finish so closely behind his compatriot, his bike also standing the test as he came in just 1.466 seconds behind Marquez.

There was a steep drop-off in quality after those two, however, with third-placed Lorenzo crossing the chequered flag more than 10 seconds later.

Marquez won't say it himself, but the foundations have been laid down for him to break even more records and perhaps even register a perfect season considering the mighty form he's in.

Next up, though is the Indianapolis Grand Prix in August, where after a month's break, he'll aim to resume in the same vein of success.

Marc Marquez has thus far been unbeatable in the 2014 MotoGP season, and there is very little to suggest he will not stretch his winning streak to nine consecutive grands prix in Germany on Sunday.

Last time out in Assen, a rain-affected race was won easily by the Spaniard. He has taken victory in his last four visits to Germany's Sachsenring across three different classes, including last year's MotoGP win at the track.

The 21-year-old Honda driver currently sits a massive 72 points clear of Valentino Rossi and teammate Dani Pedrosa—tied on 128 points in second—both of whom will finally be looking to make some ground on the standings leader this weekend.

Read on for a full race schedule, live streaming information and a look at the top riders going into the German Grand Prix.

Top Riders to Watch

Valentino Rossi

Veteran Italian rider Rossi heads into the race in Germany having recently signed a two-year extension to his contract with Yamaha.

Having finished fifth in Assen last time out after a bungled strategy in the rain saw him starting from the pits, the 35-year-old is looking to improve for the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, and the new contract is a weight off his mind, per motogp.com:

I am very happy to go to the Sachsenring after the contract renewal with Yamaha for another two years. I’ve been saying that we are very close to signing for many races and finally we did it! For me it is really important, I am very happy! At Assen we did a good race but at the Sachsenring we'll try to do better. I like the track; it’s very difficult, very tricky and very small.

Rossi has won four times in MotoGP at the Sachsenring, but his last victory came all the way back in 2009. Since then, the track has witnessed three consecutive victories for Pedrosa and Marquez's triumph last year.

In the championship, Rossi is realistically fighting for second place as the season reaches the halfway stage—Germany represents the ninth outing of the 18-race season—and he will be looking to pip Pedrosa in that fight.

However, there are potential weather concerns for Sunday's race with rain forecast, and the unpredictability caused by such conditions could play into Rossi's hands.

Jorge Lorenzo

Rossi's teammate Jorge Lorenzo had an absolute nightmare race last time out in Assen, as he finished in 13th position and dropped to fifth in the overall standings on 81 points.

However, as Rossi himself conceded, Lorenzo is one of the best in the business and will no doubt bounce back in Germany, per Crash.net:

“At this moment I am in front of Jorge in the standings and I'm very proud of it because without any doubt he is one of the best."

In a refreshingly honest move, the 27-year-old Spaniard admitted his poor performance in the Netherlands was down to fear of repeating his 2013 crash on the circuit, per MotoMatters.com's David Emmett:

However, without such distractions this weekend he will likely be looking for a return to form in the hope of chasing down his teammate in the standings.

Marc Marquez

It goes without saying that Marquez is the pick to take victory this weekend and make it nine wins from nine races, edging ever closer to Mike Hailwood's record 12 consecutive victories. 

The Spanish youngster has been unstoppable so far this season and looks guaranteed to retain the title he won in his rookie season in 2013.

He has beaten all-comers so far in 2014 and in all different conditions. He won last time out in the rain, proving his ability to adapt to any scenario.

He may need that again in Germany, but based on season form, he simply looks faster and better than the rest of the field.

A win at the Sachsenring—a track at which he has had great success—would move him onto a massive 225 championship points, and if he continues his streak, he will claim the title in Aragon in round 14, no matter what the rest of the field does.

Only a brave—perhaps foolish—man would bet against it, and he can move one step closer with another win on Sunday.

The MotoGP calendar moves on to round eight this weekend for one of the most iconic races of the season, the Dutch TT at Assen.

Unique in the calendar, the race in the the Netherlands takes place on Saturday—as opposed to the regular Sunday—and Marc Marquez will be aiming for his eighth win of the season to continue his perfect record.

