Tag Archives: Misano MotoGP

MotoGP regroups at Misano this weekend

2021 MotoGP Round 14 Misano


As the dust settles following a truly spectacular duel at MotorLand, the paddock is already setting up to take on the stunning Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. For the winner of that Aragon showdown, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), there could scarcely be a better place to head next on the heels of his first MotoGP win. Home turf, and somewhere he’s been incredibly quick before.

It wasn’t just pace that Bagnaia had at MotorLand, however. What made his maiden win such a stunner was the sheer pressure from Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) lap after lap, the Italian brushing off Marquez’ attempts at the lead like they weren’t coming from one of the most decorated riders in history – or one of the most successful at anti-clockwise Aragon. It was no mean feat, and Marquez himself pointed out something in Bagnaia’s arsenal that could be crucial come Misano too: corner speed.

Bagnaia has used it before to great effect at the track, even before he truly mastered the art this year, taking his first MotoGP podium in the first visit in 2020 and leading in the second until crashing out. But he also set the fastest race lap as he left the rest behind, and missed out on pole for track limits. That performance, compounded by MotorLand, will likely play on everyone’s mind.

At the Aragon GP, Francesco Bagnaia took his maiden win in MotoGP, becoming the 116th different premier class winner and the 31st since MotoGP was introduced in 2002. Bagnaia’s win also ended a sequence of 13 successive MotoGP races without an Italian winner, which was the longest sequence since Germany/2013 to Great Britain/2014 (23 successive MotoGP races).
Francesco Bagnaia

It’s only been a few days since last Sunday’s GP, but I’m already ready for another race weekend. The victory on Sunday at Aragón was incredible and gave me the right energy to face our second home race at Misano. My team and I are doing an outstanding job, and I feel very comfortable riding my Desmosedici GP, so I’m optimistic for this weekend. This is a track that I like a lot and where I often train with my Panigale V4 S. Also, last year, I got my first podium in MotoGP here! I’m very determined and ready to fight for the victory again in front of all our fans“.

Bagnaia is the fifth rider to win in MotoGP having won in both Moto2 and Moto3 along with Alex Rins, Maverick Viñales, Brad Binder, Miguel Oliveira and Jorge Martin.

His fellow Ducati runners like stablemate Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), who had an issue that took him wide at Aragon and then couldn’t make up ground from fifth, will be looking for a lot more on home turf for the Borgo Panigale factory too.

Jack Miller

I’m very excited to be back racing at Misano! It’s our second home race, and the atmosphere is always incredible with our fans on the Ducati Grandstand. Last Sunday’s GP at Aragon didn’t go as we had hoped, but in the last few races, my feeling with the Desmosedici GP has been really positive, and that makes me very confident! I’m determined to finish our home Grand Prix with a good result!

Jack Miller is fifth in the championship as the series heads to Misano. Eight-points behind Zarco, but 12-points ahead of Binder. Jack is the only rider other than Quartararo to have taken more than one victory so far this seasom.

Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) and team-mate Johann Zarco had a more muted weekend at Aragon than their Factory counterparts – the rookie fading a little after a good start and the Frenchman suffering some arm pump issues – and they’ll want to bounce back.

Reigning Moto2 Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) could be one to watch too: a stunning Aragon GP saw him take his best yet of sixth, and Misano is home, familiar and successful turf for the Italian, as well as where he took his first ever win in Moto3.

Ducati test rider Michele Pirro returns in a wildcard as well, often a bother for those looking to make it straight through to Q2, and Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) will want more on home turf – also a winner at the track in Moto2.

Michele Pirro

I’m thrilled to be back racing in MotoGP with the Ducati Lenovo Team! Over the past few weeks, we’ve had several days of testing with the Desmosedici GP at this track, and the sensations have been positive. I’ll live this race weekend without pressure, but I’m determined to help Pecco, Jack, and the team get the best possible results. The Grand Prix of San Marino and the Riviera di Rimini will be an exciting event for us: it’s our second home race, we’re close to Bologna, and there will be many fans and supporters in the stands to cheer for us, so I’m really looking forward to getting on track here in Misano“.

The most likely barrier to Bagnaia and Ducati’s dreams of Riviera di Rimini success though, despite Aragon, still likely comes from Yamaha. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) struggled for grip on Sunday at MotorLand and came home in eighth, giving up some points to both his key title rivals, but Misano is Yamaha territory. The Iwata marque is the most successful at the venue with eight wins, and Quartararo was already fast there as a rookie. Last season didn’t quite go to plan, but the Frenchman has ramped it up so far in 2021. Will it be a showdown between the top two in the Championship this time around?

Championship leader Fabio Quartararo finished eighth for his second-worst result of the season after Spain when he finished 13th (following arm pump). He is still the only rider who has scored points in all MotoGP races so far this season. Quartararo leads the Championship with a 53-point advantage over Bagnaia, which is the highest margin after the opening 13 MotoGP races since 2019 when Marc Marquez had a 93-point advantage over Andrea Dovizioso after Misano.

There are also some more headlines aside from El Diablo. Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) takes on Misano for the penultimate time. Can the familiar ground help him move forward after a tough MotorLand? And Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis spoke of a “verbal” agreement regarding Quartararo and Rossi’s team-mates too: Franco Morbidelli is slated to return and move to Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, and Andrea Dovizioso is expected to join the Petronas Yamaha SRT ranks alongside Rossi. Both home heroes, Morbidelli coming back from injury but a winner at the track last season… and Dovizioso returning to Yamaha. The two should be a treat to watch if their comebacks are confirmed.

Rossi is popular ever but even moreso at Misano, as seen here in 2016

Meanwhile, for Suzuki, Aragon was more a mixed bag. But reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) locked out the podium and from a solid qualifying, and he’s the only rider last year at Misano who was on the rostrum in both races. The track should suit and he’s got and on form, so can he take that next step to trouble the top step?

