Category: MotoGp

The two Ducati Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Michele Pirro finished sixth and seventh respectively in the TIM San Marino GP, the thirteenth round of the MotoGP World Championship which was held today at the Misano World Circuit.

Dovizioso, who started from the second row after qualifying sixth quickest, scrapped for fourth place in the opening laps with Marquez, Pedrosa and Viñales. The Italian then crossed the line on lap 11 in sixth place and kept that position until the chequered flag.

Pirro started the TIM San Marino GP as replacement rider for Andrea Iannone, who injured his back in a crash on Friday morning. The Italian, tester for the Ducati Test Team, started the race from row 2 with fifth quickest time set yesterday in Q2, but he was unable to get away well and crossed the line at the end of lap 1 in ninth place. Michele then moved up into seventh on lap 23, when he passed Crutchlow and finished the race in that position.

Dovizioso: We are struggling to get the bike to turn

“It’s a pity because today I expected to get a different result in the race. Unfortunately we are still struggling to get the bike to turn like our rivals and as the laps go by this difference increases. To reduce the gap I have to use a lot of energy, push hard on the handlebars and my riding style becomes less smooth and a bit more ragged. To do a consistent lap it’s better that I don’t push hard in the early laps, but we are forced to do so to remain with the leading group.”

Pirro: It’s been a great weekend!

“I gave away a bit too much at the start today: losing three or four seconds early on makes things all the more difficult, but it’s not easy to quickly find the right feeling to start well when you only take part in MotoGP occasionally like I do. In the race I managed to be quite consistent and I didn’t finish too far behind my team-mate. I want to thank Ducati for everything, because it’s been a great weekend; yesterday I was fifth in qualifying, this morning third in the warm-up and today in amongst the leading group in the race. I also want to wish Andrea Iannone a speedy recovery and tell him that today I treated his bike well and that at Aragon he’ll find it in the same condition as he left it!”

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Alvaro Bautista’s tenth place and Stefan Bradl’s twelfth in the race demonstrate the progress that the Aprilia RS-GP machines showed throughout the weekend. The many changes tested in recent weeks and brought to the race at Misano gave the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders a positive approach from the very first sessions. Bautista going through to Q2 – the first time for the fledgling RS-GP – and Bradl’s excellent fifth row spot on the grid were the prelude to an extremely solid race for the two.

Alvaro started well from the fourth row, but contact with another rider in the second lap cost him a few positions, precluding any chance of an even better final result. After closing the gap behind the rider ahead of him, he battled with teammate Stefan and Petrucci to then pull away with a consistent pace that allowed him to easily defend a significant tenth place finish. Bradl also rode a very solid race, finishing twelfth.

Alvaro Bautista: I was able to pull away after I passed them

“I am happy because we rode a good race and had a good weekend. We knew that, despite going through to Q2, it would be a hard battle to get into the top ten and that is our goal. I started well, but in the second lap I lost a few positions because of contact with another rider, so I had to push hard to come back. Then, in the first laps, I had a strange feeling with the rear tyre. We don’t know why, but the bike slid around a lot. Then the situation went back to normal and I was able to maintain a good pace. I battled with Stefan and Petrucci, but once I overtook them I was able to pull away without any problems and I held my pace until the end. This was a decidedly positive weekend. We did a lot of good work finding new solutions for the bike and we improved, so I would like to thank Aprilia and the entire team for that. Now we want to continue moving in this direction to improve even more in the next portion of the season”.

Stefan Bradl: The result is not bad

“The weekend had started off well, but then a few problems kept me from using the evolution frame consistently. So for the race it was hard to choose which configuration to use and in the end I preferred the standard chassis. Unfortunately, it did not prove to be the best solution. I struggled with braking, the area where the new frame could have provided more advantages. In any case, the race result is not bad, considering the circumstances. I am back to finishing in the points. We showed some good signs during the weekend and we definitely learned a lot for the season finale”.
Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

The weekend at the Misano circuit ends with the two riders of Octo Pramac Yakhnich that are able to gain some points, despite they had to overcome the difficulties found during the free practices and the qualifying.

Petrux got off a good start and in the first lap he managed to recover four positions lapping with fairly good times. At the end of the ninth lap, the rider of the Fiamme Oro has recorded his best time (1’34.0) giving the feeling of being able to chase the two Espargaro. From mid-race on, the lap times have grown once again. On lap 17, Petrux could not react from the attack of Bautista, but he managed to defend himself from the attempt of Bradl, and then finishing in 11th place

Even Scott’s departure was effectively as he recovered three positions in the first few corners. On lap one, the British rider tried to push registering some encouraging times. But the feeling with the bike has not improved enough. Scott had the merit to continue to try and his performance have improved in the last part of the race. At that point, however, the gap was too wide to recover some positions.