Meanwhile, Valentino Rossi returns to a track at which he has had enormous success in the past, winning six MotoGP races at the circuit including his triumph in 2013. He will finally be looking to head Marquez in a race this season and start to cut down the Spaniard's championship lead.

Read on for a full race schedule, as well as an examination of the top riders for the weekend's event.

Top Riders

Valentino Rossi

Italian veteran Rossi is having a terrific season but still currently sits 58 points behind standings leader Marquez—who has been faultless in the first seven races.

The 35-year-old took second place in Barcelona last time out and gave Marquez a real run for his money on his Yamaha, despite concerns beforehand about a lack of race pace.

In 2013 he took top spot in the Netherlands, and he will be hoping to repeat the trick of beating Marquez into second on Saturday.

Rossi was in confident mood ahead of the weekend, happy to be returning to a track on which he has had much success, per Crash.net:

Assen is a great track and a good track for Yamaha. The weather will be very important here. You never know if it will be hot or cold or dry or wet. Last year's race was unforgettable but honestly this year I feel I am strong almost everywhere so we have to try hard to beat the competition.

There is a feeling that there has to be a new race winner at some point in the season, and at almost the halfway stage, it needs to come soon to avoid the championship becoming a procession. Rossi has prospered at this track before, and he has the speed and the talent to do so again.

Marc Marquez

Honda's 21-year-old sensation has faced tough competition in the last couple of races, but he has still come through to win in the end—that's the sign of a true champion.

The TT Circuit Assen was not the happiest of hunting grounds for the youngster last season, but he was still able to claim second and will be hoping to go one better in 2014. 

He came in second fastest in Thursday's final practice session and commented that the bike was feeling good around the track, per MotoGP.com:

It went pretty well and I'm happy, because last year we suffered a lot at this track. I think is a good track for both Honda and Yamaha; they were better here last year but maybe this year we have taken a step forward and I feel very comfortable and happy with the pace that I have. We'll see tomorrow, because it seems that we’re not so strong in the low temperatures, but I am convinced that we can match the competitors level.

Indeed, he has been matching and bettering the level of his competitors all season, and it would take a brave man to bet against him taking an eighth consecutive victory from Saturday's race.

Barring any major issues with his bike, he is likely to qualify well on Friday and put himself in prime position to extend his standings lead even further in the Netherlands.

Dani Pedrosa

Marquez's Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa almost took a famous victory last time out as he overtook his colleague on the last lap in Barcelona.

He showed he has the pace to keep up with Marquez and could certainly compete this weekend; however, he seemed to pinpoint where the 21-year-old has the edge, per MotoGP commentator Gregory Haines:

With this knowledge, he may be able to take advantage and tactically outwit his teammate, but he will no doubt be up there come the end of proceedings on Saturday, even if he cannot take victory.

There is still all to play for in the Netherlands at possibly the season's most anticipated race and there will be thrills and spills galore around the iconic circuit.

Whether Marquez can finally be beaten remains to be seen, but what is in no doubt after Barcelona is that there are drivers in the lineup who can challenge for victory.

It would be a boost for the competitive nature of the championship were Marquez to be beaten on the TT Circuit Assen, but with the pace he has shown all season, it will take a mighty effort from his competitors.

Marc Marquez continued his MotoGP dominance on Sunday by racing to victory in the Grand Prix of Catalunya in Barcelona for his seventh grand prix title on the spin. 

The Spaniard wasn’t starting in pole position for the first time this season after crashing in the final stages of qualifying, but it didn’t stop the 21-year-old from romping to victory.

However, this time around it wasn’t as simple as his previous six victories, with Valentino Rossi and Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa leading for large spells.

In the opening exchanges, Jorge Lorenzo was the man in front after emerging quickest through the pack, with Marquez languishing in fifth.

It didn’t take the Spaniard long to make up the ground, though, and with some brilliant laps he found himself just behind new leader, Rossi.

The Italian kept his lead for much of the race, though it was Pedrosa who ultimately came closest to stopping the Marquez freight train in Barcelona.

After Marquez took the lead, Pedrosa sat between him and Rossi with just four laps remaining and did everything in his power to prevent his teammate from reaping more glory.