Joan Mir

Last year at the Misano double header I kept my title campaign on track with a third place and a second place finish, so obviously I have happy memories from here. It’s a tricky track, with lots of tight corners and it usually produces exciting racing with lots of quick riders. Last weekend in Aragón I got on the podium, and even though I felt I had more potential than third, I’m glad that I was able to get decent points and it felt good to celebrate with my team. We’ll be pushing again this weekend in Misano.”

Misano was a happy hunting ground for Joan Mir last year. This weekend will mark his 100th GP start.

Alex Rins, meanwhile, as the winner of one of last year’s races in Aragon equalled his worst ever MotoGP qualifying in P20 and then came home 12th at Aragon. After a podium at Silverstone, was it a blip and can he prove so at Misano?

Alex Rins

I was pretty disappointed last weekend. On one hand I was glad to recover quite a few places compared with my grid, but it was a shame not to achieve more. Anyway, my motivation is still high and I’m ready to attack Misano with my GSX-RR. This circuit is always a fun one to ride and it can suit our bike quite well, so let’s see what’s possible!”

Aprilia continued showing form at Aragon, and will expect to carry that on at Misano. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) took fourth and was top Independent Team rider, which may not be another history-making milestone like Silverstone, but it’s still their second best result in the MotoGP era. So the momentum rolls on, and Misano is familiar turf as well as home for the Noale factory. Maverick Viñales, new to the ranks, also has a few more laps round the venue on his new RS-GP, as it’s where he got the first taste. A winner last year at the track too, can he take a step forward?

Aleix Espargaro

It’s inevitable that the Misano round feels like a home race for me. Both because of my tight bond with Italy and because of how important it is for Aprilia. We’ll be on the track to pick up where we left off – competitive in any conditions. We are in a positive moment. The RS-GP is growing consistently and we need to stay focused from here until the end of the season.

Maverick Viñales

Even though the situation is different since I’ve already tested here, we’ll approach Misano the same way we did Aragón. The fundamental thing for us is to rack up miles and experience. The process of adapting to the Aprilia is going well, but there are obviously still many aspects where we can and must improve. Precisely for this reason, I am not setting any goals. I’ll be satisfied if I’ve made a step forward in my feeling with the RS-GP by the end of the weekend.

Will Vinales push a little harder this weekend now he has some kilometres under his belt on the Aprilia…?

It will also be an interesting watch at Honda to see how Marc Marquez fares at a venue that’s less emblematic for the Spaniard. MotorLand was a stunner, can he get in the podium fight again at Misano?

Marc Marquez

After a great race and a great battle like in Aragon, you arrive at the next race with a bit of extra motivation. Let’s see what this weekend will bring, in the past we have had some very good races here but it’s a demanding circuit. Also after the race we have two days of testing which will be very important for us and for HRC as we keep working to improve. It’s going to be a busy week on my Honda.”

Marc Marquez was impressive at Aragon last weekend

For Pol Espargaro, this latest GP weekend offers an opportunity to continue to deepen his understanding of the Honda RC213V. A difficult Sunday in Aragon’s hotter race-day conditions reconfirmed that Espargaro still has work to do when temperatures rise and Misano forecast suggest the #44 will have an opportunity to improve his feeling in these conditions. In 2020, Espargaro ended on the podium in Misano, a circuit at which he has only once finished outside the top ten since joining the premier class in 2014.

Pol Espargaro

The forecast in Misano is looking hot so we know that we will have to work to improve out feeling to be closer to our Silverstone performance than our performance in Aragon. We have been making improvements in this area, but we need to keep on working to show our potential and the potential of the bike. I am also looking forward to the test, two days of just riding will be a big help because right now one of our biggest problems is the lack of testing we have had this year. Let’s make the most of it.

Pol Espargaro

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) will want more too, having completed the top ten, and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) crashed early so will want to bounce back. Stefan Bradl will also be on track in a wildcard for HRC.

And what about KTM? The Austrian factory took a podium last year at Misano, and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is building some good momentum to get in that mid-top ten again, incredible Red Bull Ring win aside. Iker Lecuona (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) put on quite a show at MotorLand once again too, storming through the ranks early on. What can he do? And can his team-mate Danilo Petrucci and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Miguel Oliveira bother some bigger points hauls?

Hervé Poncharal – Tech3 KTM Team Manager

Just a couple of days in between the Aragón Grand Prix and the Misano race. There is no time to think, we just travel from the center of Spain to the Adriatic coast. Clearly, Aragón was a positive week and we head to Misano, where Miguel and Iker have been very fast last year and there is no reason for us not to be competitive there. Iker is on a very good run at the moment. He is positive, he is pushing and improving every weekend. I’m sure he’s eager to do even better than what he did last week in Aragón. It’s going to be a home race for Danilo, which will be very important. I believe he likes the track, so we just can’t wait to start FP1 on Friday to see where we stand. Hopefully we’ll have another exciting and strong weekend there.

Iker Lecuona has been impressive of late but is tipped for a move to WorldSK in 2022 on a Honda.

Bagnaia on a roll. Yamaha with an incredible record. Quartararo with proven pace and the likes of Mir, Miller and more waiting in the wings… Misano promises a showstopper, so tune in at 14:00 (GMT +2) when the lights go out for the Gran Premio OCTO di San Marino e della Riv.


