Redding ready to race at Misano
Gosselies, Belgium: Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider, Scott Redding, heads to this weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix at Misa
no looking to build on his sixth place finish last time out at Silverstone, his best result since stepping up to the MotoGP class in 2014.
Redding was the first British rider home at Silverstone, which provided a much needed confidence boost during what has been a difficult first season aboard the factory Honda RC213V for the 22-year-old.
Although buoyed by his success in the British Grand Prix Redding remains realistic as he heads to Misano, a circuit that differs greatly in character to Silverstone and one that places different demands on the rider, bike and tyres.
The Briton will also need to evaluate changes made to the Misano circuit, which underwent extensive renovation earlier this year. The 4.2km track was completely resurfaced in March, with additional run off also added for safety and a number of the corners and kerbs re-profiled.
Unlike many of his MotoGP rivals, who tested at Misano back in July, Redding will see the circuit modifications for the first time this weekend. What is certain is that lap records will tumble, as all of the riders who took part in the test back in July were under the pole position record of 1’32.915, set by Marc Márquez in 2013.
Scott Redding:
“Misano is a very different circuit to Silverstone. It’s still got some fast corners but it’s also more technical in places. I normally enjoy racing there, but we will need to see how the resurfacing has changed things, as it’s likely to be more abrasive which means tyre wear could be an issue. I hope we can maintain the form from Silverstone, but it all depends on how the Honda works at the track. If the bike works then I hope we can keep making improvements in free practice and secure a place directly in QP2 once again, as this takes some of the pressure off in qualifying and it’s critical for a good race result.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Scott rode a good race in front of his home crowd in the British Grand Prix and to finish as the top British rider was just the boost to his confidence that he needed after difficult races in Indianapolis and Brno. Now he needs to carry the momentum into this weekend at Misano, which is a very different track to Silverstone. What is important is for him to feel comfortable on the bike after the first two free practice sessions on Friday and the team will be working hard to achieve that. If he can find a good feeling with the bike ahead of the all important FP3 then we stand a good chance of progressing straight into QP2 again, which is important both for Scott’s confidence and the race.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Tech 3:
Misano challenge imminent for confident Tech3 duo
The meandering 4.2 kilometre Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli is the next round for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team mates Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro who will both intend to power to glory as the leading satellite bikes under the Italian sun. Having endured a challenging and wet Silverstone weekend, the two riders head to the GP of San Marino full of optimism and ready for the fight at the 13th event of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship. The circuit, which features six left and ten right corners, has held some highly exciting battles in the past and will offer the perfect conditions for another entertaining spectacle this weekend with the track having been resurfaced earlier in the year.
Bradley Smith will be seeking to extend his impressive run by following up his hard fought 7th place result at his home Grand Prix with another competitive showing at Misano in order to stretch his record of completing every race no lower than 8th this season. The 24 year old British rider is currently leading the satellite MotoGP standings and will intend to consolidate his points tally by meeting the chequered flag inside the top six. Meanwhile Pol Espargaro will aim to fight as close as possible with the leading factory MotoGP bikes in the 28 lap sprint on Sunday and he will seek to close the weekend with a solid result aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1. The Spaniard was unfortunate to fall at the wet British Grand Prix after undertaking a notable start but will look to make amends instantly in San Marino as he fully intends to soar across the finish line as the leading satellite bike.
Bradley Smith
Championship : 6thPoints : 115
“Next up for the MotoGP paddock is Misano, which is a GP that I always really enjoy riding at and I am certain that we can conclude the weekend positively on Sunday. It was a bit of a tough race at Silverstone, but I gave my absolute all for my home fans and overall the finish was not too bad, plus the experience certainly has raised my confidence with riding in the wet. In the past, I have scored a few podiums at Misano in the 125cc class so I have some happy memories and these will spur me on to get a good result. Plus, I am only five points from Dovizioso in the championship standings, which makes me even more determined to push hard. The track has recently been resurfaced which is positive, yet we will start with a slight disadvantage as Ducati and a few other teams tested there recently. However, we will take everything step by step in order to clinch a solid grid position on Saturday after working on the best possible setup for Sunday as I want to be able to do a top job.”
Pol Espargaro
Championship : 9thPoints : 81
“It’s time to head to San Marino for the 13th round of the 2015 MotoGP world championship and I am confident as well as excited about throwing my leg over the Yamaha and getting things underway there. The track is one that I like as it suits the style of the M1 which was strong there last year. In addition, I have had some competitive performances in the past, including winning the Moto2 race from pole in 2013. This motivates me highly for the weekend and I am fired up and ready to fight. We certainly made some steps forward at the previous GP and despite the unfortunate DNF, I am sure we can carry the positives over to San Marino. I will definitely try my very best as I aim to get into the top six and beat my teammate. I can’t wait to get the show on the road and make the Italian fans cheer! ”
Hervé Poncharal – Team manager :
“Misano is our next destination and it’s a favourite for a lot of people in MotoGP due to its beautiful location and scenery. However as we are there to race, so we can’t take too much advantage of the surroundings, but we still hope to seize two more top results with Brad and Pol. Our English rider did a good job at his home event, even though it was tricky due to the weather, but he gave his all and was strong for the whole weekend. Now we are confident that he can repeat this pace in Misano and use it to battle in the front half of field. As for Pol, we were pleased with his level up until race day at Silverstone and it was really unfortunate that he fell. However, he made some significant improvements and this, together with the good results in the past at Misano, means that we can expect him to be gunning for a top finish, as close as possible to the factory bikes. It will surely be another interesting Grand Prix and we are ready for the challenge in front of the always excited crowd. “
More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:
Barbera y Di Meglio ready for the action at Misano
08/09/15 Avintia Racing MotoGP – San Marino Grand Prix – PREVIEW
The MotoGP World Championship heads to the San Marino Republic this weekend. The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli will host the 13th round of the season with Hector Barbera and Mike Di Meglio in great form after a fantastic show under the rain the last time out at Silverstone. Both riders arrive to Misano aiming to fight to be the best Open Class on Sunday. In Great Britain Barbera increased his advantage on the standings, and at Misano he expects to give to the “ducatisti” a home win in the Open Class. Mike Di Meglio finished inside the points at Silverstone and his target for this weekend at Misano is to continue in the same direction. The 2.6 miles circuit underwent extensive renovation earlier this year. The track was completely resurfaced, additional run off areas were also added for safety and a number of the corners and kerbs were re-profiled to make the track more fluid. Most od the MotoGP grid were testing last July, but for Barbera and Di Meglio everything will be new.
HECTOR BARBERA #8 / @HectorBarbera
Misano is a track I like. The weather usually is good and I think our bike can make the difference in the fast corners. We race in Italy, Ducati’s home, so this will give us extra strength and for sure the support of the Italian fans will be huge. I made some podiums at Misano while racing in the smaller classes, so I think this track should be good for us. The most difficult thing at Misano is finding the best set up, the first part is slow and twisty and the second part is really fast, so you always try to get the best compromise with the bike.
MIKE DI MEGLIO #63 / @Mikejpp63
We head to a very special track this weekend. Last year it was really tough racing with the Avintia bike, I suffered during all the weekend and finaly crashed out in the first corner after the start of the race. I like the track, last year the conditions were tricky during the first day, but this time it seams the weather will be good from Friday to Sunday, so I’m looking forward to jump on my Ducati and see how it goes. As in the last three races our aim will be to work hard from Friday and try to be the best Open bike on Sunday race.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
AT MISANO TO CONFIRM THE GREAT SILVERSTONE WEEKEND
Misano, 8 September 2015 – The last GP, held at Silverstone, was one of the best yet for the Aprilia RS-GP machines in this rookie year on the track.
Alvaro Bautista, after demonstrating an excellent pace over race difference during qualifiers, took tenth place in the wet race to match his best performance of the season in Barcelona. Stefan Bradl, who crashed out of the race, had put in the best qualifying session of 2015 for Aprilia, earning a spot on the fifth row of the grid.
This brings Aprilia Racing Team Gresini to their home race with the goal of repeating, not so much and not only the results of the English round, as much as confirming the growth trend which has placed Bautista and Bradl in a position these last few rounds to battle for a finish in the points.
In Romagna the technical development path with continue with a new frame for Bradl as well and the return of the chassis solutions that were successfully tested at Silverstone.
ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
“At Misano Bradl will also have the new frame that responded well with Bautista. We’ll retry a setup that had given us good results during private tests at Misano with Alvaro. The tests on Tuesday will also be very important, helpful for both riders and the first chance for Stefan to do some testing without the excitement of a race weekend. In the race we’ll try to confirm the good job we did at Silverstone, maybe with both riders this time, like we did at Brno.”
FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
“We’re on a good streak right now and we are preparing for this important round with maximum motivation. We are pleased with the placements we’ve achieved in recent rounds and with the way the RS-GP development has been progressing. At Misano we’ll extend the use of the new frame to Bradl as well so we can take a few more steps forward on the technical side of the house. This is our home race so, besides the development work which is still our top priority, we would like to achieve a good result for our fans.”
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“We are extremely motivated leading up to Misano. At Silverstone we did a good job the whole weekend and in the race, on a wet track, we managed to achieve some good sensations and to be competitive enough to finish in the top ten. At Misano we’ll be facing a new situation. In fact, it is a very different track than Silverstone and we won’t have many points of reference to go on. In the tests we did in June we were only able to get a few laps in, what’s more with a different setup than the one we are currently using. Misano holds fond memories for me. In fact, this is where I had my first MotoGP podium finish. It’s hard to make a prediction, but in our home race we will definitely be giving it our all with the goal of finishing in the points zone again.”
STEFAN BRADL
“Misano is a great track. I’ve always liked it at the atmosphere is fantastic too. The entire team has great expectations for this home round and I can’t wait to get on the track myself as well. At Silverstone I was already able to test a few changes with the team and we did a good job. This weekend I’ll have some more updates available to me so I’m anxious to get back to work with my mechanics. I’m also curious to be able to test the new asphalt.”
More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone:
Bridgestone MotoGP™ Preview – Round 13: Misano
Wednesday, September 9 2015
Bridgestone slick compounds: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft & Hard (Symmetric) & Medium (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds: Soft (Main), Hard (Alternative)
Round thirteen of the 2015 MotoGP™ season is the San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix where riders will be treated to a newly re-surfaced Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli which promises to improve lap times.
At 4.2 kilometres in length, Misano distinguishing feature is the sequence of right-hand corners from turns eleven to fourteen, starting with the flat-out Curvone which sweeps into progressively tighter right-handers. This section is technically challenging for riders and demands good stability and edge grip from the tyres. The circuit requires good cornering feel but also strong acceleration and braking performance, so an optimal bike setup is important to maintain a quick pace without overheating the tyres.
Misano can generate high tyre temperatures as the bikes spend a lot of time at high lean angles and having been recently re-surfaced, the grip level of the tarmac has improved. With ten right-hand turns compared to just six left-hand turns, Misano is harsher on the right shoulder of the rear tyre but the recent re-surfacing has resulted in a revised tyre allocation in 2015. For this year’s San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix just one of the three rear options – the medium compound – is asymmetric with harder rubber on the right shoulder, while the soft and hard compound rear slicks are symmetric. The rear slick options for the factory Honda and Yamaha riders are the medium and hard compounds, while the rest of the field will be allocated the soft and medium compound rear slicks. The front slick options at Misano are the soft, medium and hard compounds to ensure peak performance in any possible weather condition.
The main wet tyre for the San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix is the soft compound option, with up to two front and rear wet tyres in the alternative, hard compound also available to each rider over the race weekend.
Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“We are now entering a crucial phase of the championship as we visit Misano; a circuit where both Jorge and Valentino have had a lot of success at previously. There is no doubt we will see a large crowd this weekend as fans flock to see one of the most intriguing title showdowns in recent years. The new tarmac at Misano should bring with it improved lap times and we’ve also brought a revised tyre allocation to the circuit this year to meet the demands of the new track surface. Misano seems to favour the Yamaha with their riders winning six of the previous seven races at this circuit, but with so many riders and manufacturers in strong form at the moment I think we could see many riders challenging for the podium this weekend.”
Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
“In the past the main challenges at Misano have been the high ambient temperatures and the constant right-hand turns which generate high temperatures in the right shoulders of the rear tyre. This year, we also had to consider the new tarmac at this circuit and through private testing were able to acquire enough information to help us revise our tyre allocation for this year’s San Marino Grand Prix. As a result two of the rear slick options we will provide this weekend will be symmetric, with one asymmetric option, as this will provide the best balance of safety, performance and durability. For the front tyre, the most important requirement is for the tyre to have a strong centre section to provide good stability in the frequent braking zones. A smooth riding style reaps benefits at Misano so as to not overwork the tyres as they have little opportunity to cool down during a lap due to the constant corners.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Ducati Team arrive at Misano for second ‘home’ race, the Gran Premio TIM di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini
After three races in August, the Ducati Team is back on home ground in Italy again for the thirteenth round of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship. The Gran Premio TIM di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini will be held this weekend at Misano World Circuit, the Adriatic Riviera track situated just down the A14 motorway from Ducati headquarters at Borgo Panigale.
Andrea Dovizioso comes to Misano off the back of a great performance at Silverstone, where he finished third after a wet-weather battle with his fellow Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci of the Pramac Racing Team. Dovizioso has never actually been on the Misano podium in the seven MotoGP races he has competed in since 2008, his best result a fourth place, which he obtained four times, in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014. Andrea Iannone on the other hand has taken part in two San Marino MotoGP races, with his best result being a fifth place last year after qualifying on the front row.
Misano will also see the return of Michele Pirro, test-rider for the Ducati Test Team, who lines up as a wild-card for the second time this season, with a third Desmosedici GP15.
On Thursday morning there will be a unique opportunity to see the Ducati Team and riders as Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone parade their Desmosedici GP15 machines through the historic centre of San Marino. The event, which begins in Piazza Fabbri and ends in Piazza della Libertà, is scheduled for an 11.45 start.
The Misano weekend programme gets underway on Friday morning with first free practice at 09.55 CET, while the 28-lap race is scheduled for Sunday at 14.00.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 4th (150 points)
“I am very happy to come back and race in Italy. Misano is one of our home circuits, just like Mugello, and in general it’s a positive track for me, so we think we can be fast and competitive throughout the weekend and we’ll try and bring home a good result. Of course racing in front of my fans and all the diehard ducatisti will be extra motivation to do well and so I can’t wait to get out on track.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 5th (120 points)
“At Silverstone my GP15 was more competitive, and the Misano test at the end of August helped with that, so we come here pretty confident. We know that it won’t be easy to repeat that performance, but at least now we can stay closer to the guys at the front, as you could see in England. I have to admit that the Misano track is not one of my favourites, but this GP is also our second ‘home’ race so I feel sure our tifosi will provide us with an extra gear!”
Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team #51) – 21st (8 points)
“I am very happy to return to racing with the Desmosedici GP15, and to do so at Misano is an extra thrill. I have to dial myself in and get into the groove again pretty quickly, because today’s MotoGP is tougher than ever. I haven’t raced a GP since the Italian round at Mugello although I have done some tests in which we managed to understand lots of things about our bike. I’ll be committed to getting a good result that fully lives up to the GP15’s excellent potential.”
The Misano World Circuit
Built in 1972, the Misano circuit was a venue for GP races in the 80s and 90s before dropping off the calendar for fourteen years. After a number of modifications to improve the infrastructure and a change in the track direction, Misano returned to the MotoGP calendar in 2007. As always for a ‘home’ round, the Ducati Team riders can count on the support of numerous fans present in the Ducati Grandstand.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR POSITIVE FOR MISANO MotoGP
The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli awaits the MotoGP™ riders for the 13th round of the 2015 World Championship this weekend.
Team SUZUKI ECSTAR goes to Italy with renewed enthusiasm and confidence, having tested there in July therefore collecting important data to exploit in the up-coming race.
The last round of the championship saw Aleix Espargarò and Maverick Viñales struggling a little to find the confidence they had in the first part of the season, where they constantly improved their performances. The last race at Silverstone saw them race their GSX-RR machines for the first time in wet conditions and showers that afflicted the race and warm-up on Sunday. That was extremely useful in collecting and gaining information about their machines and the race results were also solid.
Both Espargaro and Viñales had some positive testing at Misano, collecting useful information to prepare for the up-coming race and also increasing their knowledge about their machines’ reactions to various settings tested.
The Misano circuit has recently been upgraded in terms of Tarmac, which gave the team very positive feedback from the test. The grip is expected to be more consistent and the renewed banking gave good feelings to the riders.
The circuit is still 4.2km (2.63 miles) long, with six left-hand corners and 10 right-hand, with the longest straight being 565m (1853.67 ft) in length. The surface itself is pretty much flat, without elevation changes, so fans can get the best view of the track action that creates a great atmosphere.
Close to the city of Rimini, the Misano Adriatico circuit was constructed in 1972 and has since undergone an array of modifications. A regular scene for Italian Grands Prix throughout the 80s and early 90s, Misano returned to the MotoGP calendar in 2007.
Aleix Espargaro:
“I’m expecting a good weekend in Misano. Lately my performances have not been as high as I expected because I couldn’t find a proper feeling with the bike, but already at the last race at Silverstone my crew and I found a positive set-up that led me to a more confident feeling. This gives me positive enthusiasm for Misano, also because we came here for testing in July and I had a very good feeling with the bike. Not only the new Tarmac gives me more confidence, but also the different options that we tested in our set-up allowed me to better understand my GSX-RR’s potential. Being new in the championship we usually don’t have information and a basic set-up when we get to a new track, but here it will be different because we already have some basic ideas where to start from. I’m confident we can exploit this data and be on the pace immediately.”
Maverick Viñales:
“Honestly I can’t wait to get back on my GSX-RR and especially in Misano. In the last events my confidence with the machine has increased race-after-race and now I would like to be always riding and therefore improving. Furthermore, we could test in Misano a couple of months ago and I had very positive feelings there. Now we can start from a basic set-up that we have developed and start improving from there. I have the feeling that my crew and I are making solid progress; this gives me the chance of being relaxed while working and I believe this will pay back in terms of performance. The circuit, with the new Tarmac, seems to have good pace in it and therefore I am excited to go racing this weekend.”