The Honda riders’ battle was nothing short of a spectacle around the final laps of the Circuit de Catalunya, though it was Marquez that kept his nose in front by emerging quickly from turn exits.

Lining up one final push for glory, Pedrosa clipped Marquez and was forced wide, leaving him to cross the line in first with Rossi following on in second—as MotoGP revealed:

Pedrosa was forced to accept third place, with Lorenzo coming home in fourth despite showing such early promise—a situation that Yamaha will need to assess according to MotoGP journalist Matthew Birt:

The moment, once again, belongs to Marquez, though, whose time of 42:56:914 was good enough to extend his lead at the top of the MotoGP standings, as we see below:

Such drama in a grand prix has scarcely been seen in MotoGP history, and while Pedrosa's battle will live long in the memory, the better rider came out on top.

Next up for Marquez is the Dutch Grand Prix on June 28, where another victory will see him edge ever closer to the world championship.

His resilience in Catalunya proved that his class shines through even in the toughest of circumstances, and while 18 wins out of 18 seems ridiculous, based on this form it’s not impossible.

The MotoGP calendar moves on to its seventh race of the season this weekend with current standings leader Marc Marquez returning home for the Grand Prix of Catalunya.

The indomitable 21-year-old has a clean sweep of victories so far in 2014, his 150 points a massive 53 clear of second-placed veteran Valentino Rossi. 

However, he was run close by Jorge Lorenzo in Mugello last time out and maybe this weekend he can finally be beaten. Certainly, there will be a host of riders to watch out for come Sunday when the race action kicks off.

Read on for a look at the top riders as well as the full schedule for the race weekend.

Top Riders

Marc Marquez

There's nobody to match this young man in the 2014 MotoGP season. Winner of every race so far, he has hardly been troubled on any circuit.

He will have the adulation of a home crowd this weekend as the action takes place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. 

Whether this will spur him on or increase the pressure on the Repsol Honda rider remains to be seen, but he will certainly be looking to improve on the third-place finish he claimed last year.

He will be eager for victory, and if he achieves it, he will become the youngest rider ever to record seven consecutive victories in the top class, per Fox Sports.

Marquez's victory in Italy last time out will have given him even more confidence as he prevailed in a scintillating battle with Lorenzo which went all the way to the last lap. 

Jorge Lorenzo

The Spaniard showed real quality in Italy and will be looking to go one better this weekend on his Movistar Yamaha at a track which he absolutely loves.

A three-time winner in Barcelona—2010, 2012 and 2013—he will be looking to claim his sixth consecutive podium at the circuit on Sunday.

He currently lies quite a way back from third-placed Dani Pedrosa in the standings, but his performance in Mugello should give him some momentum with two-thirds of the season still remaining.

The 27-year-old was upbeat in the lead-up to the race and believes he is nearing a position where he can fight for a race win, per Sky Sports: 

In Mugello I tried my best, I felt stronger and I think we did a really good job. We were really close to the victory and my physical condition improved a lot compared to the last races. The bike also worked well and I guess if we can do a step ahead either with the bike or my physical condition we will fight again for the victory. Now we are heading to Montmelo, one of my favourite tracks like Mugello and I would like at least to be on the podium.

Certainly, if he performs as he did in Italy, a podium place will in no way be out of reach and he could be up there fighting for the win once more.

Valentino Rossi

As ever, Rossi is most certainly one to watch in Barcelona this weekend as he will be looking to bounce back from a slightly disappointing third-place finish on the occasion of his 300th Grand Prix.

An error in qualifying meant he was forced to start in Mugello from 10th on the grid, and although he moved quickly up into third, he was too far back from the front-runners to really challenge.

Perhaps the epic battle that was expected between Marquez and Rossi in Italy can materialise in Barcelona.

The 35-year-old is looking to kick on after a good team performance in Italy, per Sky Sports: 

"I am very happy to go to Barcelona, especially after the good weekend at Mugello where we put two Yamahas on the podium. I really like the Grand Prix of Catalunya. It is a track that I enjoy a lot, it's fantastic. I know that to fight with Jorge and Marc (Marquez)."