MotoGP Championship Standings

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha FRA 214
2 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati ITA 161
3 Joan MIR Suzuki SPA 157
4 Johann ZARCO Ducati FRA 137
5 Jack MILLER Ducati AUS 129
6 Brad BINDER KTM RSA 117
7 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia SPA 96
8 Maverick VIÑALES Aprilia SPA 95
9 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM POR 87
10 Marc MARQUEZ Honda SPA 79
11 Jorge MARTIN Ducati SPA 71
12 Alex RINS Suzuki SPA 68
13 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda JPN 64
14 Pol ESPARGARO Honda SPA 55
15 Alex MARQUEZ Honda SPA 49
16 Enea BASTIANINI Ducati ITA 45
17 Franco MORBIDELLI Yamaha ITA 40
18 Iker LECUONA KTM SPA 38
19 Danilo PETRUCCI KTM ITA 37
20 Luca MARINI Ducati ITA 28
21 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha ITA 28
22 Stefan BRADL Honda GER 11
23 Dani PEDROSA KTM SPA 6
24 Lorenzo SAVADORI Aprilia ITA 4
25 Michele PIRRO Ducati ITA 3
26 Tito RABAT Ducati SPA 1

Moto2

When news broke that Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had been forced to have surgery on his hand after a cycling mishap, following a crash out at Silverstone no less, it seemed there had been two massive swings in favour of team-mate and Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in less than a week. But come race day at MotorLand, the only swings landing on his rivals came from the number 25’s incredible laptimes as he dominated despite the pain barrier, taking back five of those points lost at Silverstone as Gardner came home second. And instead, it’s Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) who arrive at Misano on the back foot after both crashed out. So what will the Adriatic bring?

Raul Fernandez rode brilliantly at Aragon – Image 2snap

Raul Fernandez will likely be strong again, as he has been everywhere, and despite the pain in his hand. He’ll be more fired up than ever to keep cutting that gap, with the Spaniard having so far found the perfect answer when he’s needed to. He could also wrap up Rookie of the Year, although he’s had one hand on that for a while despite an impressive season of consistency from Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia).

However, Gardner hasn’t put a foot wrong this season and he’s still 39-points clear despite Aragon not being a circuit he loves, and he can now afford to take two paths: gloves off or very much on. The first because everything else is signed, sealed or delivered: the team are already Champions and his 2022 deal is inked. Nothing “except” the Riders’ title hangs in the balance, and 39-points is a big margin to play with.

Remy Gardner arrives at Misano with a 39-point lead in the Moto2 World Championship

Recklessness, or maybe something more akin to pushing the limits, hasn’t been part of Gardner’s vocabulary in 2021 so far though and it seems unlikely he’d start now, especially when he’s still won four races as part of his campaign. And the gloves remaining very much on option is that 39 points easily allows him to follow his teammate home in every remaining race this season and still wrap up the crown.

Despite the return of the Red Bull KTM Ajo domination at Aragon though, there are some interesting records at Misano for those looking to threaten the duo, especially for Bezzecchi. Riding on home turf is always something special and the Italian had two good races there last season, just off the podium but less than a second off the win in the first and duelling for victory throughout the race with then-teammate Luca Marini in the second. Now really needing to dig deep to get back on terms with Red Bull KTM Ajo, can the Italian come out swinging?

Lowes, too, is looking for redemption as the Brit crashed out at MotorLand – a venue where he’s had some serious success. He’s been there or thereabouts in Misano in recent seasons, although the results sheets from the first visit to the venue last year need an asterisk: he came eighth, 16 seconds off the win. But he also did so from pitlane, forfeiting the pole position he’d taken after a penalty from the Styrian GP. So how will his MotorLand crash affect his approach? Earlier in the season we saw the number 22 go for solid points when he needed to build back up but will the same be true this time around?

Lowes’ teammate, Augusto Fernandez, said that was his mission after a tougher start to the year too. And he’s seriously fulfilled it, now fifth overall in the Championship as his momentum keeps building. Since Assen, he’s outscored everyone except the top two and had more podiums than any other rider. Anyone remember Misano 2019? He and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) staged a spectacular showdown, so the number 37 has form at the venue and momentum in the season. Can he go better than third?

‘Diggia’, meanwhile, evidently has shown speed at the track but this season has seen the Italian’s early charge take a dip in the middle. The last two races have seen him back in the top six though, so can he get back in the fight for the podium? And what can the likes of Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) and Jorge Navarro (+Ego Speed Up) do on the Boscoscuro? Ogura, too, remains on a solid roll. The Japanese rider is less than a race win’s worth of points off the top five overall is on a good run of top tens, including that first podium.


Moto2 Championship Standings

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Remy GARDNER Kalex AUS 251
2 Raul FERNANDEZ Kalex SPA 212
3 Marco BEZZECCHI Kalex ITA 179
4 Sam LOWES Kalex GBR 127
5 Augusto FERNANDEZ Kalex SPA 108
6 Aron CANET Boscoscuro SPA 103
7 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO Kalex ITA 101
8 Ai OGURA Kalex JPN 95
9 Marcel SCHROTTER Kalex GER 80
10 Jorge NAVARRO Boscoscuro SPA 71
11 Xavi VIERGE Kalex SPA 67
12 Joe ROBERTS Kalex USA 59
13 Celestino VIETTI Kalex ITA 47
14 Tony ARBOLINO Kalex ITA 40
15 Bo BENDSNEYDER Kalex NED 40
16 Somkiat CHANTRA Kalex THA 35
17 Cameron BEAUBIER Kalex USA 28
18 Albert ARENAS Boscoscuro SPA 23
19 Jake DIXON Kalex GBR 21
20 Stefano MANZI Kalex ITA 20
21 Marcos RAMIREZ Kalex SPA 20
22 Thomas LUTHI Kalex SWI 16
23 Fermín ALDEGUER Boscoscuro SPA 13
24 Simone CORSI MV Agusta ITA 13
25 Hector GARZO Kalex SPA 12
26 Nicolò BULEGA Kalex ITA 12
27 Lorenzo DALLA PORTA Kalex ITA 10
28 Hafizh SYAHRIN NTS MAL 8
29 Alonso LOPEZ Boscoscuro SPA 4
30 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI MV Agusta ITA 3
31 Barry BALTUS NTS BEL 2

Moto3

Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) gave his rivals an open goal at Aragon with his first race day mistake of the year, but for one reason or another only one rider was able to capitalise: Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing). The Italian took his third win of the season, moved back into third overall and is now 58-points off Acosta as five races remain on the table… so can he continue the charge on home turf at Misano?