Petrucci: I wanted to do better

It has been harder than I expected. In the race we have improved a little but not enough. I wanted to do better here, at the home Grand Prix, and I am sorry. Tires? Yesterday Jorge Lorenzo made the circuit’s record and today those in front have been very fast, so, obviously, we did not understand how to exploit them at the best. I took some points and this is a good thing. I would like to thank the team for how they are working. It is good to be with them.

Redding: I am sorry

It has been a very difficult weekend. Especially the beginning of the race was frustrating. We are supposed to be among the fastest, in particular in this circuit and, instead, I found it hard to take the slower ones. Every time I tried to overtake someone I could not keep the trajectory, I went wide and I was always behind. It was difficult to find the time and the feeling to go on and get those in front of me. I am very sorry for the way things went.

Kiko Giles

Team Suzuki’s Maverick Viñales fought back to fifth position after a positive race in today’s MotoGP™ round at the World Misano Circuit Marco Simoncelli in San Marino, as team-mate Aleix Espargaró was unfortunate to slip-off at the half-way stage.

Viñales, who started from third position on the front-row aboard his GSX-RR, kept his position in the early stages but got moved down a few positions until making a move back to fifth place. But he was deemed to have crossed a ‘no-go’ racing line and had to slow and relinquish the position to the rider behind him; which he regained very quickly and subsequently held for the rest of the race.

Team-mate Espargaró had more problems with the tyre management today, having a very bad feeling with the front-end that prevented him being really competitive; and which finally resulted in a crash that took him out of the race. The early laps and the whole weekend proved the improvements made for the Spanish rider, but the tyre choice was not the best for his riding style and also some of the tyre performance will be further investigated.

Maverick Viñales: It is a positive result

“I am really satisfied with this race, and although I couldn’t get on the podium, fifth place is a really good result if we consider our starting points; this was one of the hardest tracks for our machine and here it was really hot – a condition in which we have always been struggling recently. Finishing in fifth place, after winning a fierce battle, is a positive result. During the race I felt really confident with the front, but the rear had no grip at all, so I had to push really hard and adapt my riding style. I managed to keep with the leading group at the beginning but then I had to go back. At around half-race distance I felt I could push more and my lap-times became faster again. I had to give-up one position for having exceeded the track limit but recovered immediately. I must say thank you to my team, they did an incredible job and it’s really a relief to be aware that now we are getting competitive also in hot conditions.”

Aleix Espargaró: Once again, a mistake

“The crash was a little one, but exactly the same as the other two I had; three crashes in a weekend is something rare and I’m disappointed with this. I struggled a lot with the front grip for the whole weekend, then in the race I had to push a lot and the problem generated the crash. Such a bad feeling I had in the race is not normal, maybe we can investigate some possible causes, but also the truth is that probably the tyre choice was a mistake. It’s always easy to comment when the game is over, but looking at the winner, we should have made a completely different choice. It’s a mistake, once again I struggled to find a good direction to work, we cannot work harder than what we are doing so be should probably find a better way to work in order to make better choices and be more competitive.”

Kiko Giles

Thousands of passionate Italian fans at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli were on the edge of their seats as they cheered on their Movistar Yamaha MotoGP hero. Valentino Rossi delivered a strong performance and led for most of the race to ultimately take second place in the ‘Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini’. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo also held a fast pace throughout the 28 laps, to take third place.

Starting from second on the grid, Rossi entered the first corner side-by-side with Maverick Viñales, but was quick to leave the Spaniard behind when he flicked his bike left into turn 2 as he wanted to prevent his teammate from clearing off at the front. After the first lap there was just 0.202s between them and only a lap later the Doctor leaped past Lorenzo in turn 14, reversing the order. He followed it up with two fastest laps of the race that far, 1‘33.672s on lap three, and a 1‘33.384s on lap five, increasing his lead to over 0.8s.

The local hero continued to push and was able to extend the margin to 1.2s, but Dani Pedrosa had overtaken Lorenzo and was chasing the Doctor down with eleven laps to go. The pair got involved in a fight for first place three laps later. Making his Yamaha as wide as possible, Rossi defended his lead tooth and nail but with seven laps to go Pedrosa made an aggressive pass at turn 4. Determined to fight to the very end of the race Rossi put in a personal best lap of 1‘33.025s, three laps to the end, but he was unable to catch his rival and took the chequered flag in second place, +2.837s from the front.