Marquez is the one to beat, but the Yamaha riders certainly seem up to the challenge, and Lorenzo and Rossi both have fine records at the Barcelona circuit.

Marquez will either thrive or fade under the home pressure, but as the youngster has proved so far, it is more likely to be the former. He can make history this weekend, and after his performances this season, only a brave man would bet against him.

Marc Marquez took his sixth consecutive MotoGP victory of the season to extend his championship lead after a thrilling battle with Jorge Lorenzo around the Mugello circuit in Italy on Sunday. 

Marquez prevailed after a terrific battle with the 27-year-old as the pair exchanged first place for the final laps and pushed each other right to the finish line.

Veteran Valentino Rossi finished a well-beaten third and was never really in with any chance of winning on the occasion of his 300th Grand Prix.

Lorenzo started brilliantly from third on the grid on his Yamaha, taking the lead before the first corner and extending it as Pramac Racing's Andrea Iannone held Marquez up in third.

Iannone also had a terrific start and managed to cause the 21-year-old superstar a few early problems, but not for long.

The GP standings leader was not to be denied, moving up into second early on in the race and chasing down Lorenzo on his Repsol Honda.

Rossi managed to work his way through the field from his lowly qualifying position, but he could not quite get in touch with Marquez. Before the weekend, many had been predicting a potentially epic battle between the Italian and the young Spaniard, but unfortunately it did not materialize.

Marquez sat just behind Lorenzo for much of the race but it always looked as though he could take the lead at will whenever he wanted to.

Indeed it proved as, with seven laps to go, Marquez took advantage of a slight mistake from Lorenzo as the elder Spaniard dropped slightly into the dirt. 

However, Marquez did not simply cruise away after that, Lorenzo retaking the lead moments later as the pair of racers battled it out for the top spot on the podium. 

Lorenzo, winner on this circuit in the three previous years, caused Marquez problems rarely seen this season, but the youngster eventually prevailed after taking the lead at the beginning of the final lap.

Marquez's teammate Dani Pedrosa, starting from fourth, seemed to struggle somewhat and ended up losing some ground in the title fight. He finished fourth, having dropped back in the field from the start. 

While Marquez took his sixth consecutive pole of the season in qualifying, his rival Rossi qualified poorly, only managing 10th place in front of his home crowd on his Yamaha; an error in tyre choice left him really struggling, per CNN:

It was the wrong decision, I felt really bad with the softer front and I was unable to improve my lap time.

It's a great shame, because I had a good potential and could have started on the front, my pace is good with the bike, but it's like this. Tomorrow from the fourth row everything will be harder and more difficult.

Next up on the race calendar is Marquez's home race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where he will be expected to perform in front of his fans.

Based on this performance, he has enough experience and skill to cope with the home pressure. However, Lorenzo's brilliant performance to take second shows Marquez can be challenged.   

Here are the updated standings following Sunday's race in Italy:

*Courtesy motogp.com

Marc Marquez produced yet another masterclass to win from pole at the Grand Prix of France to make it five MotoGP victories on the spin, with Valentino Rossi and Alvaro Bautista joining him on the podium. 

With victory came another broken record for the 21-year-old, as he became the youngest ever rider to win five consecutive MotoGP races.

Marquez looks untouchable every time he takes to his bike, however, it was far from smooth sailing this time around for the Honda man.

An early mistake saw Marquez lagging in 10th after lap one, but such is the nature of the young Spaniard that he rallied back to take victory by 1.486 seconds.

Marquez found himself in the middle of a mid-pack traffic jam in the early stages, forcing him wide to avoid Pol Espargaro and Jorge Lorenzo, but the way that he came back nothing short of stunning.

Once he reached second place behind Rossi, it was a case of when rather than if he’d take first place, but the Italian made it far too easy for Marquez—running wide to allow the Spanish sensation to sneak through.

Rossi’s place in second was briefly under threat from Bautista, but he just about managed to hold on to keep up the pace with MotoGP's top two, as we see below:

Espargaro enjoyed an excellent ride to come fourth, two places ahead of Lorenzo, who stuttered round and rarely looked comfortable with the Le Mans Bugatti track.

The form of Lorenzo will undoubtedly return, but striving for middle places will be a worrying reality for the 2010 and 2012 MotoGP World Champion.