It looked as though Pedro Acosta’s championship lead was going to be trimmed back, but then his main championship rival also crashed out of the race at Aragon…

Last season Foggia fought at the front in both races but hit bad luck in one, although the form was there. Based on his form so far in 2021, there’s no reason to count against the Italian managing to battle for the win again. And with the pressure a little more on for Acosta, and the rookie with less experience of the venue by far, it could be another key weekend as Foggia pushes to make gains. There’s also another home hero to consider, however: Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team).

Fenati actually showed some good speed at MotorLand, and checking the results is far from the whole story. The veteran campaigner got forced out wide by a crash ahead of him and dropped well outside the points, but somehow managed to push back through and take a couple. After Silverstone and his absolute masterclass, it seems more muted in the points but less so in the pace. And Misano? The number 55 has the best record in the field. He’s taken two victories at the track, one of which came last year in the dry, and one of which was a poetry-in-motion wet weather masterpiece in 2017. Can he pull the pin again?

If Foggia is to continue making big gains, he’ll also want to defeat Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) too, which is no mean feat when the Spaniard is on it. Unfortunately, he came off it at MotorLand and lost the chance to home in on Acosta, but he’s the other rider with multiple wins so far this year and still has a little cushion back to Foggia, such was the deficit before. Can he, and teammate Izan Guevara, bother the podium fight again?

Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) is another experienced veteran with podium form at Misano, and a home hero, and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) have won there. What can they do? And Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team)? Red Bull KTM Tech3 riders Deniz Öncü and Ayumu Sasaki will also be aiming high after their podiums in Aragon. For Sasaki it’s rebuilding after a difficult few months, and a key relief to be back on the rostrum after injury struggles and more.

For Öncü, it was another race where he missed the win by hundredths, and that’s not enough after it having happened twice. Can Deniz defeat Dennis this time around? The Turk ran at the front for much of the race at MotorLand, which is fast becoming the weapon of choice for winning in the lightweight class…

Deniz Oncu got oh so close to a maiden victory at Aragon and has been on a hot run of form

Moto3 Championship Standings

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Pedro ACOSTA KTM SPA 201
2 Sergio GARCIA GASGAS SPA 155
3 Dennis FOGGIA Honda ITA 143
4 Romano FENATI Husqvarna ITA 134
5 Jaume MASIA KTM SPA 111
6 Darryn BINDER Honda RSA 104
7 Niccolò ANTONELLI KTM ITA 98
8 Ayumu SASAKI KTM JPN 87
9 Deniz ÖNCÜ KTM TUR 73
10 Izan GUEVARA GASGAS SPA 72
11 Andrea MIGNO Honda ITA 68
12 Kaito TOBA KTM JPN 62
13 Tatsuki SUZUKI Honda JPN 61
14 Jeremy ALCOBA Honda SPA 60
15 Gabriel RODRIGO Honda ARG 60
16 John MCPHEE Honda GBR 53
17 Filip SALAC KTM CZE 46
18 Ryusei YAMANAKA KTM JPN 42
19 Xavier ARTIGAS Honda SPA 30
20 Stefano NEPA KTM ITA 30
21 Jason DUPASQUIER KTM SWI 27
22 Riccardo ROSSI KTM ITA 24
23 Carlos TATAY KTM SPA 20
24 Adrian FERNANDEZ Husqvarna SPA 20
25 Yuki KUNII Honda JPN 15
26 Maximilian KOFLER KTM AUT 10
27 Elia BARTOLINI KTM ITA 7
28 Syarifuddin AZMAN Honda MAL 3
29 Andi Farid IZDIHAR Honda INA 3
30 Daniel HOLGADO KTM SPA 1
31 Lorenzo FELLON Honda FRA 0
32 Joel KELSO KTM AUS 0
33 Takuma MATSUYAMA Honda JPN 0
34 Alberto SURRA Honda ITA 0
35 David SALVADOR Honda SPA 0

MotoE

It’s almost time to crown the 2021 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup winner, with Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli playing host to the double-header season finale. 50 points are still in play, and it’s Italian Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE) who remains ahead of the game on the way in.

The Italian arrives with a seven-point gap at the top, having put together a consistent season of scoring. A win in the first race, two further podiums and never finishing out the top six make Zaccone quite a rival over the course of the season, and on home turf he’ll be on familiar ground too. He’s the only rider who could wrap up the crown on Saturday, if he ends the race more than 25 points clear of the rest. Which he can but there’ll be some quick maths required if it’s 25 points exactly, with the number of wins for each rider coming into play.

So who wants to stop Zaccone taking the crown? The closest candidate is Eric Granado (ONE Energy Racing), who arrives seven points down after a very different route into contention. Two wins, a second place, a DNF and a salvage job for three points is his CV in 2021, and his pace has been impressive at every venue. A threat for the win every weekend, Granado’s speed has sometimes seen him escape too – which would be enough, if he does it twice, to lift the crown.

Jordi Torres (HP Pons 40) is next up, one point behind Granado as he seeks to win the Cup twice in a row. The Spaniard hasn’t taken a win yet in 2021 so he will be an interesting one – will he lay it all on the line or mitigate the risk and see how the cards fall around him? With such small margins and a wealth of contenders, that could be just as smart a plan. He’s been aggressive and impressive when required though, so if the gloves come off again that first win of the year could come at the perfect time.

