Rennie Scaysbrook | September 19, 2021
2021 Misano MotoGP News—Sunday
Bastia brilliance
Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo contested the win. But Enea Bastianini was the star of Sunday, notching up a first premier class podium with a thrilling third place. What’s more, the reigning Moto2 champ had a pace superior to the leaders in the second half of the race.
It was something that caught the attention of Marc Marquez, who Bastianini passed as he stormed through from twelfth on the grid. “When he overtook me, I immediately understood, this rookie today has a great opportunity. And in one part of the race I was following him, and we were catching Quartararo and the top guys.
“But then I saw that I was over my limit, and I said, OK, cool down, let him go. But he was riding very good, he was understanding a lot the way to ride the Ducati. He was braking so late, and exit of the corner with a lot of torque and a lot of grip.”
Mir concedes defeat
The pain of admitting it was hard. But Joan Mir conceded his title defense ended in Italy after a frustrating sixth place left him 67 points behind championship leader Quartararo with just 100 left to play.
Mir was left to rue a wrong front tire choice – going for the medium compound instead of the hard – and was unable to make sufficient progress in the opening laps. “I’m a bit angry because I knew, I know my potential this year,” he said after the race. “I’m angry. I’m riding better. I’m making less mistakes and I’m a better rider. And I will not get the championship. It’s difficult to understand. But what also I have to say makes me happy is Suzuki, we go in the same direction.
“It’s not I made a mistake. It’s just I wasn’t competitive as everyone expected. That’s why I’m disappointed. I expected more. It’s a difficult day for me.”
Oncu all-clear puts concussion protocol under spotlight
MotoGP’s concussion protocol was once again called into question after Moto3 runner Deniz Oncu was passed fit to ride in Sunday’s race after suffering a horrendous highside on Sunday.
Moto3 FP3 was red flagged as medics rushed to Oncu’s assistance after an ugly crash on the exit of the final turn. The 18-year old later tweeted, “After that horrible accident, I woke up in the medical centre. But thanks to all the medical staff for their effort.” If he was unconscious for the best part of half an hour, it is highly unlikely the Turk would have suffered no form of concussion.
Team boss Hervé Poncharal denied Oncu had been knocked unconscious, despite his rider’s tweet.
Sunday
MotoGP
Having waited three years for his maiden MotoGP™ win, Francesco Bagnaia now has two in quick succession after he held off a hard charging Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in another last lap nail biter at the Octo Grand Prix of San Marino. The Ducati Lenovo rider held his nerve for a second week running to take victory in Misano, while a spectacular effort from Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) saw the rookie take a first premier class podium.
2021 Misano MotoGP Results
1 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
(Duc) |
1:32.422 |
2 |
Fabio Quartararo |
(Yam) |
+ 0.364 |
3 |
Enea Bastianini |
(Duc) |
+ 4.789 |
4 |
Marc Marquez |
(Hon) |
+ 10.245 |
5 |
Jack Miller |
(Duc) |
+ 10.469 |
6 |
Joan Mir |
(Suz) |
+ 10.325 |
7 |
Pol Espargaro |
(Hon) |
+ 13.234 |
8 |
Aleix Espargaro |
(Apr) |
+ 15.698 |
9 |
Brad Binder |
(KTM) |
+ 16.129 |
10 |
Takaaki Nakagami |
(Hon) |
+ 18.519 |
Moto2
What a talent Raul Fernandez is and what a title race we have in the Moto2™ Championship after the rookie Spaniard took victory, a sixth of the season, at the Octo Grand Prix of San Marino. The Spaniard leads yet another Red Bull KTM Ajo one-two on the podium, with teammate Remy Gardner finishing 0.402s behind and Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) rounding out the rostrum places.
2021 Misano Moto2 Results
1 |
Raul Fernandez |
(Kal) |
1:36.938 |
2 |
Remy Gardner |
(Kal) |
+ 0.402 |
3 |
Aron Canet |
(Bos) |
+ 0.569 |
4 |
Sam Lowes |
(Kal) |
+ 1.578 |
5 |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Kal) |
+ 4.920 |
Moto3
It was a story of contrasting fortunes for the two form riders in the Moto3™ Championship, with Dennis Foggia profiting from Romano Fenati’s (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) heartbreaking crash to romp home for back-to-back victories and keep the his title hopes well and truly alive at the Octo Grand Prix of San Marino. The Leopard Racing man sprayed the bubbly from the top step of the rostrum alongside an all-Italian podium, with Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) and Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) the other top three finishers.
2021 Misano Moto3 Results
1 |
Dennis Foggia |
(Hon) |
1:41.753 |
2 |
Niccolò Antonelli |
(KTM) |
+ 0.565 |
3 |
Andrea Migno |
(Hon) |
+ 0.817 |
4 |
Sergio Garcia |
(GasGas) |
+ 2.140 |
5 |
Jaume Masia |
(KTM) |
+ 3.098 |
2021 Misano MotoGP News—Saturday
Yamaha presence in Moto2
Having witnessed the success of KTM’s youth set-up in the MotoGP paddock, it appears Yamaha will grow its presence into the Moto2 category in 2022 in a bid to find and then foster new talents before they are ready to move up to the premier class.
Yamaha spent months pursuing Moto2 title contender Raul Fernandez this year only to be frustrated by KTM’s insistence on the Spaniard staying in orange. When it became clear their pursuit of Fernandez would be unsuccessful, Yamaha planned on creating a similar presence in Moto2, as KTM has in the junior categories with Aki Ajo’s team.
It is believed the Yamaha Mastercamp team that runs in the European Moto2 Championship will move to the world stage next year, with Valentino Rossi’s right hand man Uccio Salucci running the set-up, alongside Pablo Nieto, current team boss of the Sky Racing VR46 Moto2 team. Yamaha will have control over the rider line-up and will run one European rider alongside one rider from Asia next year.
Two Americans in American Racing Team!
The American Racing Team in Moto2 will run two riders from the USA after it was announced Sean Dylan Kelly has signed a two-year deal with the squad.
The 19-year old is a member of the American Racing Academy and will move over from the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, a series he won convincingly this year, winning eleven races from 15.
‘SDK’ will join up with five-time MotoAmerica Superbike champ Cameron Beaubier, who is currently contesting his first season in the class, for the first all-American line-up in an American team in any grand prix class since Wayne Rainey and John Kocinski contested the 1992 500cc World Championship for Team Roberts.
“We’ve been working with Sean for a while,” said American Racing Team owner Eitan Butbul. “He’s a super committed kid, and we think he has what it takes to make it over here.”
Morbidelli back!
Franco Morbidelli made his first appearance at a MotoGP race since June after sitting out five races due to a complex knee injury that required surgery. Since then, the Italian was promoted to Yamaha’s factory team until the end of the year, and has signed a deal to stay there until the end of 2023.
The laidback Italian slots into the side of the garage vacated by Maverick Viñales’, and is working with the Catalan’s former team members, including crew chief Silvano Galbusera (Andrea Dovizioso is working alongside Morbidelli’s former crew chief Ramon Forcada).
Asked about the Viñales situation on Thursday, Morbidelli quipped, “I go away for a minute and look what happens!” The switch in team means he is now riding the ’21 spec Yamaha M1, rather than the ’19 spec on which he competed the first eight races of the year. “Just jumping on the bike after so much time it basically just feels like a spaceship. So, I cannot give any feedback or anything about the difference between the two bikes because it was so much time between this,” he said.
Saturday
MotoGP
It’s back-to-back P1 starts for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Italian secured his third pole position of the year at the Octo Grand Prix of San Marino thanks to a 1:31.065. The number 63 smashed the previous lap record and leads a Bologna bullets one-two, with teammate Jack Miller some 0.249s behind. There was a collector’s item as Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) crashed as he attempted to find some speed to catch Bagnaia, but the Frenchman will still line-up on the front row.
2021 Misano MotoGP Results—Saturday
1 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
(Duc) |
1:31.065 |
2 |
Jack Miller |
(Duc) |
+ 0.249 |
3 |
Fabio Quartararo |
(Yam) |
+ 0.302 |
4 |
Jorge Martin |
(Duc) |
+ 0.598 |
5 |
Johann Zarco |
(Duc) |
+ 0.771 |
6 |
Pol Espargaro |
(Hon) |
+ 0.858 |
7 |
Marc Marquez |
(Hon) |
+ 0.870 |
8 |
Aleix Espargaro |
(Apr) |
+ 0.872 |
9 |
Alex Rins |
(Suz) |
+ 0.952 |
10 |
Maverick Viñales |
(Apr) |
+ 1.056 |
Moto2
As if we would ever forget, but Raul Fernandez provided a not so gentle reminder of his star quality in Misano by taking Moto2™ pole one week on from a scintillating win in Aragon, and less than two weeks after undergoing surgery in his right hand. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider’s 1:36.264 saw him have a comfortable 0.351s cushion over Elf Marc VDS Racing duo Sam Lowes and Augusto Fernandez who will join the rookie on the front row.
2021 Misano Moto2 Results—Saturday
1 |
Raul Fernandez |
(Kal) |
1:36.264 |
2 |
Sam Lowes |
(Kal) |
+ 0.351 |
3 |
Augusto Fernandez |
(Kal) |
+ 0.524 |
4 |
Remy Gardner |
(Kal) |
+ 0.597 |
5 |
Aron Canet |
(Bos) |
+ 0.605 |
15 |
Joe Roberts |
(Kal) |
+1.168s |
28 |
Cameron Beaubier |
(Kal) |
+1.189s |
Moto3
Before summer break, Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) hadn’t had a pole position since 2017. Now, he’s had three! The Italian put in a stunner on home turf to top qualifying at the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini by two and a half tenths, now in the perfect position to bounce back from some bad luck last time out. He’s joined by Aragon winner and key rival Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) in second, with Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) forced to settle for third by just 0.007.
2021 Misano Moto3 Results—Saturday
1 |
Romano Fenati |
(Hus) |
1:41.756 |
2 |
Dennis Foggia |
(Hon) |
+ 0.257 |
3 |
Niccolò Antonelli |
(KTM) |
+ 0.264 |
4 |
Andrea Migno |
(Hon) |
+ 0.343 |
5 |
Jaume Masia |
(KTM) |
+ 0.355 |
2021 Misano MotoGP News—Friday
Dovizioso back!
Upon making his first MotoGP start since November last year, Andrea Dovizioso insisted he was lucky to have “five races, two tests” to get acclimatized to the Petronas SRT Yamaha as he took over Franco Morbidelli’s ’19-spec M1 at Misano.
The 35-year old was a shock replacement for Morbidelli after his promotion to the factory team and on Thursday it was confirmed he will race a full factory M1 in 2022 for the team, renamed RNF MotoGP Racing from next year onward.
“I was feeling good at home, I was doing what I liked, my passion (motocross), and I was more relaxed, 100%! And especially my girlfriend ‘explained’ that to me! But at the beginning, when that door opened, I thought about that, but I couldn’t say no. After 2012 (when he raced for Tech 3 Yamaha) my dream was always to race a factory Yamaha, and that didn’t happen. So that remained in my mind.”
Zarco poised for arm pump surgery
After a run of wretched results – five points from the last four outings – Johann Zarco has penned in a date for arm pump surgery. The Frenchman, who has recently dropped out of championship contention, will return to France on Wednesday after Misano for the procedure.
“I will have the surgery next Wednesday in Aix (in France),” he confirmed. “It’s near the house and I have a good feeling with Dr Dufour who operated on Fabio (Quartararo in May) and who has a lot of experience in this regard. I was able to take the time Monday and Tuesday to confirm this diagnosis of compartment syndrome in my right arm. Hence the decision, not to speed things up, but to do so as soon as Misano returns.”
Laverty to front new British team
Former MotoGP point scorer Michael Laverty will front the all-new VisionTrack Honda Racing Team in the 2022 Moto3 World Championship, it has been confirmed.
The Northern Irishman will lead a squad predominantly made up of British engineers, technicians and support staff, as well as two rookie British riders, likely to be Scott Ogden and Josh Whatley. The squad will be born out of the current Petronas Sprinta Racing squad, which is set to fold at the end of the year.
Friday
MotoGP
Johann Zarco may be spotted performing a rain dance through the weekend after the Frenchman obliterated the opposition in a wet FP2 session at the Octo Grand Prix of San Marino. The Pramac Racing rider had 0.553s to spare over factory counterparts Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) thanks to a 1:42.097, but his time is still well short of Maverick Viñales’ (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) FP1 effort.
2021 Misano MotoGP Results—Friday
1 |
Maverick Vinales |
(Apr) |
1:32.666 |
2 |
Joan Mir |
(Suz) |
+ 0.080 |
3 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
(Duc) |
+ 0.135 |
4 |
Jack Miller |
(Duc) |
+ 0.193 |
5 |
Alex Rins |
(Suz) |
+ 0.219 |
6 |
Pol Espargaro |
(Hon) |
+ 0.353 |
7 |
Fabio Quartararo |
(Yam) |
+ 0.358 |
8 |
Stefan Bradl |
(Hon) |
+ 0.381 |
9 |
Marc Marquez |
(Hon) |
+ 0.434 |
10 |
Aleix Espargaro |
(Apr) |
+ 0.436 |
Moto2
Thomas Luthi’s (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) 1:50.140 from Friday morning means he remains in P1 as the rain continued to fall during FP2 at the Octo Grand Prix of San Marino. Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) and Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) both improved their times to move into the top three, but they still couldn’t catch the veteran Swiss rider.
2021 Misano Moto2 Results—Friday
1 |
Thomas Luthi |
(Kal) |
1:50.140 |
2 |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Kal) |
+ 0.028 |
3 |
Augusto Fernandez |
(Kal) |
+ 0.177 |
4 |
Somkiat Chantra |
(Kal) |
+ 0.286 |
5 |
Nicolo Bulega |
(Kal) |
+ 0.438 |
8 |
Joe Roberts |
(Kal) |
+0.787 |
20 |
Cameron Beaubier |
(Kal) |
+1.346 |
Moto3
Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) picked up where he left off from the morning session, topping FP2 at the Octo Grand Prix of San Marino ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) by just 0.013s, but the Italian’s morning time still has him three-tenths clear of the rest of the field. Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) slips to third after he was unable to go quicker in the session.
2021 Misano Moto3 Results—Friday
1 |
Dennis Foggia |
(Hon) |
1:42.009 |
2 |
Pedro Acosta |
(KTM) |
+ 0.337 |
3 |
Romano Fenati |
(Hus) |
+ 0.370 |
4 |
Niccolo Antonelli |
(KTM) |
+ 0.443 |
5 |
Andrea Migno |
(Hon) |
+ 0.486 |
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