Editorial Observe: A second MotoGP occasion was scheduled at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli after the Grand Prix of Kazakhstan was cancelled attributable to flooding and associated issues within the area of the brand new venue.
Reload for Emilia-Romagna: can the house heroes take again their territory?
There’s lots on the road because the paddock returns to the fabulous Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli – from the Constructors’ crown to some Ducati milestones
Monday, 16 September 2024
Buckle up for extra MotoGP™ as we prepare for the Gran Premio Pramac dell’Emilia-Romagna, with season silverware on the road already and loads of additional bragging rights to race for. The largest is the Constructors’ crown, with Ducati capable of wrap that up on Sunday after their beautiful type to date. They’re 229 factors away from KTM and 239 forward of Aprilia, with 222 the golden quantity by the flag on Sunday to wrap it up. They might additionally win it in model, as their subsequent victory can be their one hundredth MotoGP™ win. With the highest two within the title combat – Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Group) – break up by solely seven factors, and a lot on the road between them and people they’ll doubtless be racing most carefully on the entrance, all that’s on provide guarantees a severe present.
THE SHOW WILL GO ON
Martin will need to show a severe level, for himself after that flag-to-flag gamble didn’t repay, and for the factors to increase that hole on the prime. And for the long run in the case of the Constructors’ crown and that milestone one hundredth MotoGP™ win. If that’s not sufficient motivation, he’d additionally prefer to beat the Italian riders on their dwelling turf and take the glory for his Italian group, who title sponsor the occasion. Popping out swinging most likely gained’t cowl it, and he nonetheless is aware of he gained in 2023 when the climate threw no curveballs.
Bagnaia, in the meantime, arrives with extra margin to play with now the hole is again right down to single digits within the Championship. However he additionally arrives making ready for his personal milestone: his one hundredth MotoGP™ begin, and on dwelling turf for him and the Ducati Lenovo Group. As their double and reigning World Champion, these milestones should communicate to him too. Constructors’ crown secured on dwelling turf in his one hundredth MotoGP™ race, by taking Ducati’s one hundredth MotoGP™ win? The celebrities have aligned if Bagnaia could make it occur. This time spherical, he’ll even be nearer to full health – one thing he hasn’t been at Misano since 2022.
On to Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). Now confirmed alongside Bagnaia within the manufacturing facility squad subsequent season, he’ll be eager to start out inking in some Ducati milestones forward of the swap. Pressure that territory to be shared. He’ll even be eager to cease Bagnaia doing in order the 2 put together to share a storage, and on the #1’s dwelling turf. Having now gained two in a row, if Marquez wins a 3rd it’s the primary time he’ll have taken three or extra consecutive MotoGP™ GP wins since 2019. It will additionally lengthen his file as essentially the most successful rider at Misano on the present grid… and shut that Championship hole to the highest two much more.
After which there’s Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Group). He’s obtained a 100% podium file in MotoGP™ races he’s began at Misano, which isn’t any imply feat. He shares a few of his rivals’ motivation – dwelling turf, for one – and that one hundredth MotoGP™ win for Ducati would most likely really feel fairly candy. He’s additionally nonetheless properly in rivalry within the title combat, and solely 9 factors behind Marc Marquez. Qualifying additional up would solely intensify the Jaws music for these he was chasing down final day out.
ON THE CHASE
Saturday on the San Marino GP proved as soon as once more there are many rivals for the highest 4 within the Championship although. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) has been gaining velocity all through 2024, and within the Tissot Dash final day out took his first Saturday rostrum end. He was additionally quick on Sunday earlier than crashing out. Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Group) additionally took a entrance row and prime 5 within the GP race, and a greater launch off the road might enhance these fortunes much more on take two. Teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio can have had longer to get well as we get again on monitor, and Alex Marquez’ (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) Sunday at San Marino was a strong one. Can they transfer ahead?
At KTM and GASGAS there was additionally good velocity on Sunday, with Brad Binder (Crimson Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing) coming dwelling fourth after each he and Pedro Acosta (Crimson Bull GASGAS Tech3) had a strong Dash. Acosta will need to minimise these errors, and it’ll be fascinating as he races at a venue for the second time in his rookie season. It went properly for him within the 2021 Doha GP. Jack Miller (Crimson Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing) had weekend final day out too, taking his greatest Sunday end since Portimão, on prime of scoring within the Dash. Extra of that would be the minimal intention for the Aussie, and extra factors the intention for Augusto Fernandez (Crimson Bull GASGAS Tech3) after a more durable one at Misano on our first go to.
CHAPEAU!
In the meantime at Yamaha, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Power Yamaha MotoGP™) should be within the dialog for rider of the weekend final day out, having equalled his greatest Sunday end to date in 2024 and scored within the Dash to make it his equal greatest weekend for factors. The Iwata manufacturing facility and their 2021 World Champion need to be racing for greater than seventh, however the world-beating type they’ve each proven earlier than is constructed – or rebuilt – over time. Quartararo and teammate Alex Rins have examined at Misano just a few weeks in the past, accomplished the San Marino GP, and now pocketed some extra monitor time within the Monday check, wherein Quartararo was fifth quickest. So can they make one other step ahead this day out?
