MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP FOCUS ON MISANO HOMERACE

Misano Adriatico (Italy), 31st August 2022

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team have travelled to the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli for this weekend‘s Round 14 of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, the Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini.

After a one-week break, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team is going into this weekend‘s Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini fully determined to score some crucial championship points.

The Factory Yamaha team have particularly good memories of the Misano track – which they view as a home GP – as Fabio Quartararo secured his first MotoGP World Championship Title there last year in the Emilia-Romagna GP.

The Frenchman enters the beloved circuit with a 32-point advantage in the overall standings, with seven races to go. Quartararo is fancying his chances to defend his lead this weekend. He enjoys riding his YZR-M1 at this venue, as evidenced by the two second places he scored there, in 2019 and 2021 (San Marino GP).

The Misano track also plays a significant role in Franco Morbidelli‘s career. Not only did he ride his very first Grand Prix there in the Moto2 class in 2013, but he also secured his first MotoGP victory at this circuit in 2020 and made his Factory Yamaha debut there last year during the San Marino GP.

The Italian is hoping to make the upcoming race weekend a strong round for him. He is keen to confirm the positive findings from the Austrian GP and move up from 19th in the rankings. With the Misano GP followed by a further two-day Misano Test, he is feeling confident that he can get a lot of work done on track.

The Misano circuit, constructed in 1972, was a regular scene for Italian Grands Prix throughout the 80s and early 90s. The 4.2 km track is ridden clockwise since a radical renovation was done to meet MotoGP’s safety regulations in 2007 that put the circuit back on the MotoGP calendar. The upgrade also included a new chicane, resulting in the current lay-out of six left and ten right corners, and giving the track increased race excitement.

In this week‘s eSport video, Lorenzo Daretti (aka Trastevere73) and Michael Amara (aka Vindex813) have a hard-fought 3-lap sprint race at the Misano track, providing a little taste of the MotoGP action that is to come this weekend.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

We are excited to race in Misano. The entire team always enjoys this round, and we think of it as our ’home GP‘. This time we arrive here with a lot less pressure on our shoulders than during the 2021 Emilia-Romagna GP when the Title was in reach. The battle at the top of the leader board is very close, like last year, but we can have a more regular GP weekend this time, so that‘s what we are looking forward to. Fabio enjoys riding here, and so does Franky. This track has been significant to both of their careers in the past, and we all feel highly motivated to do a good job again this weekend. We just hope that the riding conditions remain dry or at least consistent throughout these three days.

FABIO QUARTARARO

The race in Austria was really tough but rewarding. That second place was great for the championship because we left one of our more challenging circuits with an extended lead. I‘m happy we are riding in Misano this weekend. Of course, I have still strong memories of winning the Title here last year, but we have to focus on this year‘s championship. We are starting the final third of the season now, which is always tough, so we need to focus and work hard. I‘ve been training pretty much non-stop to assure that I‘m in peak condition. I know that my team are also working as hard as they can, so I think we can get a good result again.

FRANCO MORBIDELLI

After the improved speed on the bike in Spielberg, I’m really looking forward to keeping on working in that direction, keep tweaking, and keep improving this week and throughout next week. The San Marino GP is my home race, and also that of the team in a way, so that adds an extra nice feeling to the event. I like Misano a lot, it‘s a nice track, and I look forward to completing a lot of laps here this race weekend and also during the Misano Test.