OMNISPORT

Valentino Rossi may sit sixth in the MotoGP rider standings, but he is hopeful a return to a happy hunting ground will be the start of a 2019 resurgence.

Rossi's star has faded since his era of MotoGP domination, when he claimed seven titles in a nine-year spell from 2001 to 2009.

But the man affectionately known as 'The Doctor' is more than a threat on his day and started the campaign with podium finishes in two of the first three races. Ahead of Sunday's Czech Republic Grand Prix, the Yamaha rider remains within striking distance of all of the chasing pack behind runaway leader Marc Marquez.

Rossi has history on his side, too, having won the Brno event on five occasions, more than any other current rider.

Here, we take a look at some of the other key numbers ahead of the race, courtesy of Opta, as 2019 resumes following a mid-season break.

0 - No rider has won back-to-back events at the Czech Republic Grand Prix since Rossi achieved the feat in 2008 and 2009.

5 - Marquez has finished on the podium in five of his past six MotoGP events at Brno.

58 - Marquez is well clear of his nearest rival, Andrea Dovizioso, on the rider standings.

6 - Marquez's speed is shown by the fact he has the fastest lap at six of the nine MotoGP events this year.

3 - Dovizioso has failed to finish on the podium in his last three MotoGP appearances, his worst run since May 2018.

2 - Alex Rins has abandoned the race in his last two MotoGP events. He has never abandoned three in a row in the top category.

9 - Danilo Petrucci has finished in the top 10 in his last nine races, the best run in his MotoGP career.