Italy's leading sportsman, the Ferrari linked Valentino Rossi, collected his fifth consecutive MotoGP title trophy after the season-closing race was held in Valencia, Spain yesterday. It was Marco Melandri though who clinched his second consecutive MotoGP win in yesterday’s Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valencia, putting on an impressive performance to fend off the challenge of Nicky Hayden. Melandri made a good start from second of the grid to snatch the holeshot ahead of Hayden, while poleman Sete Gibernau slipped back to third. The Spaniard ended his campaign with another blow, his engine breaking out on lap three.

Qualified in an unusually low 15th place, World Champion Valentino Rossi made a strong charge, gaining seven places on the first lap and challenging Carlos Checa for third five laps later. By mid-race, the Yamaha rider was chasing Melandri and Hayden after passing Checa, but only managed to close the gap to little less than three seconds. Rossi needed to win the race to equal Mick Doohan's record of twelve wins in a season, but it was not to be. At the front, Melandri rode a flawless race despite Hayden pushing hard on his tail, but never close enough to have a clear shot at the lead. With this second consecutive win, Melandri consolidated his second position in the Championship, finishing best runner-up behind Valentino Rossi. Ducati Marlboro’s Carlos Checa took fourth, crossing the line more than 15 seconds after Rossi, followed by Honda veterans Alex Barros and Max Biaggi.
 

Loris Capirossi took seventh on his comeback at Ducati after missing the last two races through injury, ahead of Colin Edwards. Makoto Tamada and Toni Elias completed the final top 10.

A spectacular 2005 MotoGP season concluded last night with the traditional MotoGP Awards Ceremony, held at La Petxina Auditorium in Valencia – just a few kilometres from the Ricardo Tormo circuit which had staged the last round of the MotoGP World Championship. The FIM President, Francesco Zerbi, opened the ceremony and a host of awards were presented before the most eagerly awaited part of the ceremony came with presentation of the MotoGP class trophies, with the team and manufacturer trophies handed out first to the Gauloises Yamaha Team and Yamaha Motor representatives Davide Brivio and Toru Hasegawa. Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden then collected the trophies for second and third in the Championship, before Valentino Rossi made his entrance to receive his fifth consecutive World Champion trophy, the seventh of his career, from Dorna Sports’ CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta.