FIM MotoGP World Championship
Misano World Circuit, San Marino
September 13, 2015
Race Results (dry-wet-dry conditions, all on Bridgestone tires):
1. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 28 laps, 48:23.819, pitted twice
2. Bradley SMITH, UK (YAMAHA), -7.288 seconds
3. Scott REDDING, UK (HONDA), -18.793, pitted twice, crash
4. Loris BAZ, France (FORWARD YAMAHA), pitted twice, -26.427
5. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), pitted twice, -33.196
6. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), pitted twice, -35.087
7. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (DUCATI), pitted twice, -36.527
8. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), pitted twice, -37.434
9. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), pitted twice, -39.516
10. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (SUZUKI), pitted twice, -39.692
11. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), pitted twice, -41.995
12. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), pitted twice, -46.075
13. Mike DI MEGLIO, France (DUCATI), pitted twice, -48.381
14. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (SUZUKI), pitted twice, -52.325
15. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (APRILIA), pitted twice, -53.348
16. Stefan BRADL, Germany (APRILIA), pitted twice, -58.828
17. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (HONDA), pitted twice, -62.649
18. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), pitted twice, -64.768
19. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (HONDA), pitted twice, -65.677
20. Claudio CORTI, Italy (FORWARD YAMAHA), pitted twice, -1 lap
21. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (HONDA), pitted twice, -1 lap
22. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (YAMAHA), -2 laps, pitted twice, DNF
23. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), -8 laps, DNF, pitted twice, crash
24. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (DUCATI), -19 laps, DNF, pitted, crash
25. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (ART-APRILIA), -19 laps, DNF, pitted, crash
26. Michele PIRRO, Italy (DUCATI), -19 laps, DNF, pitted, retired
World Championship Point Standings (after 13 of 18 races):
1. Rossi, 247 points
2. Lorenzo, 224
3. Marquez, 184
4. Iannone, 159
5. Smith, 135
6. Dovizioso, 128
7. Pedrosa, 109
8. Petrucci, 93
9. Pol Espargaro, 81
10. Crutchlow, 79
11. Vinales, 69
12. Aleix Espargaro, 66
13. Redding, 63
14. Hernandez, 41
15. Baz, 28
16. TIE, Bautista/Barbera, 23
18. Miller, 16
19. Hayden, 12
20. Bradl, 11
21. Pirro, 8
22. TIE, Eugene Laverty/Di Meglio, 7
24. Hiroshi Aoyama, 5
25. De Angelis, 2
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
MISANO MOTOGP RACE CONDITIONED BY THE WEATHER
APRILIA IN THE POINTS WITH ALVARO BAUTISTA FINISHING FIFTEENTH
SIXTEENTH PLACE FOR STEFAN BRADL
Misano Adriatico, 13 September 2015 – At Misano the true main player of the MotoGP race turned out to be the weather. Starting under grey skies but on a dry track, the riders were forced to make two bike changes during the race: once just a few laps after the start to use the wet setup bike on a rain dampened track, only to go back to the dry configuration in the second half of the race.
The Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders, off the line well when the lights went out, returned to pit lane for the first bike change. Bautista, however, was unable to find the right feeling with the new configuration, struggling more than expected. Bradl also lost confidence in the wet with a bike which was new to him, whereas his feeling on the dry setup was decidedly positive. Once the rain stopped and the track had begun to dry out, it was time for the second change with ten laps to go and both riders in points positions: Alvaro Bautista was lying thirteenth and Bradl was holding on to fifteenth place. Both riders left pit lane after dropping four positions, but with the tarmac drying out more and more, Alvaro and Stefan resumed their pace to come back and finish respectively in fifteenth and sixteenth place.
ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
“Definitely a crazy race. Rider instinct on the bike change, which is decisive in these conditions, made a big difference, as well as how quickly they are able to adapt to the new conditions, first wet and then dry again. Especially in the wet we had a bit of a struggle and we missed the chance to have Bradl finish in the points as well. A race like this one is also not very useful from a technical point of view in terms of developing the bike. But overall we gathered a lot of information throughout the weekend and Tuesday we’ll be here to work on the bike. We are planning a series of tests, aimed mainly on proper use of the front tyre.”
FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
“This was a complicated race and we should probably have brought the riders in a bit sooner to get them on the bike with slicks more quickly. Hindsight is always 20/20 in these situations, but if we had risked a bit more today we would have been able to bring home a better result. We are not entirely satisfied with fifteenth and sixteenth place, but we still brought home another point.”
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“This was a race where we could have done better. When I switched to the wet bike I wasn’t able to ride the way I would have liked because of the poor grip and we may have waited a bit too long to switch back when the track was drying out. By risking a bit more today we could have had a good chance to finish with an even better result. But I must thank the team for all the very hard work they did throughout the weekend. Now we’ll think about the tests on Tuesday where we are keen to take an important step forward with development for the next race and the season finale.”
STEFAN BRADL
“We should have made the second bike change a lap sooner, but in these situations it’s always difficult to take the right decision: the track already seemed suitable for slicks, but I could still see drops of rain on my top fairing, so I decided to come in a lap later. In any case I had lost ground after the first bike change because I didn’t have a good feeling on the wet bike and in the first few laps in the wet it was very difficult to ride with the bike sliding around so much. The positive thing is that in the last part of the race on slicks I had a good feeling and I was able to ride fast straight away, recovering a few positions.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Racing:
Gravel to podium for Redding in Misano mayhem
Misano, Italy – 13 September 2015: Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Scott Redding celebrated a stunning first MotoGP podium after a dramatic and incident-packed clash in front of a record crowd packed into the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli today.
An early crash and two pits stops in a rain-hit 28-lap encounter failed to prevent the 22-year-old from mastering constantly changing track conditions to finish in a sensational third.
With the field starting the race on slick tyres, Redding crashed at turn four on lap six when rain started to fall heavily while he was on a brilliant charge up from 13th to the battle raging for fourth.
Redding pitted to switch to his wet weather Honda RC213V machine and was seemingly well out of contention.
As the rain quickly stopped, the 2.626 miles surface dried rapidly and Redding timed his switch back to slicks perfectly and he was fourth on track with just seven laps to go.
Redding then launched a terrific charge towards his first premier class podium, which ended in success when he passed Loris Baz for third on lap 25. Redding’s superior pace saw him comfortably streak away from the Frenchman and his first MotoGP podium was secured by almost eight seconds, much to the delight of on-looking team owner Marc van der Straten.
With Bradley Smith joining Redding on the podium it was the first time since Barry Sheene and Tom Herron stood on the podium together in Venezuela in 1979 that two British riders have achieved such a result.
Scott Redding: 3rd
“Where do you start after a race like that? When it started to rain I knew I had nothing to lose and pushed hard on the slicks. But I pushed too much and couldn’t stop the bike before I entered the gravel and crashed. I thought that was race over but got back on as quickly as I could and I could see that a couple of guys still hadn’t passed me, so knew I was still in a good position. I changed to the rain tyres and had a really bad feeling. I couldn’t get them to working temperature and when I did the track had already started to dry. I switched back to slicks thinking I’d got no chance and then suddenly I saw P4. I thought it was a mistake but then saw seven seconds to Baz and got my head down to catch him in case it rained again. Then I’m in third and I certainly didn’t expect that when I woke up this morning. It’s a great feeling for me and especially the team because they have deserved this for sticking by me all season.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“For a private team to get on a MotoGP podium is like a dream and today we accomplished that. It is a very special feeling to do it in our first year. I have always believed in Scott and we worked hard to make this team happen. It has not been easy and we have taken a lot of criticism but today he showed what he can do and without the crash he could have won. Now that would have been unbelievable. Now we think it is a shame because we know he is leaving us at the end of the season but nobody can take this away from him or the team. Scott is used to breaking records and today he’s done it again, with Bradley and him being the first two British riders on a MotoGP podium together since 1979. This is a day we will remember for a long time.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marquez wins chaotic Misano GP in mixes conditions with Pedrosa 9th
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez took a remarkable victory in difficult conditions at the San Marino GP – one of just three circuits where he has not previously won in the premier class (along with Motegi and Phillip Island), but Dani Pedrosa was hindered from seeing his pit board clearly causing him to miss the prime window to swap bikes.
As the race got underway, Marc (2nd) and Dani (4th) maintained their grid positions in the early laps, as rain clouds began to roll in. By lap five, rain flags were displayed and some riders began to pit for their wet setup bikes.
On lap seven, the rain intensified and the majority of riders entered the pits for their wet bikes and after emerging back on track, Marc found himself 6th and Dani 11th. Within a lap they had climbed up to 2nd and 8th respectively as the race began to find its rhythm once more. Marc dropped back behind Rossi with Lorenzo leading and the three riders opened up a gap over the field as Dani continued to improve and moved up to 5th by lap fourteen.
As the track began to dry, riders started to enter to change back to their dry bike setup. Marc came in on lap eighteen whilst Lorenzo and Rossi remained out on track. On lap twenty, Lorenzo and Dani came in to change bikes also, but Rossi continued on his wet bike, waiting until lap twenty one to come in to the pits.
With Rossi entering the pits Marc inherited the race lead and Lorenzo crashed out. He maintained his composure to take a convincing seven second win over Bradley Smith, with Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda rider – Scott Redding – completing the podium, despite a crash early on in the race. Dani – who missed his pit board message to come in sooner – was stuck in traffic after his second bike change and was unable to improve further than 9th.
Marc – 184 points – has closed the gap in the World Championship and is now 63 points behind Rossi and 40 points behind Lorenzo. Dani remains 7th on 109 points.
Marc Marquez
1ST CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 3RD – 184 POINTS
“It was a very strange race but I’m happy with the end result. It is difficult to explain everything that happened during the race but I think the key was the second tyre change – from wets to slicks. That was where we made a difference and – believe it or not – it was not me who decided everything! The team informed me of the situation with the pit board and helped me decide when to come in to change bikes, and I have to thank them! Also Honda, because we keep working and doing our best, even though our title chances are slim, so our target to the end of the year remains; The more wins, the better!”
Dani Pedrosa
9TH CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 3RD – 109 POINTS
“Today was a very tough race and we missed out on a good result. The team did their job well, they had the bikes ready and I was well informed from the pits about the strategy, but I made the mistake. I didn’t see my board a few times going down the straight, so I could not see the team’s orders to enter the pits to change bikes. Now we have to move on and think positive about the next race in two weeks.”
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
Rossi Takes Fifth in Misano Mania
Misano Adriatico (Italy), 13th September 2015
The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli was a sea of yellow as thousands of fans cheered on their local hero, Valentino Rossi, to take fifth in a drama-filled ‘Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini’. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP teammate Jorge Lorenzo gave his all to keep up his strong record at Misano, but suffered a crash on cold tyres after having just switched bikes for a second time.
Despite threatening clouds and spots of rain, the Doctor flew off the line at the start of the 28-lap sprint and held third position going into the first corner. He held Dani Pedrosa at bay as he chased teammate Lorenzo and rival Marc Marquez. Trying to keep in contention with the front group, he closed the gap when he set a fastest lap of the race thus far of 1‘33.894 on lap three.
Rossi caught up with the race leaders as rain started to fall and joined them going into the pits on lap seven, to reenter the track in seventh place. Two laps later all riders had come in to switch bikes, restoring the order to Rossi riding in third place as he hunted down Marquez and Lorenzo for the lead.
Lapping more than a second quicker he used all his experience in tricky conditions and with 17 laps to go was right on their rear tyres. He overtook Marquez on the next lap, while a dry line started to form. On lap 15 the Doctor decided to make his move on Lorenzo and had the fans jumping to their feet when he led the race for the first time, but there was more drama on its way.
The track had dried up and several riders started to switch back to a bike with a dry set up. The Italian hero decided to stay out as long as possible and pushed to the maximum to create a margin between him and his teammate. He was the last rider to come in for a second bike swap after 20 laps and rejoined the track in fifth place. He was eager to ride back to a podium finish but was unable to close the gap to the rider in fourth place and finished the race in fifth, +33.196s from the front.
Teammate Lorenzo had a lightning fast start from pole position as the lights went out and grabbed the holeshot. With a clear track in front of him, he tried to shake off rival Marquez and teammate Rossi and put the hammer down, consistently lowering his times. Lapping in the low 1‘33s he opened up a nearly one second gap, until the rain flags were being waved on lap six.
As the pace dropped noticeably, the leading trio decided to come in on lap seven and Lorenzo rejoined the track in fifth place, ahead of Marquez. As the race order was restored one lap later, the Majorcan was clever to ride behind Marquez while testing the conditions, until his rival went wide and he reclaimed the lead.
Lorenzo continued to give his all but had to let his teammate pass on lap 15 when his wet tyres started to drop on the drying asphalt. Rubber was flying off Lorenzo‘s front tyre as he came in with eight laps to go and he reentered the race in fourth place. He was motivated to make his way back to the front and pushed hard, but got caught out by the tricky conditions in turn 15 and was unable to continue the race.
Rossi‘s 11-point score increases his points total to 247 points as he holds the championship lead. Despite not taking home any points, Lorenzo still holds second position with 224 points, 23 points behind his teammate.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3‘s Bradley Smith did well to finish the race in second place and scored 20 points, giving Yamaha a 57-point lead in the Constructors Championship standings.
VALENTINO ROSSI
It‘s true that the championship is a lot more important that winning this race, it‘s the main target. Unfortunately Jorge crashed and I was able to gain another 11-points. This is good for the championship, but it‘s a shame to miss out on the podium, because I wanted to arrive in the top three in front of all the spectators. It was a crazy race and when you have to change the bike, in this case twice, you need luck and rapid thinking to understand the situation. Fifth is still a good result and we‘re looking forward to the next race in Aragon. There are still five races left and unfortunately Lorenzo has the ability to win at every single one and Marquez is also always strong, so there are still a lot of points left to fight for. Aragon is always a difficult track, but we did some tests there and my lap times weren‘t so bad, so we have to try to do a good race and arrive on the podium.
JORGE LORENZO
Two races with bad luck in a row, because the circumstances were wet and abnormal. In Silverstone I didn‘t have the confidence and here I didn‘t have the pace to warm up the tyre well, so I entered the corner with slicks that were still cold and lost the rear. I think I‘ve been unlucky this year in general, but especially these last two races, because I could have won both or finished second, but that‘s racing. In previous years, my rivals in the championship crashed and this year it‘s me who‘s unlucky, but all is not lost. If I win all the coming races I can still become the World Champion and it wouldn‘t matter in what position Valentino would finish in.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
It was clear from the start of the race that the weather was going to play a big factor. As always the team did a great job to give both Vale and Jorge the best possible set up for the race, but the weather changed just before the start, making the tyre choice and the strategy a real gamble. Vale lost some time at the beginning, but did well to keep his head cool despite the chaos. Deciding on when to come in is always a very tough call to make when you are leading the race, especially when you have the championship to think of. He gambled on changing to slicks a lap later than Jorge so it was a challenge for him to come back. It‘s a shame that Jorge was caught out by the tricky conditions, as he looked very impressive all weekend. Luckily he was not seriously injured, considering the high speed crash. I am sure he’ll be back in perfect form in two week‘s time. Today‘s results don‘t represent what we would have been capable of, had the weather been more consistent. We‘ll put this weekend behind us now and we look forward to the next round in Aragon.
More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:
Sweet and sour Grand Prix for Avintia Racing
13/09/15 Avintia Racing MotoGP – Grand Prix of San Marino – RACE
Hector Barbera did a great job to prepare this Grand Prix and everything was set for the race day, but the changing weather conditions ruined all the work the team had done during the weekend, as the Spaniard had to settle for 18th place. His teammate, Mike Di Meglio, declared himself satisfied after claiming the 13th position, his best result of the season so far, but the Avintia Racing French rider thinks that it was possible to do even better. The riders started the race with dry tyres and settings, but after five laps it started to rain and they went back to the pits to jump on their second bikes with wet settings. In those conditions, Barbera was fast and rode inside the top ten, but then the rain stopped again and the track dried out quickly. Some riders took the risk to change back to dry tyres once again, which turned out to be the right decision. Barbera went in too late and he lost all his chances. Di Meglio made his way through the field on dry tyres and got points for the third time this season.
The Open Class Championship is now a difficult goal for Hector Barbera, who came to Misano eight points ahead of Loris Baz and leaves the Italian track five points behind. There are five races to go, and they’ll be like five finals for the Spanish rider.
HECTOR BARBERA #8 / 18th (P5 Open) @HectorBarbera
It was a really difficult race because of the weather conditions. When we started with dry settings we were in a good position and also after changing to the bike with wet settings. But then I waited too long to change back to dry tyres and I lost all my chances. Loris Baz did very well and finished the race in fourth place, so now he is in front of us in the standings. We are five points behind and we have five races ahead, so we’ll have to give our best in all of them. They will be like five finals and the positive point is that the next is at home, in Aragon, and this is a good track for me. We have to keep calm and try to be smarter in the next race, even more if we have these conditions again.
MIKE DI MEGLIO #63 / 13th (P3 Open) @Mikejpp63
The result is very good, but I’m disappointed because I think we could have done even better. We have a communication problem with the team, because I wanted to stop some laps before, but I was not sure if the bike was ready. It is a shame because if I had come in three or four laps before, I could have gotten a strong result. I’m not saying I would have done as well as Baz, but for sure we would have been higher up than 13th position. All in all we can still be happy because we have done a good job during the weekend. We suffered a lot with the temperature changes in the dry and today we gave our maximum. I think this result is like a prize for my team.
More, from a press release issued by Forward Racing:
Superb fourth place for Loris Baz in Misano
After an incredible race, the Grand Prix of San Marino and Riviera di Rimini ends in the best way possible for the Forward Racing team. Loris Baz not only won among Open but he crossed the finish line in fourth place overall, getting the lead of the Open standings. It was an uphill race instead for his teammate Claudio Corti, twentieth under the checkered flag.
After a good start from 16th place on the grid, the Frenchman was one of the protagonists of this flag-to-flag race. After the first drops started to fall, Baz was quick to return to the pits to swap bike when he was in 12th position. He then stayed on the wet track for six laps before opting to return to a dry setup. His timing proved to be the winning choice, and within a few laps he was close to the leaders and on the podium. After a quick battle with Scott Redding, he finished in fourth position. With the thirteen points won today Baz takes the Open championship lead with five lengths on his direct opponent Barbera.
The race was different for his teammate Claudio Corti, who was involved in an early collision and lost some positions at the start. After getting the right time to change his bike, he suffered the wet conditions and finished in 20th place.
Loris Baz:
”What a day! Without notice we had to race on wet conditions and change the bike not only once but twice. It was hard to stay on the bike with the slick tires but I think I was doing well there. Than I was one of the first to come back to pit to change to rain and after 6 lap one of the first to change again to slick. That was what made the difference. The race was crazy at some point I did not know where I was, I just stayed focused. The dry line was really really tight. The last lap was eternally long because I wanted to bring the bike home and now I’m the leader of the Open standings. I want to thank all the team because flag-to-flag race are never easy and everyone did an incredible job not only for today but also in the last couple of months”.
Stefan Bradl:
“It was a chaotic race with many sudden changes. I took some risks but I had fun overall. I was stuck in traffic early in the race and I lost some positions. I was able to get close again to my opponenets but it started to rain. Maybe I waited a bit too much to get rain tires. We learned a lot from this race and we gathered many inputs to work with”.
More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone:
Marquez wins dramatic flag-to-flag MotoGP™ contest at Misano
Round 13: San Marino and Rimini MotoGP™ – Race
Misano, Sunday September 13 2015
Bridgestone slick options: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft & Hard (Symmetric) & Medium (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre options: Soft (Main), Hard (Alternative)
Weather: Dry/Wet. Ambient 26-27°C; Track 30-31°C (Bridgestone measurement)
Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez won his first premier-class Grand Prix at Misano today after expertly managing highly variable conditions in what was one of the most dramatic MotoGP™ contests in recent memory.
As the riders took position on the grid for the twenty-eight lap San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix, light rain began to fall and although the track was dry for the opening laps the rain soon intensified, leaving the riders with the option of changing to their spare bikes fitted with wet tyres. Marquez made his first pit stop on the seventh lap alongside Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi who comprised the lead group at the time. After changing from slick to wet tyres, Marquez re-joined the race in sixth place and as a dry line began to appear during the middle stages of the race the riders began to switch back to their bikes fitted with slick tyres, with Marquez doing so on lap eighteen. Once out on track on slick tyres again, Marquez turned up the pace to take the race lead by lap twenty and with track conditions stabilising, went on to win the race by 7.288 seconds ahead of Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley Smith. Amazingly, Smith didn’t pit for wet tyres and after managing the wet track on slick tyres, carved through the field as the track began to dry to seize his best ever MotoGP finishing position. Taking third place a further eleven seconds back was Scott Redding aboard the EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda, the Briton claiming his first ever MotoGP podium despite crashing earlier in the race, thanks to some fantastic pace on his second stint with slick tyres.
As well as the intermittent rainy periods during the race, the cloud cover kept track temperatures to a much lower level than yesterday, with a peak track temperature of just 31°C recorded; 13 degrees below yesterday’s high. The lower track temperatures and threat of rain resulted in some riders revising their original race tyre choices. At the start of the race, the medium compound front slick was the most popular choice with fifteen riders selecting this option, with the other eleven riders opting for the hard compound front slick. Rear tyre choice saw seventeen riders select the medium compound rear for the race, with the remaining nine riders running the soft compound rear slick at the start of the race. All riders used the soft compound front and rear wet tyres when making their first round of pit stops in order to ensure maximum grip and warm-up performance on the newly-laid asphalt with which they had no previous experience in wet conditions. On their second stint on slick tyres, most riders used the same compound of rear slick tyre they started the race on, but all riders who started the race on the hard compound front slick, changed to either the medium or soft compound front slick.
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi now leads the championship standings by twenty-three points after finishing fifth at Misano, with his teammate Jorge Lorenzo still in second place in the standings after suffering his first DNF of the season. Marquez’s fourth victory of the year sees him consolidate third place in the championship and closes the gap to Lorenzo to forty points with five rounds remaining.
Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“The record race day crowd at Misano today of around 92,000 fans were certainly treated to an exciting race due to the changing weather; I don’t think we’ve ever had a race where the majority of the field has two bike changes! The conditions were challenging, but Marc and his Repsol Honda Team were very precise in the timing of their bike changes, and Marc rode fantastically to take his first ever win at Misano. Well done also to Bradley on his best ever result in MotoGP and to Scott for his first ever rostrum in the premier-class. The pace all weekend was quick with a new Circuit Best Lap record set in qualifying and a new Circuit Record Lap set in the race – despite it raining lightly at the time – so overall I am pleased with how our 2015-specification tyres performed at the revised Misano circuit.”
Masao Azuma – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
“For the second race in succession the weather created track conditions vastly different from the practice and qualifying sessions. However, unlike the last race at Silverstone, for this Grand Prix no one had the chance to work on a wet setup before the race and so some riders found it difficult to find grip on the new Misano asphalt, which is why we recommended all riders use the soft compound wet tyres on their second bikes. Once the rain stopped, some riders opted for softer front slick options to better manage the cool and in parts, damp track so many different tyre combinations were used in the race. Overall, the riders felt our slick tyres performed well in the variable conditions during the race, but the lack of wet setup time means they couldn’t extract maximum performance out of the wet tyres on the new track surface here at Misano.”
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team – Race Winner
“During the race I was behind the Yamahas trying to work out how the wet tyres were behaving on the drying asphalt. I could see that their wet tyres were degrading, and my bike was moving a lot at the time so I decided at that moment to change to slick tyres. However it was difficult to understand what parts of the circuit were wet, as the new asphalt was so dark, but it dried quickly. It’s nice to be on the podium, the target for this race was to get a victory and we did so I am really happy.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
CRUTCHLOW JUST OUTSIDE TOP 10 AFTER CHAOTIC RACE AT MISANO
LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow finished in 11th place after a topsy-turvy San Marino Grand Prix at Misano on Sunday. Sporadic rain at the Rimini circuit ensured there was plenty of action and no end of bike changes by the riders, but Crutchlow could not quite take advantage as he would have hoped.
After a difficult weekend on his RC213V, the Briton appeared set for a positive result after moving up into third spot by the eighth lap. But with the rain and subsequent visits to the pits meaning almost constant changes at the head of the field, Crutchlow lost places with a lack of grip towards the end also hampering his push for the leading places.
Cal Crutchlow #35 (11th – 49m 5.814s)
“Obviously it was a really strange race today, I should have come in (to change bikes) at a different time, it was a complete lottery who was going to finish where in the race. I had a great pace in the rain as always and not too bad pace in the dry, but at the end I was on a used tyre so I didn’t have the best grip for the last ten laps. At that time we were already a little bit too far back to challenge.
“I’m disappointed for sure with the result because I feel we could have made a really good race, also because if it had been a completely dry race I thought we had made an important step forward with the bike.”
More, from another press release issued by LCR Honda:
UNLUCKY MILLER IN THE POINTS AGAIN AT MISANO
Despite a highly-creditable 12th-placed finish at the San Marino Grand Prix, LCR Honda rider Jack Miller was left pondering what might have been after a chaotic race at Misano. Intermittent rain ensured there was incident galore throughout Sunday’s showpiece at the Rimini circuit.
But having switched back to slicks after the rain, Miller looked poised to secure his first top-10 finish of the season. However, an electrical problem late on saw the Australian lose places as he eventually had to settle for 12th place and a fifth point-scoring finish of the campaign.
Jack Miller #43 (12th – 49m 9.894s)
“With about six or seven laps to go we had an electrical problem with the bike, the thing starting losing power and wouldn’t go into anything lower than fourth gear, so I had to start short-shifting through second and third and as a result my lap times dropped considerably. It was a good race, but being a rookie to this bike change thing I stayed out longer than I should and it cost me dearly, I lost a good thirty, thirty-five seconds.
“It was a good race, I thought it was all over but then I was really happy when I came in and put the wets on. When we went to slicks it just took me a little longer to get into the groove of things than Scott (Redding, who finished third) and you can see what he did. We started picking things up, but then it all sort of came to an end with about seven laps to go and I just had to limp the thing home really.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Marvellous Marquez wins amid Misano mayhem
Marc Marquez wins one of the most dramatic MotoGP™ races ever ahead of Smith and Redding, with Rossi in fifth and Lorenzo crashes out.
Repsol Honda’s Marquez took his fourth win of the season at the Gran Premio TIM di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini in some of the most difficult conditions the MotoGP™ World Championship has seen in recent years. The Spaniard took his 23rd MotoGP™ victory after gambling in a flag-to-flag race that saw most riders pit twice due to the changing conditions.
A record 92,000 fans at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli bore witness to an incredible spectacle but were denied a Valentino Rossi victory as the Italian crossed the line in fifth. Rossi managed to extend his lead in the championship standings to 23 points over teammate Lorenzo after the Spaniard crashed out of the race in second.
There was drama on the grid as drops of rain started to fall, riders setting off on their Warm Up lap with baited breath. Meanwhile, Ducati Team’s wildcard Michele Pirro had an issue with his GP15 and was forced to start from pit lane on his second bike, equipped with wet tyres.
The rest of the MotoGP™ field started on slicks with Jorge Lorenzo setting a scalding pace from the start with a trademark launch off the line. Small battles emerged throughout the opening lap, but drama came as the white flags were flown on lap two. This signaled that all riders were able to come in and swap to their second bikes if conditions deteriorated.
Lorenzo forged ahead undeterred with Marc Marquez close behind, the duo able to break away from Valentino Rossi who struggled in the opening laps. All the while rained continued to fall, some riders pushed even harder in the conditions while many tiptoed around, waiting to follow their rivals into the pits. By lap six the pace had dropped by close to six seconds and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) found himself battling the Ducati Team pair of Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso, but the riders were visibly timid in the tricky conditions.
Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Racing’s Scott Redding had been involved in this battle for fourth, but on the seventh lap disaster struck as the Brit ran on and dropped his Honda. Determined as ever, he sprinted to his bike and dove into the pits for wet tyres. By this stage the majority of MotoGP™ riders had also opted for wet bike change, just the front three of Lorenzo, Rossi and Marquez staying out.
As is usual in racing, the top three all dove into the pits together, adopting the same strategy as your rival is often the safest option in unusual circumstances such as the San Marino GP. Even in pit lane there was drama as Marquez and Lorenzo almost collided, the Yamaha rider gesturing to Marquez to ‘stay calm’ as they returned to track.
With the three re-joining at the same time, it was clear Lorenzo and Marquez had a quicker pace than Rossi and the Italian soon found himself 2.5 seconds behind Lorenzo. Lorenzo himself was able to get through on Marquez at Turn 8 when the Honda rider ran wide on the tenth lap. All riders found it difficult to tell where was wet and where was dry as the new Misano surface is quite dark.
But as the track began to dry, Rossi began to fly. The Italian gaining over a second a lap on the two leaders with each circulation, despite his front wet tyre rapidly starting to deteriorate. Worried mechanics worked hurriedly in pit lane, preparing bikes for a second change of the race.
Loris Baz (Forward Racing) was one of the first to jump back onto slicks, the Open rider soon finding himself inside the top ten as the rest of the field also opted to change back. Meanwhile, Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was struggling outside the points having remained on slicks throughout the entire race. The Brit followed his instincts to risk it after missing the opportunity to change with the rest of the pack.
Again, it was the top three who stuck together and stayed out long after the others. Rossi and Lorenzo battling tooth and claw for multiple laps as Marquez played it safe, waiting behind the Yamaha pair and assessing their tyres. On lap 18 Marquez decided it was time to swap back to slicks, a move that would prove to be a masterstroke. Lorenzo would join Marquez on slicks the following lap while Rossi continued to push ahead, 92,000 fans roaring in approval.
Disaster struck as ‘The Doctor’ pitted, with just seven laps to go Lorenzo fell at Turn 15. The Mallorcan suffered a small contusion to his right hand and his Yamaha M1 took a severe beating, but it was his championship hopes that came off worst of all. With eyes transfixed on the front-runners, Baz, Redding and Smith continued their silent charge through the order.
Marquez had chosen the perfect time to pit, he had built enough of an advantage to maintain a solid lead in the race even with his second pit stop and Smith’s gamble to stay out on slicks was finally paying off after a multitude of laps spent tiptoeing around and dropping as low as 21st, the Brit in a solid second now. As Lorenzo fell, Baz was promoted into third.
Sadly for the Frenchmen this would not last as Redding, who had swapped to slicks earlier than many riders after being unable to find a good feeling on wets, rapidly gained on the Open rider, passing him with four laps to go.
The positions settled in with just a handful of laps remaining and for the fourth time in 2015 Marquez secured victory, his first MotoGP™ victory at Misano. An elated, and somewhat surprised, Bradley Smith joined him with a second place finish and Scott Redding rounded out the podium with his first premier class podium finish. This was the first time since the 1979 Venezuelan GP (Barry Sheen & Tom Herron) that two British riders have finished on a podium in the premier class. Loris Baz may have been forced off the podium, but a fourth place finish delivers an incredible result for his Open Championship campaign.
With the yellow smoke settled and customary post-race track invasion dispersed, Rossi maintains his lead of the MotoGP™ World Championship with 247 points, now 23 clear of Lorenzo due to his DNF. Marquez jumps to 184, a comfortable margin ahead of Andrea Iannone who has 159 points. A second MotoGP™ podium gifted Britain’s Bradley Smith 20 points and cements him in fifth overall. Loris Baz jumps to 15th overall in the World Standings, with 28 points, now five points ahead of Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) in the Open battle.
Alongside Lorenzo there was misfortune for Alex De Angelis (E-Motion IodaRacing Team) and Yonny Hernandez (Octo Pramac Racing) who came together at Turn 6. With just two laps to go Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) also fell, his fourth DNF of the year.
Zarco has one hand on title after Moto2™ win
Johann Zarco takes his sixth win of the season from Tito Rabat and Takaaki Nakagami to extend his lead in the standings to 93 points.
Ajo Motorsport’s Zarco took advantage of an early crash between Dominique Aegerter (Technomag Racing Interwetten) and Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) while they were battling for the lead to take his seventh career victory. In the process Zarco equaled Oliver Jacque, Arnaud Vincent and Christian Sarron in the list of most successful French GP riders of all time. It also meant that Zarco recorded his 12th consecutive podium of the season and the Frenchman can now take the title at Motegi.
EG 0,0 Marc VDS’s Tito Rabat recovered from an awful start that saw him drop down to 8th by the end of the first lap to claim his seventh podium of the season. In a race were tyre choice was crucial, Rabat joined Zarco and a number of other riders by opting for the harder rear while the medium seemed to drop off dramatically in the latter stages. Rabat eventually crossed the line 3.850s behind his title rival Zarco in second.
Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Takaaki Nakagami (+5.388s) went for the medium rear and was struggling dramatically for grip at the end of the race. The Japanese rider managed to hold on to claim his first podium since Misano in 2013 and the sixth of his GP career.
Forward Racing’s Corsi (+7.058s) crossed the line in fourth ahead of Julian Simon (+9.225s) on the QMMF Racing Speed Up bike. AGR Team’s Jonas Folger also went for the medium rear tyre, and saw his podium challenge fade as the race went on. The German eventually crossed the line in sixth, 10.466s behind the race winner.
Lorenzo Baldassari (Forward Racing) rode superbly with a dislocated right shoulder to finish in seventh, while Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP), Luis Salom (Paginas Amarillas HP40), and Thomas Luthi (Derendinger Racing Interwetten) completed the top ten.
Rins took out Aegerter while challenging him for the lead on just the second lap. Both riders re-joined, but Rins was black flagged late on in the race after battling with riders while a lap down. Aegerter eventually recovered to finish in 24th.
Speed Up Racing’s Sam Lowes was forced to retire from the race after a loose fairing rubbed against his rear tyre forcing it to delaminate.
It was announced before the race that Mika Kallio would be parting ways with the Italtrans Racing Team to join the QMMF Racing Team for 2016. Unfortunately for the 2014 Moto2™ runner-up he then crashed out of the race at turn 8 on just the third lap. There were also crashes for Ricard Cardus, Robin Mulhauser, Alex Marquez, Jesko Raffin and Federico Caricasulo.
Battling Bastianini takes maiden Moto3™ Victory
Enea Bastianini took his first career GP victory ahead of Oliveira and Antonelli as championship leader Kent finishes in sixth.
Gresini Racing Team Moto3’s Bastianini won a close fought battle at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli to snatch his first Moto3™ victory in just his 31st start at his home grand prix. In the process he closed the gap in the championship standings to Danny Kent to 55 points with 5 races remaining.
The Italian was involved in a five man leading group that saw the lead swap hands multiple times. On the last lap the ‘Beast’ made his move through turn 11 and held on to take the checkered flag for the first time in his career, just 0.037s ahead of Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Miguel Oliveira. It was Oliveira’s fourth podium of the season and best result since his race win at Assen as he took advantage of the new KTM Frame and chassis available to riders at Misano. It seemed a fitting way for the Portuguese rider to celebrate his announcement he will make the step up to Moto2™ next year with Leopard Racing.
Ongetta-Rivacold’s Niccolo Antonelli (0.345s) recovered from Saturday’s crash to cross the line in third and take his third podium of the season ahead of a hard charging Romano Fenati (+0.584s) on the SKY Racing Team VR46 KTM. Oliveira’s teammate Brad Binder made it three KTM’s in the top five as only 0.637s separated the leading group across the line.
Leopard Racing’s championship leader Kent (+8.000) was at the back of the leading group mid way through the race but was forced to give up a position after exceeding track limits at turn 6 a number of times. Unfortunately for the Brit the nearest rider was four seconds back and he had to slow to let them pass, ending any chance he had of a podium as he eventually crossed the line in sixth.
Alexis Masbou (SAXOPRINT RTG), Francesco Bagnaia (Mapfre Team Mahindra), Isaac Viñales (RBA Racing Team) and Phillip Oettl (Schedl GP Racing) completed the top ten.
Scotsman John McPhee (SAXOPRINT RTG) recovered from 26th on the grid to finish in 19th. There was also a five second penalty applied to Maria Herrera for exceeding track limits although it did not affect her position of 24th.
Efren Vazquez (Leopard Racing) crashed out of the race while battling in the leading group, and there were also falls for Zulfahmi Khairuddin, Tatsuki Suzuki, Remy Gardner, Jules Danilo and Juanfran Guevara. Guevara crashed on the last lap and made contact with his teammate Martin, who somehow stayed upright to take the last championship point in 15th.
Both Estrella Galicia 0,0 riders Fabio Quartararo and Jorge Navarro were forced to miss the race after crashing in practice on Friday being declared unfit.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
TRICKY WEATHER COMPLICATES MISANO MotoGP RACE
After two days under intense sun and a dry warm-up, the GP of San Marino was afflicted by uncertain weather conditins with rain arriving right at the beginning of today’s MotoGP race to further mix up the results.
Although the race was declared dry, the increasing rain gave riders the first chance this year to take benefit of the bike-switch rule, where another machine is ready in the pit-lane with a rain set-up. The rain soon stopped, with the racing line getting drier lap-after-lap, forcing the riders to switch again for dry-set machines.
This led to an exciting an emotional ‘topsy-turvy’ race for the huge amount of spectators at the Misano Circuit, but it proved to be not so sweet for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders, who struggled to find good feelings with their machines in the conditions.
Both Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales were pretty solid and consistent, even though they could never fight for positions better than 10th overall, with Espargaro 10th and Viñales in 14th position overall.
Satoru Terada –Project Leader:
“This has been a very tough race for us. The weather conditions were tricky and we couldn’t take advantage of the two changes of bikes. In fact the whole weekend has been hard for us, we arrived here with lots of expectations after the test we made in July and we have left disappointed. In July we could lap very positively and we thought we would have a very good base, but unfortunately the track conditions were very different and so both the riders had to start their work again, just like we did at all the other circuits that were totally new for us. With Aleix we had some positive news since on the second day he improved his feeling a lot and could find a good base for the race; we thought we could do a positive race with him but the weather messed up our plans. Maverick on his side struggled the whole weekend since he couldn’t find a good feeling with the rear-end, lacking in traction and acceleration. Anyway it was important to us to find such different conditions because this gives us the chance to compare the data between July’s tests and this race, therefore expanding our knowledge and experience. I think we can now stop thinking about the result of this weekend and take the positives that we can, thinking already to Aragon, where we have already tested and we have a little knowledge about the track.”
Aleix Espargaro:
“I must say I am disappointed about the race, not only for the result itself but because we don’t deserve to be where we are. We are all working very hard and the classification and points are not where we should be. In the first part of the race in dry conditions I was feeling competitive, being able to fight for the positions ahead well into the top-ten, then when we had to switch the bikes for the second time and we didn’t manage the situation at its best; maybe I could have stopped a lap earlier and gained some more positions. Unfortunately we still lack in performance, no need to say once more that we miss some acceleration, but we need to find a more efficient way to exploit what positives we have. Now we head to Aragon, I hope we will have a better luck there but most of all I hope that the weather will be similar to what we found in testing so that we can start from a solid base, which is what we couldn’t do in this race.”
Maverick Viñales:
“Once again this weekend I must admit that I am disappointed, after the tests we were so positive about this race but at the end of the day we couldn’t exploit anything about the information we got from it. I have struggled since the very first session, I couldn’t find a proper feeling with the setting and I can’t understand why. For sure the conditions were much different from the tests but back then I felt very confident, so it is so strange to have such extremely different feelings. The weather mixed up things for sure, but we could have done better. Now we need to find some ideas and solutions, we still have many races and I’m sure we can improve further, everything helps to grow and learn, so I want to keep in a positive mood.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Iannone and Dovizioso finish TIM San Marino Grand Prix in seventh and eighth place. Pirro forced to retire.
The TIM San Marino Grand Prix was held in changeable weather conditions, which gave rise to an exciting 28-lap race. The rain began to fall a few laps into the race, becoming heavier after a few laps, so the riders came into the pits to change their bikes. Around the mid-point the track had dried out again and the riders came into the pits a second time to change, this time to bikes with dry weather settings.
Iannone powered away well from the third row of the grid and he crossed the line at the end of the opening lap in fifth place. After moving up to fourth on lap 6, Andrea then pitted on the next lap to change to his ‘wet’ bike. The Italian then switched bikes again on lap 18 and began a charge up the field that took him to seventh with four laps to go, holding that position to the chequered flag despite coming under attack from his teammate.
Dovizioso, who also started from row 3, ran the first five laps in seventh. He briefly took the lead on lap 7, before stopping to switch over to his ‘wet’ machine on lap 8. Returning to the track in eighth place, the Italian crossed the line in seventh on lap 16 and three laps later he again pitted to switch bikes. Dovizioso returned to the race in thirteenth place but he was back up to eighth with four laps to go before the flag.
Wild-card Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team) had an unfortunate race after qualifying on row 2 in fifth. The Italian had a technical problem on the starting grid and had to start from the pit-lane with his second GP15 machine, which however was in wet-weather trim. Nine laps later Pirro had to retire when his rain tyres were completely destroyed by the dry track surface.
In the overall standings, Iannone continues his run in fourth place on 159 points, while Dovizioso has now been passed by Smith and he drops back to sixth place with 128 points. Ducati and the Ducati Team lie third in the Constructors’ and Teams’ standings.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 7th
“It was a very complicated race. In the early stages I was going quite well, I had enough confidence with the bike and I was trying to attack Pedrosa. When it began to rain, the situation became more difficult because it wasn’t easy to lap on slicks in those conditions on a track surface that was neither dry nor wet. When I changed bikes, the rain tyres were ruined immediately, even before the track had dried out and my bike tended to move around a lot in acceleration and was difficult to control. Unfortunately I made a mistake when it was time to switch bikes for the second time, delaying my entry too much, and probably my final result would have been different if I had decided to come in before. Next time I’ll certainly pay more attention to the pit-board, and make better use of today’s experience.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 8th
“It was a real pity and I feel disappointed for the team because we missed out on an important opportunity to score a good result, but unfortunately I had the wrong strategy. Both bike switches I didn’t do at the right time, and I will take the blame for that: I’m really disappointed about it, because we could have got a good result. That will certainly be useful for the future, but it’s always complicated to understand when it’s the right time to come into the pits and change bikes.”
Michele Pirro (Ducati Team #51) – DNF
“Let’s say that today was clearly not my day. Until the race the weekend had been going perfectly, but on the grid the bike didn’t start because of a technical problem and I had to set off from the pit-lane with my ‘wet’ bike. It could have been a great day for me, because I felt really good and I was counting on doing well, but in the end I missed out in a big way. Bikes are made of components and today one of these components deprived us of the satisfaction of being able to run the race with the top guys. I’m clearly disappointed but I have to put it behind me, so a big thanks to the guys in the team who did a perfect job. For someone like me who doesn’t have many chances of racing in MotoGP, today maybe the conditions were just right for a good result, but it’s obvious that I still have to suffer some more!”
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“Let’s say that it was a difficult race, made even more complicated by constantly changing weather conditions. In the end choosing when to come in and change tyres made all the difference. Unfortunately both of our riders decided to come in a bit too late, also because it wasn’t easy to see where the new track surface was wet or dry. The fact remains that towards the end of the race we had good pace and if we had also guessed our strategy right, maybe our two riders could have scored a different result. Pirro’s retirement was a real shame, because he finally had a chance to show his worth and he could have done a good race. Unfortunately a technical issue, for which I apologize to him, ruined any chance for Michele to score a good result.”
More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:
Opposing feelings for POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar pair in a race of two halves at Misano
Nicky Hayden finds excellent feeling in the wet and Eugene Laverty in the dry, but neither has the perfect combination for a freak race that sees them finish in 17th and 19th position
The MotoGP race at Misano today will long be remembered, after 28 chaotic laps that saw virtually all of the riders on the grid change bikes at least once. Only Bradley Smith finished the race without pitting after taking the gamble of staying out on slick tyres despite a rain shower just as the race started. By the sixth lap the majority of riders had come in to change to wet tyres, by which time Lorenzo had escaped with Márquez and Rossi for company. On the following lap the lead trio came in to pit and as they returned on the slippery new Misano asphalt Márquez took the initiative, only to run wide and hand the lead back to Lorenzo. Rossi was in close contact and the veteran used his skills in precarious conditions to himself then open a gap over the pair.
As the laps went by and the rain ceased it soon became clear that the riders out on track on wet tyres would soon have to make a second pit stop and revert to slicks, with the first men coming back in on the thirteenth lap and Valentino Rossi staying out the longest, eventually pitting on lap 21. What looked like an error from Rossi was soon overshadowed by an even bigger one from his team-mate Lorenzo, who crashed on the same lap, losing crucial championship points. Márquez played the best hand in a lottery of a race, taking victory from Smith, who was rewarded for his bravery with second place, and Scott Redding, who made it two Brits on the podium for the first time since the Grand Prix of Venezuela in 1979 (Sheene – Herron).
Unfortunately there was no winning ticket to the lottery in the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar garage, where both Nicky Hayden and Eugene Laverty could consider themselves hard done by the changing conditions. In wet conditions the American rider reproduced his form from Silverstone, making up several positions as he closed in on the top ten. However, he did not have the same feeling on the drying track and he eventually dropped back to seventeenth. It was the other way around for Laverty, who produced his best pace from lap 18, when the Irishman found the grip in the dry that he had been looking for since Friday. However, it proved too little too late to mount a comeback and he had to settle for nineteenth position.
17º Nicky Hayden: “What a bizarre day. On the one hand it was tough but at the same time there was a lot of adrenaline, it was quite exciting. The warm-up went quite good for us, we definitely improved our pace this morning so I was hoping for a dry race but on the sighting lap we took the wet bike out, scrubbed the tyres in, came back for the dry bike and took that out to the grid. I got a good start but it was so tricky with different conditions in different parts of the track. When I came back in the team had done a really great job with the wet bike being that we had no set-up time, even with the mapping. I was able to pick up some positions and I felt good. I probably stayed out a little too long but it was still kind of raining down on the front part of the track so I was sceptical about coming in for the slick bike again in case it did start raining again. Hindsight is always 20/20 on that. But when I went back out on slicks I didn’t have a great feeling in the beginning on the dry track and lost some positions and I wasn’t able to be fast enough in the last part of the race. It was a tough way to end a difficult weekend but we’ll go to Aragon and try to do better.”
19º Eugene Laverty: “It’s always easy to look back on a race with hindsight and maybe we could have pitted earlier in the race but anything you do in this situation is a gamble and that’s the way it goes. It was a hero or zero kind of race and fair play to the boys on the podium but it could so easily have gone the other way for them. The biggest surprise for me was when I went back out on my dry bike again and the lap time and the feeling was incredible. I had so much grip it was like the bike I had on Friday again. Yesterday and also this morning I had zero front grip, I have no idea why. Today, I don’t know whether the rain had washed the dirt off the track or whether the Bridgestone wets had laid some rubber down but I had grip again. It’s something we need to look into but for me it was down to the surface. I said to the boys earlier this weekend that at least our race wouldn’t be spoiled by the rain again like Silverstone but maybe I shouldn’t have said anything! I was angry after Silverstone because I felt our bike suited the track and we were capable of a result there. I wasn’t sure Misano would suit us but actually we have shown good pace at certain points of the weekend so now we can go to Aragon and Phillip Island, two tracks that should be good for us, with optimism.”
More, from a press release issued by AB Motoracing:
We gained in credibly dramatic race twenty-first place
During the thirteenth race of MotoGP, season the weather prepared dramatic show for riders and fans. Riders were forced to change their bike twice during the race. The Czech rider Karel Abraham, which is still fighting with foot injury, he finished the race on twenty-first position. Marc Marquez won the race in front of Bradley Smith and Scott Redding.
Karel Abraham
“It was one of craziest races that I remember. I think I never happened that riders had to change the bike twice. It was really demanding. I´m going to have think about what to do next. The foot is still limiting me. I can´t accelerate and I can´t ride as I want. The bike was slippery on wet track and I could not catch up with anybody. The dry track was better, but at this point, we were losing too much. Now we will see what is going to be next.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Expert Smith blazes to second position in Misano MotoGP thriller
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Bradley Smith delivered an exceptional performance in front of 92,315 people to clinch the second MotoGP rostrum of his career after conquering the Misano race in 2nd. The young Briton started from the second row after a successful qualifying campaign yesterday. However, moments before the beginning of the 28 lap sprint rain began to fall at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli and shortly after the lights went out, the weather deteriorated which prompted riders to change bikes in the first quarter of the GP. Yet, after finishing the opening lap in 6th place, Smith took the brave decision to remain out on the track with slick tyres in the wet whilst every other rider pitted. As the race progressed he dropped back to 21st on the 11th lap, but his choice to remain out on the track paid dividends when the rain stopped falling and the circuit began to dry quickly. Here, the young British rider rocketed through the field and back into 9th position with ten laps remaining as the rest of the riders changed back to their dry bikes. Smith continued to improve his speed consistently and furthered his ascent before expertly moving into a podium position on lap 20. Shortly afterwards, he moved up one position and eventually sped across the finish line in this placement after having made the climb from 21st to 2nd. The result closes a hugely successful weekend for Smith who now moves back up to 5th in the world championship standings after the expertly calculated ride.
On the other side of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team garage, Pol Espargaro endured a tricky GP and was hugely unfortunate as he failed to finish the eventful race in San Marino. After undertaking a good start which saw him climb up three places from 12th on the grid to 9th, Espargaro battled to move further through the pack, yet as the rain began to fall, he took the decision to pit on lap seven. After re-joining the Grand Prix, the 24 year old moved further up the field and reached 5th as a third of the race distance was covered. He was then shuffled back one place and ran in 6th place for an extended period. However, with the weather having improved, he took the decision to pit again with eight laps to go. Espargaro then re-joined the GP yet suffered technical issues shortly after, which caused him to retire on the last lap. Yet, he will seek to bounce back with a strong result at the next event at Aragon in his home country.
Bradley Smith
Position : 2nd Championship : 5th Points : 135
“I am thrilled with this finish as I feel that I earned it today even though it was a big gamble! It was very difficult to make the right decisions in the race and I tried to make a few calculations in my head. I looked at the sky before it started and I said to myself that if it rains, it will only be for a short while and I hoped it would dry quickly. However, I still didn’t know how the new surface would be in the wet. My decision to stay out was initially because I missed the lap when Jorge and Vale pitted so I carried on and I believed that the rain had slowed down slightly. At this point, I already had lost a lot of time, therefore I thought it would be best to wait a few laps and see what happens and when it stopped I knew the gamble could work as I realised that they might have to pit twice. Furthermore, I kept saying to myself that luck favours the brave which motivated me even further and here I am! My race position kept going up and to finally come home in 2nd is very special. This result is one of my greatest and it’s a truly emotional moment. In Phillip Island I just finished the race and got the podium but here I had to ride really smoothly and with skill as well as talent in these conditions. We have to take opportunities like these because as a satellite team we work really hard for 5th or 6th every race, but the rostrum is just out of reach. So, I’m even more delighted to give this finish to the team and the sponsors and I can’t wait to get back out on track at the next round.”
Pol Espargaro
Position : DNF Championship : 9th Points : 81
“I can’t hide my disappointment at how the weekend finished after it looked promising from the early stages and yet again, the weather complicated my race. Of course, I didn’t have any experience on this resurfaced track in the wet conditions so everything was a bit uncertain and to be honest, there were moments in the GP where I couldn’t see if line was dry or wet. In addition, at one point I was slightly confused about which position I was in as there was no one in front or behind me. I stayed out on the wet tyres for a while as I didn’t want to come back in and change to slicks in those ever changing conditions because it could have started raining again. So, I thought this was the best thing to do, but at the end of the day it was a lottery and this time, it didn’t go my way. Yet, when I did eventually pit, I returned to the track and I had an issue which caused me to retire. So it was clearly a frustrating end to this weekend even though I was on the pace when it was dry, just like at Silverstone. I started the day well and this morning I finished the warm up in 5th, but then the rain came which prevented me from racing the GP how I wanted to. However, I must say congratulations to Bradley who did a really good job and I just hope that in Aragon, the conditions will be the same for the entire weekend and we can have a normal and uninterrupted race. ”
Hervé Poncharal – Team manager :
“What a fantastic way to end a great weekend with this super result for Brad and the team. Like everyone on the grid I was praying for a dry race after the difficult time we had in Silverstone. The man up there didn’t listen to me, which I thought was bad at the time! Brad had a good start but we were a bit nervous as the rain kept falling. Everyone pitted except Bradley and at one stage I thought he was brave but the weather got worse and then he was losing more than 10 seconds a lap. Yet, fortunately the rain stopped at the right moment and from there, he showed incredible determination and understood that today he had to take the risk. Anyway, it was a good race with not many crashes, so firstly, I must say thanks to Brad who was very courageous and I must also give him a massive congratulations as he more than deserved that podium. After this and last year’s result, hopefully there is one more step for him to climb. Yet, the weekend has been bittersweet as Pol had a tricky time. He had a great start and pitted at the right time just like everyone else, plus he was up to 6th for the majority of the race. He then came into the pits but once he jumped on the dry bike, he started to encounter some technical issues which prevented him from finishing the race. I feel very sorry for him as he was clearly competitive all weekend long. Even though he didn’t complete the race, he was fast and must not blame himself. If Brad can fight for podiums then Pol can too, so he needs to keep the motivation and the positive spirit high and let’s go to Aragon full of energy.”