Stefan Bradl also enjoyed a strong race after recovering from arm surgery to finish seventh, but the day, once again, belonged to Marquez.

Following the race, the Spaniard said that he was too calm in the opening exchanges, but was thrilled to have recovered to claim a hard-fought victory—as reported by BBC Sport:

"In the first two corners I was too calm. I need to be a little more aggressive like last year. Today was a little bit harder than the other races. Five victories in a row is not easy so we're going to enjoy the moment."

It was a moment that almost didn’t arrive for the talented rider, though he certainly got his wish of wanting his victories to be more competitive after a string of “easy” Grand Prix wins, per AutoSport.com.

Next up for Marquez is the Italian Grand Prix in Tuscany, where the Spanish have dominated since the turn of the decade.

A hat-trick of Lorenzo victories after a Dani Pedrosa triumph make up the last four years of action at the Mugello Circuit, but with Lorenzo performing unconvincingly this season, there may be a new Spanish champion on the way.

No rider has ever romped to six Grand Prix victories in succession, per MotoGP, but based on Sunday’s race, Marquez has what it takes to do just that even in the darkest of circumstances.

It’s the time when the MotoGP season usually heats up, but with the Spanish rider in this kind of form, it’s set to be a one-sided season throughout.

Marc Marquez continued his blistering start to the 2014 MotoGP season, becoming the first rider to win the first four races of the season since since Mick Doohan did it in 1992, as shared by Moto GP's official Twitter account, as he cruised to a win at the GP of Spain in Jerez. 

The 21-year-old superstar had never won at Jerez, and in his 100th GP start, he may have put together his most dominant performance yet. He took the lead from Rossi in the second lap and holding a pace over half a second faster than the Italian for the duration of the race.

As shared by Bridgestone MotoGP, the Italian chose to race on harder front tires, slowing him down slightly on the straits, but helping him brake slightly later. As the Italian held on to the second spot for the duration of the race, it only helped Marquez build his lead.

Dani Pedrosa was trapped behind his compatriot Jorge Lorenzo for much of the race, overtaking him with seven laps to go on his way to his fourth podium-finish of the season.

However, here was simply no answer for Marquez, who was overtaken by a screaming start from Rossi, but quickly called the Italian back in the second round. Racing against three former world Champions in Rossi, Pedrosa and Lorenzo, the youngster flew away from the trio on the technical Jerez track.

Motorcyclenws.net's Matthew Birt was impressed by what he saw, both from Marquez and Rossi:

Veteran Rossi also put in an excellent performance on one of his favourite tracks, having won the Jerez GP eight times during his illustrious career.

The Italian rode a mistake-free race and will gain on Pedrosa in the GP standings, while opening up a sizable lead on Andrea Dovizioso, who finisheed in fifth, and Lorenzo, who held on to fourth.

Marquez looked off during the practice sessions and qualifications of this race. Despite his sensational start to the season, Jerez was viewed as perhaps the one track the youngster would be at a disadvantage. Following his win in Argentina, the rider himself told gpupdate.net as much:

I took 25 more points today which are very important and I've put together three wins in a row, but we are aware that the season is very long and we are now heading to Jerez where Dani and Jorge are very fast. We will need to be up there with them, fighting for the win.

But rocketing to the pole position during the final qualifier, it already looked like the rest of the pack wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight at Jerez. Marquez's Honda has been firing all season, and combined with his excellent choice of racing line, the final result looked inevitable after just two laps of racing.

Next up on the schedule is the French GP in Le Mans, a very fast track completely unlike Jerez, where riders spend much of their time going full throttle on the long straits. This shouldn't be a disadvantage for Marquez, however, with the Honda bikes looking as dominant as ever.

Marquez grabbed the pole at last year's Grand Prix in his very first attempt on the track, and with momentum firmly in his corner, only a fool would bet against the Spanish world rankings leader making it five wins a row to open the season.

Rossi seems to be rounding into form as the middle stretch of the season is set to arrive, but Le Mans has never been amongst the Italian's favourite tracks. Following his crash there last year, he will not be looking forward to a return trip.

