MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP RETURN TO MISANO FOR FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH POINT
Misano Adriatico (Italy), 20th October 2021
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team are ready to commence the final European leg of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, starting with this weekend‘s Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna.
After a two-week break, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team is going into this weekend‘s Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna with renewed energy.
The Factory Yamaha team is particularly fond of racing at the Misano track, which they view as a home GP. Fabio Quartararo enjoys riding his YZR-M1 at this venue, evident from the two second places he scored here in 2019 and 2021.
However, this upcoming round will be slightly more intense than usual for El Diablo, because he has his first opportunity to seal the deal on his 2021 MotoGP Title quest this weekend. Thanks to the Frenchman‘s brilliant second place in Austin three weeks ago, he is currently leading the championship with a 52-point advantage over his closest rival with three races remaining.
The Misano track 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, he also secured his first MotoGP victory at this circuit in 2020 and made his Factory Yamaha debut there this year during the San Marino GP.
The Italian is hoping to make the upcoming Emilia-Romagna GP another memorable occasion. Following the Misano Test and further rehabilitation for his knee injury since then, he is keen to have another go with improved feeling at this track. He is currently in 17th position in the overall rankings, with a total of 40 points.
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 racing excitement.
Those who wish to be reminded of the Misano track‘s lay-out can refresh their memory by watching the Emilia–Romagna GP eSport video and Franco Morbidelli’s ‘Map The Track – San Marino GP’ video.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
We are back in Misano again, ready to begin the closing chapters of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship. This is a crucial point in the season, for Fabio as well as the team and Yamaha, but we will be treating it as a ’normal GP weekend‘. By this I mean: we‘ll give it our all in every session and work together as a team. We completed the San Marino GP and the immediately following Misano Test with very positive results. We have used that data to prepare for this weekend, so we are expecting to be able to give another competitive performance.
FABIO QUARTARARO
Austin was really tough but rewarding. That second place was great for the championship, especially because we only have three GPs left. For this final part of the competition my mindset has changed a little. The last time we were in Misano, I was racing for the win and not thinking about the championship at all. Of course I will still do my best as always to get the best result possible this weekend, because that‘s what I enjoy most, but I will try to be smart about it.
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
The race in Austin was really tough, mostly because the circuit was very demanding on my injured knee. The two weeks of no racing allowed me to give the leg a bit of rest, so we now start the next Grand Prix in a better shape than we finished the previous one. We made some good progress during the Misano Test in September. We made a big step and improved my feeling with the bike considerably at this track, so I am looking forward to continue working in that direction this weekend.