Then there’s Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP). The Swiss rider is 11 points off and is the first of Zaccone’s closest rivals who can’t rely solely on himself to wrap it up – winning both races at Misano would be a gain of only 10 points if Zaccone were to take second in each. Aegerter has had three podiums but is another looking for that first victory of the season, and has some serious experience of the venue. As do most, but the Swiss rider won at the venue in MotoE last season and has shown serious speed there in Moto2.

In the points, Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing) is next up and the German arrives from his first win. He’s mathematically in with a shout at the crown but it would be a tall order, 27 points down on Zaccone as it stands. Anything can happen though, and if he can replicate that holeshot to finish line sprint from last time out he could make life very difficult for those around him. He’ll likely be looking more at podiums or another win rather than the standings though, which could equally make for an interesting addition to the fight at the front.

The other rider who could play a serious role in the weekend is 2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE). He’s a way back in the points but he’s unrivalled with his success at Misano in MotoE. Two out of three wins in 2020 and taking his first victories in the Cup there by doing the double in 2019, Ferrari has had a tougher season so far but shouldn’t be counted out for a starring role on the Riviera di Rimini. Four out of the last five wins at Misano is a pretty ridiculous record to enjoy heading into the finale, so with little to lose, can he get back on the box or fight it out for victory?

With two races to finish the season in style, the timetable is a little different at the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini.


MotoE Championship Standings

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Alessandro ZACCONE Energica ITA 80
2 Eric GRANADO Energica BRA 73
3 Jordi TORRES Energica SPA 72
4 Dominique AEGERTER Energica SWI 69
5 Lukas TULOVIC Energica GER 53
6 Matteo FERRARI Energica ITA 48
7 Miquel PONS Energica SPA 46
8 Mattia CASADEI Energica ITA 43
9 Yonny HERNANDEZ Energica COL 40
10 Hikari OKUBO Energica JPN 35
11 Fermín ALDEGUER Energica SPA 33
12 Corentin PEROLARI Energica FRA 21
13 Kevin ZANNONI Energica ITA 21
14 Maria HERRERA Energica SPA 19
15 Andrea MANTOVANI Energica ITA 17
16 Andre PIRES Energica POR 11
17 Jasper IWEMA Energica NED 9
18 Xavi CARDELUS Energica AND 7
19 Stefano VALTULINI Energica ITA 1

Source: MCNews.com.au

Vinales leads Yamaha charge in Friday FP at Misano

2019 MotoGP – Round 13 – Misano


Yamaha dominated Friday’s practice at the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, led by Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo with just 0.057 between the two on the combined timesheets, as Marquez claimed third, with Rossi and Morbidelli not far behind.

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Maverick Vinales
Maverick Vinales – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

Augusto Fernandez took the Moto2 lead, with Aussie Remy Gardner ending the day in P8 after sitting third fastest in P1, while in Moto3 it was Albert Arenas setting the fastest times in FP1 and FP2.

MotoE also kicked off, with Alex De Angelis claiming pole position, with Matteo Ferrari and Xavier Simeon completing the front row.

The weekend will also see the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup run, with Haruki Noguchi leading the Qualifying Practice and Aussie Billy van Eerde claiming 14th on the grid.


MotoGP

It was a sunny first day on the Riviera di Rimini, and it was pretty sunny for Yamaha too as the Iwata marque had all four bikes in the top five. Home hero Valentino Rossi was just behind Marquez, with Franco Morbidelli in fifth to leave the number 93 the sole non-Yamaha in the top five.

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

After Quartararo kicked things off in FP1 to edge out the reigning Champion, it was Marquez who was the early leader in FP2 as the Championship leader got straight down to business, closing down the rookie’s FP1 advantage to just 0.018 on the combined timesheets to head the afternoon session by over four-tenths.

The likes of Alex Rins had jumped into the overall top ten in the early stages of FP2, with Morbidelli and Rossi also improving on their FP1 times.

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Alex Rins
Alex Rins – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

The afternoon then went quiet in terms of personal best times, the riders getting some valuable work done on different tyres to see what their preference will be for Sunday’s race.

But with just over ten minutes remaining – and after a couple of close front-end moments – Quartararo was yet to improve his FP1 time and so was Viñales. The traditional FP2 time attack was forthcoming, however, and with eight minutes to go, we had plenty of movement.

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Maverick Vinales
Maverick Vinales – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

Rossi moved into P3 overall on his first flying run on the soft rear, but teammate Viñales would move the goalposts at the top as a 1:32.775 saw the Spaniard leap over three tenths clear. Quartararo was on a personal best behind, but the rookie sensation wasn’t quite able to match Viñales’ time as the 20-year-old went a tenth off.

The Ducati Team riders had a quiet morning but both Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso then found a way into the top ten, with Viñales looking like he had P1 in the bag as the flag dropped.

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Andrea Dovizioso
Andrea Dovizioso – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

Quartararo, however, was on a fast one. Personal best sectors were set by the Frenchman but at the line, it wasn’t quite enough as he ended the day 0.057 in arrears – barely anything splitting the two Yamahas. Marquez failed to improve and stayed P3, with Rossi and Morbidelli completing the top five.

Maverick Viñales – P1

“Honestly, today I tried to keep the good feeling from the test going, because we worked in a really good way. For sure it was very difficult because the track was very slippery today, but somehow I was still able to hit the lap times, so I’m quite happy and enthusiastic for that reason. Anyway, there’s still a lot of work to do. For sure we, with two or three riders, are a little bit ahead of the competition, but they will come to our level, so we need to keep working and see what we can improve. The track felt difficult today because it’s very slippery, especially on the initial laps on the tyre, but we’ll see. We only tried the medium tyre, never the hard or a long run on the softs, so tomorrow we will see more properly.”

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Maverick Vinales
Maverick Vinales – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday
Fabio Quartararo – P2

“It was a positive day, although the track was quite tricky with much less grip than we had during the test. I think we need to wait a little bit, because the Moto2 and Moto3 riders will help us to clean the track and the more rubber on the surface the better. In the end we had not bad pace with soft tyres, and there’s still a little bit to go as we develop our settings. I’m a little slower than I was at the test, but I’m not the only rider in the same situation. I had a few small moments on the front today, but every time it happens I learn, because it’s helping me to better understand the limit of the tyre.”

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday
Marc Marquez – P3

“Today was not so bad, it was quite similar to during the test with the Yamahas being strong and especially Quartararo and Viñales. Everyone is strong after the test. Anyway, we are continuing to work hard and find the best solution to improve on the small areas we need to. Like always, we spent the day trying things like different tyres and making the most of the track time. I am happy with what we have done so far.”

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri marquez
Marc Marquez – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday
Valentino Rossi – P4

“Today the Yamaha feels very fast, also with different configurations between us and the Petronas team for example. It looks like our bike is very competitive, we have good grip and good acceleration, and this is so positive. For me personally we still have a lot of work to do, because I don’t feel fantastic with the balance, with the setting. I need a bit more grip, but it’s a good Friday and to have all the Yamahas in front is great, so we will try to continue like this.”

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Rossi
Valentino Rossi – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday
Franco Morbidelli – P5

“It was a positive first day for us. This morning we tried some set-up elements that didn’t feel so good, but we got it right towards the end. I was able to get going strongly in the second session to see how the tyres react in higher temperatures and after a few laps. I felt comfortable and I’m having fun on the bike, and that’s resulting in me riding nice and smoothly. The time attack is still my weak point, but we can improve in tomorrow morning’s practice, with the target to qualify in the front two rows. It’s been a good Friday for Yamaha, with four riders in the top five. It’ll be important to understand the grip levels tomorrow before we know for sure what result we can achieve on Sunday.”

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Franco Morbidelli
Franco Morbidelli – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

Sixth was a headline in itself as Pol Espargaro impressed in P6 in both FP1 and FP2, ending the day ahead of Ducati Team’s Michele Pirro. The Italian slipped from P4 in FP1 to P7 at the end of play after failing to go quicker in FP2, but the test rider remains the fastest Ducati on track so far.

Michele Pirro – P7

“Today we got back a bit of the feeling and the speed that we had in the test at the end of August: there are still certain aspects of the bike we have to work on because we are still missing something, but in the two sessions we brought home some useful information, and in any case both this morning and this afternoon my times were in line with those of the other Ducatis.”

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Michele Pirro
Michele Pirro – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday
Danilo Petrucci – P8

“Today we weren’t entirely satisfied because we are still struggling to get the best out of the tyres, and even with the soft option, which I put on at the end of the second session, I was unable to make a significant improvement on my time. However, we’ve got some ideas about how to improve the situation and now we’ll have a good look at the data of both sessions in order to see what direction to take for tomorrow.”

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Danilo Petrucci
Danilo Petrucci – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday
Andrea Dovizioso – P10

“This morning we started off pretty slowly because we knew that the track conditions were not particularly favourable for us and we did several tests with the set-up, which in my opinion went in the right direction because my feeling improved over the two sessions. We are not yet amongst the quickest riders but we’re getting there bit by bit: for sure there’s a lot more work to do but we have some ideas about how to improve the bike tomorrow.”

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Dovizioso
Andrea Dovizioso – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

Petrucci sits just behind him in P8, with Aleix Espargaro – P5 in FP1 – claiming P9 on Friday thanks to his morning time. Last year’s winner Dovizioso occupies the last provisional automatic Q2 place in P10 heading into Saturday – not an easy day for the man second in the Championship.

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri A Espargaro
Aleix Espargaro – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

It’s Silverstone winner Alex Rins and Cal Crutchlow who just lost out on the top ten on Friday, but it’s just 0.6 that splits Dovi in P10 to Andrea Iannone in P21.

Jack Miller had to settle for 16th after some niggling issues and traffic on the track limited his chance to lay down fast times.

Jack Miller – P16

“It’s certainly not one of the best Fridays of the season. I couldn’t get the tyres to work, we tried some solutions on the set up but we weren’t able to get sensitive results. The FP1 crash? I was pushing and I lost the front. We have to improve to stay in Q2.”

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Jack Miller
Jack Miller – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday
Pecco Bagnaia – P15

“I am satisfied with the improvements made during the day on the race pace. We are at the level of the other Ducati so far and we should have already identified the choice of tyres for the race. However, we need to make progress with the soft tyre to qualify directly for Q2.”

Jorge Lorenzo – P17

“I am pleased with how today went, especially in the afternoon we were able to make a clear step forward. Compared to Silverstone we are closer to the front and also I am in less pain. We were able to improve the rear grip which helped a lot with the conditions today. Tomorrow we will look to improve our overall pace to keep closing the distance and improving.”

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

MotoGP Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Times
1 M.Viñales YAMAHA 1m32.775
2 F.Quartararo YAMAHA 1m32.832
3 M.Marquez HONDA 1m33.171
4 V.Rossi YAMAHA 1m33.470
5 F.Morbidelli YAMAHA 1m33.524
6 P.Espargaro KTM 1m33.624
7 M.Pirro DUCATI 1m33.704
8 D.Petrucci DUCATI 1m33.728
9 A.Espargaro APRILIA 1m33.762
10 A.Dovizioso DUCATI 1m33.826
11 A.Rins SUZUKI 1m33.874
12 C.Crutchlow HONDA 1m33.907
13 J.Zarco KTM 1m33.956
14 T.Nakagami HONDA 1m33.998
15 F.Bagnaia DUCATI 1m34.003
16 J.Miller DUCATI 1m34.070
17 J.Lorenzo HONDA 1m34.139
18 T.Rabat DUCATI 1m34.206
19 J.Mir SUZUKI 1m34.229
20 M.Oliveira KTM 1m34.362
21 A.Iannone APRILIA 1m34.381
22 K.Abraham DUCATI 1m34.843
23 H.Syahrin KTM 1m34.935

Moto2

Augusto Fernandez was fastest on Friday in the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, but it wasn’t by much. The Spaniard, now second in the Championship after his win at Silverstone, was just half a tenth ahead of the man he’s chasing in the standings, Alex Marquez, with rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio flying the home flag in third on Day 1.

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Moto Augusto Fernandez
Augusto Fernandez – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

At a sunny and breezy Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, the latter half of FP2 proved decisive on the combed timesheets. Before then it was Tetsuta Nagashima on top, although the Japanese rider didn’t lose out too much as he ended the day in fourth, 0.010 off ‘Diggia’, with former Misano winner Lorenzo Baldassarri completing the top five by just 0.021.

Next up was Sky Racing Team VR46’s Luca Marini, who improved in the latter stages to grab P6 having finished FP1 down in P22, with Enea Bastianini taking an impressive seventh on his return from injury. Misano is where the ‘Beast’ took his first Grand Prix win in the Moto3 race in 2015.

Remy Gardner slipped down to P8 after setting the third-fastest time in FP1 and bothering the top of the timesheets earlier in FP2, whereas Sam Lowes moved up one spot to P9 from P10 in the morning. Nicolo Bulega improved late in FP2 to take tenth overall after ending FP1 in fifth, the last piece in the puzzle to make it three rookies and five Italians in the top ten.

After Friday it’s Mattia Pasini, Iker Lecuona, title contender Thomas Lüthi and Marco Bezzecchi who are the last to have a provisional place in Q2, with Xavi Vierge and Jorge Martin just losing out.

Martin crashed on Friday, rider ok, as did Marco Bezzecchi, Lukas Tulovic, Baldassarri, Navarro and Lecuona. Brad Binder crashed early in FP1 as the South African suffered a monster highside, rider luckily ok.

With the weather set to hold, will the top 14 change on Saturday morning? The automatic Q2 places are still up for grabs so don’t miss the action at 10:55 local time (GMT+1), with the likes of Binder, Navarro and Marcel Schrötter especially looking to bounce back…

Moto2 Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Times
1 A.Fernandez KALEX 1m38.325
2 A.Marquez KALEX 1m38.374
3 F.Di Giannanto SPEED UP 1m38.463
4 T.Nagashima KALEX 1m38.473
5 L.Baldassarri KALEX 1m38.494
6 L.Marini KALEX 1m38.541
7 E.Bastianini KALEX 1m38.567
8 R.Gardner KALEX 1m38.591
9 S.Lowes KALEX 1m38.637
10 N.Bulega KALEX 1m38.708
11 M.Pasini KALEX 1m38.723
12 I.Lecuona KTM 1m38.752
13 T.Luthi KALEX 1m38.874
14 M.Bezzecchi KTM 1m38.881
15 X.Vierge KALEX 1m38.946
16 J.Martin KTM 1m38.956
17 M.Schrotter KALEX 1m38.965
18 S.Chantra KALEX 1m39.001
19 J.Navarro SPEED UP 1m39.084
20 A.Locatelli KALEX 1m39.211
21 S.Corsi NTS 1m39.225
22 S.Manzi MV AGUSTA 1m39.267
23 B.Binder KTM 1m39.279
24 D.Aegerter MV AGUSTA 1m39.290
25 J.Roberts KTM 1m39.620
26 B.Bendsneyde NTS 1m39.772
27 L.Tulovic KTM 1m40.009
28 P.Oettl KTM 1m40.144
29 J.Dixon KTM 1m40.151
30 A.Norrodin KALEX 1m41.032
31 X.Cardelus KTM 1m41.643
32 A.Izdihar KALEX 1m42.796

Moto3

Albert Arenas topped the timesheets in both FP1 and FP2 to prove the man to beat so far at the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, with home hero Niccolo Antonelli next up on the overall timesheets. Gabriel Rodrigo completed the top three to impress as he comes back from injury, with the trio all setting their best laptimes in the morning.

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri Moto Albert Arenas
Alberto Arenas – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

On a late summer scorcher at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, the top three may not have improved in the afternoon, but plenty did despite the heat. Petronas Sprinta Racing’s John McPhee in fourth was the first whose laptime on the combined timesheets came from FP2, but the Brit ended the day just ahead of another whose FP1 time proved his quickest: Tony Arbolino. From there, however, the rest of the top ten all found time in the afternoon.

Ayumu Sasaki found nearly half a second to take sixth, just 0.012 ahead of veteran home campaigner Romano Fenati, a former winner at Misano. Championship leader Lorenzo Dalla Porta was P8 just behind his compatriot, although the quieter day for the Leopard rider still saw him beat key rival Aron Canet as the Spaniard was P11 overall and suffered a late crash.

Kaito Toba crashed twice on Friday, Celestino Vietti took a tumble and Can Öncü crashed in FP. The Turk was declared unfit due to a broken collarbone, so he’ll sit out the rest of the weekend – and will be replaced by twin brother Deniz, who rides for the team in the Moto3 Junior World Championship.

Meanwhile Andrea Migno had a solid opening day at his home Grand Prix to take ninth and make the top ten 50% Italian on the Riviera di Rimini, with rookie Ai Ogura next up after another impressive day at the office.

Behind Canet in P11, Jaume Masia, Tatsuki Suzuki and Jakub Kornfeil complete the fastest fourteen on Friday and those who currently stand to move through to Q2 – but everything could change in FP3 on Saturday morning.

Moto3 Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Time
1 A.Arenas KTM 1m42.824
2 N.Antonelli HONDA 1m42.945
3 G.Rodrigo HONDA 1m42.990
4 J.Mcphee HONDA 1m43.052
5 T.Arbolino HONDA 1m42.824
6 A.Sasaki HONDA 1m42.945
7 R.Fenati HONDA 1m42.990
8 L.Dalla Porta   Ita HONDA 1m43.142
9 A.Migno KTM 1m43.217
10 A.Ogura HONDA 1m43.223
11 A.Canet KTM 1m43.254
12 J.Masia KTM 1m43.286
13 T.Suzuki HONDA 1m43.303
14 J.Kornfeil KTM 1m43.312
15 D.Binder KTM 1m43.441
16 M.Ramirez HONDA 1m43.539
17 F.Salac KTM 1m43.254
18 S.Garcia HONDA 1m43.585
19 C.Vietti KTM 1m43.588
20 R.Fernandez KTM 1m43.596
21 T.Booth-Amos KTM 1m43.613
22 A.Lopez HONDA 1m43.630
23 K.Toba HONDA 1m43.635
24 D.Foggia KTM 1m43.648
25 K.Masaki KTM 1m43.713
26 R.Rossi HONDA 1m43.743
27 S.Nepa KTM 1m43.915
28 M.Yurchenko KTM 1m44.802
29 E.Bartolini KTM 1m45.047
30 M.Kawakami KTM 1m45.836
31 D.Oncu KTM 1m46.414

MotoE

Not since 2011 has Alex De Angelis (Octo Pramac MotoE) taken pole position in the MotoGP paddock, but the Sammarinese rider was a cut above his rivals in E-Pole at the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini to take his first FIM Enel MotoE World Cup pole position.

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri MotoE Alex De Angelis
Alex De Angelis – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

It was a close duel for the top with Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE), however, as the Italian was forced to settle for second by half a tenth. Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) took third to complete the front row.

In the order dictated by combined practice times, the riders headed out one-by-one, with the fastest three heading for parc ferme before a faster rider knocked them out. After finishing 13th at the end of the two Free Practice sessions, De Angelis was the sixth rider to head out and the Sammarinese rider’s lap time was over a second better than Lorenzo Savadori’s (Trentino Gresini MotoE) earlier benchmark.

Overall standings leader Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was then out on track straight after De Angelis, but big drama hit as the Frenchman’s E-Pole ended early at Turn 6, a huge highside as he powered onto the straight meaning the points leader has to start from the back of the grid after failing to set a time.

The laps kept coming as the faster riders from practice headed out, but no one could better De Angelis’ time. Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) went to P3 but the Brazilian’s lap was scrubbed off for exceeding track limits at the final corner. Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt Intact GP) then ran De Angelis close to go P2, displacing Maria Herrera (OpenBank Angel Nieto Team) from second place at the time. Then, it was the turn of second in the Cup standings Bradley Smith. Could the One Energy Racing rider capitalise on the misfortunes of his title rival?

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri MotoE Simeon
Xavier Simeon – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

The British rider put in a solid lap but could only manage to get within 0.3 of provisional pole, that nevertheless a valuable time on the board to give the Brit a significant advantage over Di Meglio on the grid in Race 1 and Race 2.

Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE) was next up, the Finn setting the timing screens alight and looking like a serious threat. Up in sector one, even quicker in sector two and with over three tenths in his pocket in sector three, the Ajo rider looked set to challenge. But then, Tuuli suddenly went down at Turn 14, forced to join Di Meglio at the back of the grid as even more drama hit another frontrunner.

Next, though, was Simeon, after the Belgian went third fastest in Free Practice. Could he oust de Angelis? Not quite. But he stuck his Energica Ego Corsa into P2, 0.109 off de Angelis’ time and with only Ferrari to come, that guaranteed him a front row start at least. So could Ferrari do it?

He was up in the first split but lost time in the second, with a tense wait seeing De Angelis watch his rival’s lap from parc ferme and the timing screens showing it would be close. It was, but the rider from San Marino held on to make a little history. The two are also only a point apart in the standings, in fifth and sixth.

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri MotoE Ferrari
Matteo Ferrari – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

Raffin starts fourth after just losing out to Simeon, with Niccolo Canepa (LCR E-Team) impressing in fifth and Maria Herrera (Openbank Angel Nieto Team) likewise as she put in a solid lap to complete the second row. Smith was forced to settle for seventh, with Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) alongside him after a tough day including a big crash earlier on for the Spaniard. Nico Terol (Openbank Angel Nieto Team) locks out the third row.

Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse), Lorenzo Savadori (Trentino Gresini MotoE), Josh Hook (Octo Pramac MotoE), Kenny Foray (Tech 3 E-Racing) and Randy De Puniet (LCR E-Team) are next, with Sete Gibernau (Join Contract Pons 40) joining Granado, Di Meglio and Tuuli at the back after the Spanish veteran had his lap cancelled.

Alex De Angelis

“Obviously I’m really happy about today because it’s my first E-Pole, at my home GP and it’s an Octo GP which is also our sponsor so putting it all together it’s unbelievable, like a dream. I’m also surprised because this morning in FP1 and FP2 I had so much trouble with the set up and I asked my team to change direction completely. We did and I immediately felt much better on the lap before the qualifying. So I thought ‘ok, this is the time. Push and focus.’ And I did, I only made very small mistakes and the lap was incredibly fast. I knew it could be a good laptime but I didn’t think it was enough for pole. So I’m very happy, and I’d like to say thanks to my team and my family.”

MotoGP Rnd Misano Fri MotoE front row Ferrari De Angelis Simeon
Alex De Angelis led Ferrari and Simeon claiming pole – Misano MotoGP 2019 – Friday

MotoE Combined times/EPole

Source: MCNews.com.au