His Yamaha has seemingly lacked in power as well this season, leading to the decision to race the harder front tire at Jerez, and on a fast track like Le Mans, Pedrosa's Honda should be more suited for a good result, which would allow the Spaniard to run away further from Rossi in the race for second place.

Neither will be dreaming of a 2014 World Title, however, with Marquez as close to untouchable as it gets. Whether he makes it five in a row remains to be seen, but following his dominant performance at Jerez, there's no reason to believe he couldn't repeat his heroics at Le Mans.

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For the first time since 1999, MotoGP has arrived in Argentina. The best riders in the world have descended upon Santiago del Estero for the third race of the 2014 Grand Prix season.

MotoGP doesn't often hit the southern hemisphere, but that hasn't stopped the competition from gaining a massive fanbase in the South American country.

"There is interest in MotoGP in this country, and a circuit and track at the best level possible, with FIM homologation, and with the government of Santiago del Estero completely committed and involved in the project," said Carmelo Ezpeleta, who's CEO of MotoGP commercial rights-holder Dorna, per CNN's Jonathan Hawkins. "Argentina is a country that deserves to have MotoGP."

All eyes will be on defending champion Marc Marquez. He won the class in his debut season, so who knows what he has in store for an encore?

An interesting storyline to follow over the weekend will be track conditions. Marquez was one of the riders who ran into trouble with tires wearing down quickly, per David Emmett of MotoMatters.com:

Here's a look at the full schedule for Saturday and Sunday's events.

A live stream of the races and practices is available on MotoGP.com. The races are shown live in the U.K. on BT Sport 2, which you can also stream on the BT Sport app. In the U.S., fans can tune in on Fox Sports 1 and stream the event on Fox Sports Go.

Riders to Watch

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda

Over a decade has passed since Valentino Rossi won the first three races of the season. The Italian star went a perfect 3-for-3 back in 2001.

Even if Marquez doesn't pull off the victory, he's already put himself in an entirely different category of young stars. Kevin Schwantz made the argument that Marquez defies any sort of comparison to past legends.

"I cannot think of anyone to compare him to right now. He will probably only end up being compared to Marc Marquez," he said, per FoxSports.com's Colin Young. "He is just getting faster and nothing fazes him and, until he does something that hurts him, nothing will faze him."

There's no reason to think the 21-year-old will slow down this weekend.

If his practice round on Friday is any indication, Marquez will continue his blistering start to 2014 with yet another victory:

Or maybe he can let someone else have the fun this time.

Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati

After moving to Ducati last year, Andrea Dovizioso struggled to find a groove. He never fared better than fourth in any race throughout the entire 2013 campaign en route to an eighth-place finish in the standings.

Only two races into 2014, Dovizioso has already earned his first podium of the season, finishing third in the Grand Prix of Americas.

The 28-year-old Italian didn't have much luck on Friday, however. He blew an engine early on in the second free practice. Dovizioso recovered well, though, getting on his backup bike and posting the fifth-best time of the round.

Dovizioso remains confident that the track will slow the riders down, if not possibly create some tire problems, per MotoGP.com:

For sure the times will drop tomorrow, but we all have a big problem with tyre wear and at the moment it’s difficult to do 25 laps at the right pace. I hope the track conditions improve tomorrow. I set my time on a soft tyre, because when I was using the hard tyre I had a problem with the engine and had to change bikes.

This weekend would be a great time for Dovizioso to get that elusive first win under the Ducati banner.

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda

You have to feel somewhat for Dani Pedrosa. He's run well so far this year, finishing third in Qatar and second in the U.S. Like Cal Naughton Jr., Pedrosa appears stuck behind his wildly successful teammate, staring at a glass ceiling, at least for the time being.

Over the last few years, the 28-year-old has been one of the most consistent drivers on the circuit. Since entering the MotoGP class in 2006, he's never finished lower than fifth, and that was in his debut season. Since then, Pedrosa has three second-place finishes and three third-place finishes to his name.

He's already hit the ground running in 2014, and with his strong run during Friday's practices, you can bet that Pedrosa will vying for the lead with his teammate. Don't be surprised if it's another Repsol Honda one-two finish.