Valencia sold out for MotoGP title decider
The MotoGP riders' championship is going down to the wire and fans in Valencia have responded by snapping up every ticket for the race.
Federation of International Motorcycling (FIM) president Vito Ippolito feels the feud between Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez has damaged MotoGP, but the championship's season finale in Valencia has captured the imagination of spectators and will take place in front of a full house.
Rossi and Marquez collided during Malaysian MotoGP last Sunday and the former will start from the back of the grid in Valencia following his part in the incident.
The punishment represents a blow to the title hopes of Movistar Yamaha rider Rossi, who leads the championship standings by seven points from team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.
And with a thrilling battle set to take place in Spain, the Circuit de Valencia announced on Friday that no more tickets are on sale.
A tweet from the circuit's official account read: "No tickets available. Ticket offices will not sell more tickets #ValenciaGP SOLD OUT."
Ippolito meanwhile is hoping the final race of the season passes without controversy.
In an open letter published on the MotoGP website, he wrote: "The recent events arising in connection with the competition for the 2015 FIM MotoGP world title have had a damaging effect on the staging of our competitions and poisoned the atmosphere around the sport.
"We are moving away from the tradition of pride in sportsmanship that is part of the heritage of motorcycling.
"Everyone has the right to express his or her own ideas. But words and actions always have consequences. Every individual has to take responsibility for those consequences."