Starting from pole Lorenzo had an ideal launch off the line, taking the holeshot. He opted for his traditional strategy to break away early with a few hot laps, but his teammate was on his tail. The pair briefly touched when Rossi moved past a lap later in turn 14, but Lorenzo wasn‘t going to give up on the win easily. The Mallorcan increased his pace steadily but a threat was coming from behind.

Pedrosa was on the charge and with 13 laps remaining the two compatriots battled for second place. Lorenzo kept pushing to cut a chunk of time out of his disadvantage to Rossi, but two laps later he had to let Pedrosa through. Lorenzo continued to shadow the two frontmen, but came just short to be able to cut down the margin and join the fight at the front. He finished in a solid third place, +4.359s behind the winner.

Rossi‘s 20 points gives him a total score of 180, keeping him in second position in the championship standings, with a 43 point margin to the leader. He is 18 points ahead of Lorenzo in third place, who has collected 162 points so far this season.

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team will take a short break before the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón in two weeks’ time.

Rossi: Pedrosa was too fast

I tried the maximum to race against Marquez. When I saw that my rhythm was enough to win I was very happy, but later Pedrosa arrived and he was too fast. I tried the maximum but there was no way, he had a better pace. Anyway, it‘s second place. It‘s a shame here in Misano, it‘s a race I especially tried to win, but today it wasn‘t possible. Thank you to all the fans that were at the track, it was great.

Lorenzo: I simply didn’t have the pace

I can‘t be very happy, because I expected a bit more from the race. I tried hard for the victory but today I simply didn‘t have the best pace. Especially Dani had a better pace and Rossi had one tenth on some laps. Little by little they were going away, so I tried my best to stay there but they went ahead. Honestly they were faster.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa became the eighth different MotoGP winner in eight races today, taking a stunning victory at Misano, his 29th in MotoGP and the 52nd in his career, as well as the 120th for Honda since the start of the MotoGP era in 2002. Marc Marquez struggled with his front end but managed to score an important fourth-place finish, which allows him to keep an advantage of 43 points in the Championship standings.

Dani’s choice of a soft-front and medium-rear Michelin tyre combination proved to be the best one for today’s conditions and for his riding style, as it allowed him to charge through the field at an incredibly fast pace and to set a new track record of 1’32.979 on his way to the victory. Starting eighth on the grid, he was sixth at the end of the first lap and progressively improved his speed over the course of 22 laps, overtaking Dovizioso, Viñales, Marquez, Lorenzo and finally Rossi before crossing the line 2.8 seconds ahead of the Italian to became the fourth Honda rider to win a race this year.

Marc had a much tougher day as he struggled with his hard front tyre, even if he was able to keep a similar pace to frontrunners Rossi and Lorenzo in the first third of the race. Nonetheless, when teammate Pedrosa passed him on lap 14, he realized he couldn’t match his rhythm and wisely settled for the important 13 points that come with fourth place.

The Repsol Honda Team will remain in Misano tomorrow for a private one-day test.

Pedrosa: Even I was surprised!

“It was a great race, and it has been a long time since I’ve had these feelings. Even I was surprised by the performance I put in today because I hadn’t expected to go so fast; we were fantastic. The key was the pace; I was able to fight my way through, especially in the final part, and being consistent allowed me to catch the riders at the front. It’s very nice for me to take a victory again, after all the effort made by those who have been with me in this challenging season so far: my family, my team and my fans. It has been very difficult, so I’m very happy for all of them. Today I enjoyed myself, although I was a little worried about the choice of front tyre because I hadn’t used it in hot conditions. In the end we were focused and everything went very well; it was an opportunity we had to take advantage of, and I think we achieved a great victory.”

Marquez: I thought I’d crash if I went with Dani

“Today’s race was complicated and it was perhaps not one of my better days. I went out with great desire and I felt strong, able to recover the ground I had lost in the first few laps and close in on Valentino and Jorge. Then I saw I had problems with the front tyre, because I was losing it a lot. When Dani passed me, I tried to follow him, but I saw that it was more likely that I would crash than finish on the podium, so I concentrated on finishing the race. We have to keep improving, but the positive thing is that we only lost a few points during a weekend that had been good but that we weren’t able to capitalize on in the race. Now we’re very motivated for Aragon.”

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Championship contender Valentino Rossi took a stunning podium at the British GP despite the track having proved a tough one for the 9-time champion in the past. Taking back 3 points from Marc Marquez’ (Repsol Honda Team) title lead and beating the Spaniard to the rostrum, the duel between the two was a stunner as the Italian made his 250th start in the premier class – and became the first to reach that milestone. Maverick Viñales may have been untouchable at the front in the UK, but Rossi was the only title contender to gain at Silverstone – and the next stop for the MotoGP paddock swaps the difficult newer track for the comforts of home.