BACK IN THE SADDLE
Steps ahead is likewise the intention at Aprilia because the Noale manufacturing facility undergo a more durable patch of type. Neither Maverick Viñales nor Aprilia Racing teammate Aleix Espargaro took any factors on the San Marino GP, in order that’s a transparent intention this day out. They’ll additionally hope that work on the Monday Check – targeted on the right here and now – will assist to show these fortunes round. Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing), in the meantime, DID rating – 5 factors on Sunday to come back dwelling prime Noale machine. He’ll need extra, the manufacturing facility desires extra, the manufacturing facility riders will need to beat him, and teammate Raul Fernandez can even need to hit again.
Lastly, at Honda it’s a primary full weekend at Misano for Repsol Honda Group’s Joan Mir and Luca Marini. Each struggling with sickness sidelining them final day out, they did get again out for the Monday check so that they’ll hope that units them as much as get again within the combine on the Grand Prix. In the meantime at IDEMITSU and CASTROL Honda LCR, there have been some strong factors for Takaaki Nakagami and Johann Zarco, respectively. Notably, they’re now on an equal whole this season – and Nakagami is forward within the standings due to that P11 end in Aragon. They’ll need to beat one another and beat the Repsol Honda duo, and to proceed including data and kilometres to Honda’s mission to maneuver ahead. What can they do with a full line-up and after the additional monitor time of the Misano Check?
We’ll discover out this weekend as one other 37 factors go into play – and an entire lot extra.
SHOWTIME
Saturday
Tissot Dash: 15:00 (UTC +2)
Sunday
Grand Prix: 13:00 (UTC +2)
What’s taking place on the #EmiliaRomagnaGP?
Festivities kick off on Wednesday for the Gran Premio Pramac dell’Emilia-Romagna. To take MotoGP™ even nearer to our passionate fanbase in Italy, there will likely be a fan occasion on Wednesday night within the metropolis centre of Rimini, headlined by Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Group) and Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Group) – together with a Q&A for the followers in attendance.
On Thursday afternoon, MotoGP™ podcast Final On The Brakes will welcome Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli.
Then we’re into the press conferences, with the primary set to host Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Group), Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Group).
Then, Brad Binder (Crimson Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing) will likely be joined by Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Group) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Power Yamaha MotoGP™) for the second.
Moto2™: Can Ogura double down on take two?
Due to a 3rd win of 2024, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) ensured he sits as the brand new Championship chief heading into Spherical 14 of the yr. Following a troublesome trio of races in Silverstone, Austria – the place he picked up a right-hand fracture – and Aragon, the Japanese star was again on the field for the primary time since his German GP P3.
Ogura beat Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) by 0.6s to earn a nine-point lead over teammate Sergio Garcia, whose weekend ended with a commendable comeback to P12 after a Friday and Saturday to neglect for the Spaniard. The title race pendulum has definitely swung from one aspect of the storage to the opposite down at MT Helmets – MSI, now we’ll see how Garcia bounces again.
Ogura and Canet had been joined on the rostrum by Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Group) who bagged a second podium in a row. The Italian appears to be like considerably again to his greatest after a tough opening half to the season, and one other dwelling race rostrum would go down very properly earlier than the flyaways start.
Elsewhere, Manuel Gonzalez’s P4 (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) was a strong effort from the Spaniard, as Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Group) admitted his P5 “felt like a win” after the Briton clawed his approach again from P14 on the grid to earn some extra first rate factors in his quest for the title.As well as, dwelling hero Celestino Vietti (Crimson Bull KTM Ajo) will likely be searching for redemption after his late crash from P4, and so will Alonso Lopez (Beta Instruments SpeedUp) after the Spaniard slid out of rivalry on Lap 1.
The ever-changing Moto2™ title race panorama is an enchanting one to maintain tabs on. What is going to unfold as we land again at Misano?
Moto3™: Can the chasers sustain the strain?
We witnessed a comeback for the ages in Moto3™ final day out as Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) clinched an outstanding win regardless of taking not one, however two Lengthy Lap penalties. The rookie’s debut win was chic, so will the #36 be capable to go back-to-back when he lands on the identical venue this weekend?
Piqueras will definitely be hoping so. And if there are not any lengthy laps to take care of, that can make his life lots simpler – however as we all know, it gained’t be so simple as that. One rider who will likely be out to cease his compatriot from doubling up is Daniel Holgado (Crimson Bull GASGAS Tech3). The #96 has returned to type with two podiums within the final three outings seeing the Spaniard climb to P2 within the total standings.
Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) responded to his disappointing Aragon outing by grabbing a seventh podium of the yr, because the Spaniard edged out Taiyo Furusato (Honda Group Asia) by lower than a tenth. The Japanese star and fifth place finisher Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) had been two riders who picked their well beyond a annoyed David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Group) on the ultimate lap, because the Colombian completed in P7 following a drop one place penalty for exceeding monitor limits within the final lap too. That promoted Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) to P6 as Alonso completed off the rostrum in consecutive races for the primary time this season.
That mentioned, the #80 nonetheless boasts a commanding 70-point lead within the Championship chase, however he will likely be searching revenge in Emilia-Romagna. Can he bounce again?