Misano is Rossi’s heartland. Although Mugello is the track the Italian considers his spiritual home, the Movistar Yamaha rider’s hometown of Tavullia lies incredibly close to Misano Adriatico and the track that bears the name of his late friend Marco Simoncelli. With the glittering blue of the Adriatic just a stone’s throw from the shores of the circuit, 2015 was a sell out as the yellow smoke rose above the grandstands and MotoGP roared back into town. A classic place to race, the ‘Doctor’ took wins at his closest track to home in 2008 and 2009 in his most recent world championship winning campaigns, and returned to the top step in 2014 as title favourite Marquez made his first mistake of the year. 2016 has had its ups and downs for Rossi – but not in his pace, and he’ll be hoping to make more gains with the home crowd behind him to the end.

Although Misano could sometimes prove synonymous with Valentino Rossi, the Italian track is also a home race for mythical manufacturer Ducati. The British GP may have been more tough than the Borgo Panigale factory expected, with a P6 for Andrea Dovizioso and a crash for Andrea Iannone, but the taste of their Austrian GP victory and 1-2 finish will still be fresh in memory as the paddock touches down on the Riviera di Rimini. The Desmosedici is now a true threat at the front, and the team also count on having recently completed a private test at the track to help them get back in the mix for victory. The home crowd will be behind the Iannone and Dovizioso, as Misano World Circuit is painted both yellow and red.

Marquez, after battling hard with Rossi and then eventual P2 finisher Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), was just off the podium in the UK but is still an incredible 50 points clear of Rossi at the top of the table – and took the most recent premier class win at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Marquez’ Silverstone was not the smooth ride he’s come to pull off more often than not in 2016, instead proving a tyre-preserving trip through to the last third of the race followed by a signature, spectacular dogfight. With a 53 point lead going into the event, the British GP saw the Repsol Honda rider let loose a little as he fought with Rossi and then Crutchlow, taking more risks than he has often seemed willing to do this season. With one small mistake seeing him miss the podium, the 2013 and 2014 champion nevertheless left the UK showdown with a 50 point lead safe and sound – and only 6 races remain. The rider from Cervera took a P2 in his rookie appearance in Misano in 2013, before falling out of contention with his first error of his record-breaking 2014 campaign. Marquez was on the top step once again in mixed conditions in 2015 however, and with 50 points to cushion the risk will be looking to make a point behind enemy lines. As will compatriot Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP).

Since he moved up to MotoGP in 2008, Lorenzo has kept his name pencilled on the trophy on the Riviera di Rimini. With Silverstone proving a tough race after a setup gamble that didn’t pay off, Lorenzo will want to hit back quickly in Misano as the points gap between him and teammate Rossi grew slightly once again. The ‘Spartan”s record in Italy makes for incredible reading, and Misano is another ‘Lorenzo track’ like Mugello that the Mallorcan will be hoping to conquer. Three P2 finishes in his first three seasons in the premier class prefaced a run of 3 wins at the second Italian venue on the calendar, and the Spaniard took another P2 in 2014 despite a tough start to the season. 2015 saw a blip as a mistake saw him crash out in the wet, but Lorenzo has finished in the top two positions at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli every time he has taken the chequered flag.

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa’s fortunes in the British GP proved a contrast to rival Lorenzo’s. After struggling to find the right direction with the bike and tyres following so many off-season changes in the premier class, Pedrosa had found cooler and wet conditions particularly tough – until Silverstone. Putting in the work on the dry track on Friday, the time on the circuit proved fruitful as the 3-time world champion got back in the battle at the front and showed much improved pace in qualifying and the race, despite the conditions. Pedrosa has five podiums at Misano, too – including a win – and will want to keep refining his progress as he pushes forward to take back P4 in the championship from Silverstone victor Maverick Viñales.

Viñales was spectacular in the British GP. With the cooler conditions helping the Suzuki, the 2013 Moto3 world champion simply took off at the front and never looked back, putting in a performance as close to perfection as his team could have dreamed. The victory was the first for the Japanese manufacturer since 2007 and the first in the dry since 2000, making Silverstone a historic moment for both man and machine. With his first win under his belt, Viñales will now only want more – and knows with increasing certainty exactly how to get it.

There are now six races remaining in 2016 and a maximum of 150 points left on the table. A 50 point advantage leaves Marquez in a great position at the top of the standings, but the battle to catch the championship leader most certainly rages on – with Rossi in hot pursuit as MotoGP heads back behind the yellow curtain.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko