MotoGP 2009 - Round 13 - Misano

MotoGP 2009 - Round 13 - Misano - Preview

Misano up next as MotoGP returns to Europe

The thirteenth round of the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship takes place this weekend as the riders and their teams visit Misano for the Gran Premio Cinzano di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini.

Although World Champion Valentino Rossi has a special relationship with Mugello this is his true home event with the Misano circuit lying just 14km from his beloved hometown of Tavullia. The Italian maestro will again enjoy massive support from the home crowd as he attempts to repeat his 2008 victory at this event and get his title defence immediately back on course after his Indianapolis disappointment.

Rossi’s Indy DNF was the first time he has failed to finish a MotoGP race since Valencia at the end of the 2007 season, but he is unlikely to dwell on his Sunday crash for too long as he focuses on increasing the 25 point advantage he holds over his talented young Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo with five rounds to go.

For Lorenzo his championship dream has been revived by the results at Indianapolis, with the Spaniard bouncing back spectacularly from two consecutive DNFs at the previous two rounds to take a superb victory and halve the deficit at the top of the standings. The man from Majorca won the 250cc race at Misano two years ago from pole position and last year he was second in the MotoGP race.

In the continued absence of Ducati’s Casey Stoner, who is due to return at the round after Misano in Estoril, the Fiat Yamaha team will again expect the principal threat to come from Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa who sits fourth in the standings, 71 points behind Rossi and 46 behind Lorenzo. Pedrosa was in great form over the Indianapolis weekend, until a crash when leading the race hindered his progress and he ended up tenth, but he does not have a brilliant record at Misano.

There is an intriguing battle for fifth place in the standings between Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Colin Edwards and Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso, with the American currently edging it by just three points. Misano is not Edwards’ favourite track and he knows Dovizioso will be desperate for a good result on Italian soil, so he will be determined to spoil the party.

One rider going into this round on a massive high is San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Alex de Angelis, who proudly rides at his home event on the back of a well-deserved first MotoGP podium at Indianapolis. That result could not have come at a better time for the San Marino rider who is still looking for a team for 2010.

The home fans will also be getting behind the likes of Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi and Hayate Racing’s Marco Melandri, who sit eighth and tenth in the standings at present, whilst ninth placed LCR Honda’s Randy de Puniet will battle through the pain of his ankle injury in order to try and get a decent points haul at what is a home event for his team boss Lucio Cecchinello.

The Ducati riders will also be keen to keep the Ducatisti fans happy on ‘home turf’ with Nicky Hayden looking in better shape after his first podium result for the Italian factory arrived at his home GP at Indianapolis. With Mika Kallio continuing to temporarily ride as a substitute for Stoner alongside Hayden in the works team, the impressive Aleix Espargaró gets another substitute ride on the satellite Ducati with Pramac Racing.

The 250cc battle this weekend will be another crucial episode in the title race, with current standings leader Hiroshi Aoyama and second placed Álvaro Bautista coming under increasing pressure from World Champion Marco Simoncelli.

The ultra-consistent Aoyama has a 16 point advantage over Bautista in the general classification with five rounds remaining, having scored good points at every GP this season – missing the top five on just two occasions. The Japanese rider got his sixth podium of 2009 on Sunday at Indianapolis, in second place, and has also featured on the rostrum at Misano previously, when he was the runner-up in the 2007 250cc race.

Had Bautista not crashed out in Assen earlier this year he would be in charge of the championship fight at present, but he conceded further ground at Indianapolis in third place. The Spaniard has now gone five races without a victory and he would love to halt that trend this weekend by repeating his 2008 Misano win, which he achieved from 11th place on the grid.

The man of the moment following his Brno and Indy triumphs, 250cc title holder Simoncelli will be the man to beat on the Rimini coast. The long-haired Italian now trails Aoyama by 27 points and will be extremely keen to improve his record at Misano - which is less than 5km from his home town of Cattolica – having never been on the podium there.

In fourth place in the standings, Héctor Barberá’s two consecutive third places at the San Marino event in ’07 & ’08 mean he will be confident of improving his current form this weekend, having been outside of the top five at the last three rounds.

In addition to Simoncelli, there are three additional Italian riders in the current top eight, fifth placed Mattia Pasini (the 2007 125cc Misano race winner), sixth placed Raffaele de Rosa and eighth placed Roberto Locatelli, which should make this Sunday’s 250cc race an extra spicy affair.

None of the riders currently competing in the 125cc class have previously won a Grand Prix at the Misano circuit, but on the basis of their 2009 form so far Julián Simón, Nico Terol and Bradley Smith are likely to have a say in proceedings.

A dramatic last lap at Indianapolis saw five riders competing for glory, with a maiden Grand Prix victory ultimately seized by Spanish youngster Pol Espargaró and with Simón ending up at the back of that quintet. The result will not overly trouble Simón, however, as he still enjoys a 52.5 point advantage at the head of the standings.

Simón has of course been racing in the 250cc class for the past two years, and his Misano results were tenth in 2007 for Honda and fifth last year on a KTM.

Like Simón, Terol also lost out in the final stages at The Brickyard, crossing the line fourth after leading for much of the race. That result kept him second in the classification, with a one point lead over Englishman Smith.

Bancaja Aspar rider Smith finished second last year at Misano which equaled his best result of 2008 and was also the position in which he finished the race at Indianapolis on Sunday, a tenth of a second behind the victorious Espargaró.

In fourth place overall is Simón and Smith’s team-mate Sergio Gadea, who was a disappointing 15th at Indy, whilst in fifth place in the points table sits the frustratingly inconsistent Andrea Iannone who crashed out in the States having been on the podium two weeks earlier at Brno. The Italian will hope to be on his best form as he visits Rimini from his native Abruzzo.

Indianapolis victor Espargaró now occupies sixth place in the championship and is set to make his 50th Grand Prix start on Sunday.

Free practice at the Gran Premio Cinzano di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini commences at 12.40pm local time for the 125cc class, with the MotoGP riders starting at 1.55pm and the 250cc field getting underway at 3.10pm on Friday 4th September.

-- Ducati Preview

TBC

-- HRC Preview

Alex De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) goes into his home Grand Prix at Misano this weekend still buzzing from his thrilling ride to second place at Indianapolis last Sunday. The San Marino rider’s first-ever premier-class podium was achieved in brilliant style, the hard-riding 25-year-old taking advantage of several fallers at the front of the pack to finish the race in second place.

This weekend De Angelis will be doing everything in his powers to score another podium finish at Misano, where fans from the nearby Republic of San Marino (the world’s oldest sovereign state) will be much in evidence. Misano is also the biggest race of the year for De Angelis’ team, owned by former 125 World Champion Fausto Gresini, which has its headquarters just a few kilometres from the circuit. And Gresini has good reason to be confident following De Angelis’ superb Indy result and team-mate Toni Elias’ stunning third place in the preceding Czech GP.

De Angelis will be one of several Honda RC212V riders at Misano with serious podium intentions, not least Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) who is anxious to get back to work following last weekend’s Indianapolis GP which promised so much for the former 125 and 250 World Champion.

Pedrosa qualified on pole and led the Indy race, looking to give Repsol Honda its third victory in five races, only to slide off and lose any chance of victory. But it takes more than a slow-speed tumble to stop Pedrosa, the ever-determined Spaniard embarking upon a gritty fight back to tenth place, during which he was invariably the fastest rider on the racetrack. That hard-won result – which underlined the impressive speed he has shown over the last few weeks – moved him to within nine points of third position in the MotoGP World Championship.

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) finished less than three tenths off the podium in fourth place at Indianapolis and will be aiming to go at least one place better this weekend. Winner of July’s British GP, Dovizioso couldn’t think of a better place to return to the podium – he was born, raised and still lives just a few kilometres from the Misano circuit; indeed he made his racetrack debut there as a teenager.

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) has shown his grit and bravery at the last two races, riding with the still-healing left ankle he broke in a motocross accident following his brilliant podium finish at July’s British GP. The Frenchman had the injury screwed and hasn’t missed a race since. The good news is that Misano is a clockwise circuit dominated by right-handers, which means slightly less work for the injured foot.

De Angelis’ team-mate Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini) will also be looking to make amends for a disappointing race day at Indy. The Spaniard, who had finished a rousing third at the preceding Czech GP, was hoping for another strong result at the American venue until his hopes were dashed when he was run off the track on the very first lap. Elias raced back from the rear of the pack to finish a respectable ninth. Misano has happy memories for Elias – he finished third there last year.

Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Honda) and his crew will continue working on finding a set-up that will allow the former 125 World Champion to extract maximum performance from his 200-plus horsepower RC212V. Talmacsi has great form at Misano – he won last year’s 125 GP there and finished second in the 2007 125 race.

The battle for the final 250 World Championship continues to keep fans on tenterhooks. Currently Hiroshi Aoyama (Scot Honda) leads the way by 16 points from Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia) with reigning World Champion Marco Simoncelli (Gilera) a further 11 points adrift. The advantage has swung this way and that between Aoyama and Bautista in recent races, with Simoncelli gaining ground with three wins from the last four races. The scene is already being set for a thrilling end-of-season finale.

Aoyama has shown impressive consistency at recent events but knows he needs another win or two to keep his rivals at bay. The Japanese rider believes that the tight and twisting nature of the Misano circuit should suit his sweet-handling RS250RW, and he knows he is fast at this track – he finished second in the 2007 Misano 250 GP. Aoyama doesn’t need any further incentive for victory, though Misano is the Scot team’s home race.

Raffaele De Rosa (Scot Honda) will race at Misano even though he is still recovering from the nasty fall he suffered during Indianapolis qualifying which left him with a partially separated left shoulder. De Rosa bravely raced at Indy, finishing in 11th place (the 250 rookie’s second finish outside the top ten so far this year), and has since been undergoing plenty of physiotherapy in an effort to get him as strong as possible for this weekend’s action.

Hector Faubel (Valencia CF-Honda SAG) bravely rode to eighth place at Indy, despite a persistent problem with his back, and the result moved him to seventh in the 250 points standings. The Spaniard has also been undergoing regular physio and is confident he can do even better at Misano. Team-mate Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda PTT-SAG) was in the running for his best result of the year last Sunday until he was forced out of the race. Like Faubel, Wilairot knows that Misano should suit the Honda and will be going hard as he can to make up for his Indy disappointment.

Team CIP Honda has had a hectic schedule since Indianapolis, working to rebuild Shoya Tomizawa’s RS250RW in time for Misano. Tomizawa damaged his only bike during Indy practice and was forced to miss the race. The Japanese GP rookie will have a new chassis this weekend. Tomizawa’s team-mate Valentin Debise (Team CIP Honda) will be looking for more points at Misano after equalling his career-best result of 13th at Indy. Bastien Chesaux (Racing Team Germany Honda) was the unlucky victim of a rival’s over-exuberance on the first lap at Indianapolis and will be hoping for better luck back in Europe.

Sunday’s event will be Misano’s 13th Grand Prix. The circuit staged its first World Championship GP in 1980 and has been an on-and-off venue for Italian and San Marino events ever since. The track’s layout has been modified on several occasions, most crucially when the circuit direction was reversed to clockwise in preparation for its return to the GP calendar in 2007. Honda has won three premier-class GP victories at the seaside venue, with Mick Doohan in 1991, Pier-Francesco Chili in 1989 and Freddie Spencer in 1984.

Misano is a tight, technical track and a medium-speed circuit with a lap record of 160.305km/h (99.609mph). The circuit is dominated by slow and medium-slow corners, though its most commanding feature is the run of four right-handers towards the end of the lap, the first two taken at high speed, the last two at much slower speed. Easy handling, excellent braking stability and gentle mid-range power delivery are the secrets to success at Misano.

HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) says: “It’s really good that I’ll get an immediate chance to make up for the disappointment of the Indianapolis race result. Although that was obviously a big let down and you never want to crash, the pace we set over the whole weekend was very encouraging and the fact that I could finish the race riding very fast again means that I’ve already been able to put the fall behind me and we can concentrate on being quick from the start of first practice on Friday. Misano always has a great atmosphere because there are so many passionate fans. Even though most of them are supporting the Italian riders, it’s still a special feeling for everyone at this circuit. To be quick you need to ride quite aggressively there, and machine stability on the brakes and powering out of the corners is very important. I’m confident that we can be up front and fight for the win again this weekend.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) says: “I love the atmosphere at Misano and this will be a special weekend for me. It’s my home Grand Prix and this is the track where I started my motorsport adventure so I’m really looking forward to riding here for the factory Honda team – that’s a dream come true. I used to race at Misano while I was racing in the Italian Championship so it’s great to return and ride in such familiar surroundings as a MotoGP rider. I think we can have a strong race here, especially after the good job we did on the machine at Indianapolis. We will start this weekend with the new set-up that we used for the Indianapolis race because my crew came up with some very useful adjustments to the machine which allowed me to get a better feeling and move forward in the race. All in all, I’m confident for Misano and I can’t wait to get back out on track.”

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) says: “Misano will be another tough weekend for me, but I have already shown I can get results despite my injury. One good thing, this is a right-hand circuit, not a left-hand circuit like Indy, which should make things slightly easier for my left ankle. We will work our usual programme during the weekend and try and get back into the top ten. Then I have a few weeks off to get fit for the last four races.”

Alex De Angelis (San Carlo Honda Gresini) says: “It is wonderful to go home after such a fantastic result at Indianapolis – I can’t think of a better place to be going next than Misano! To be honest in terms of the layout it is not one of my favourite tracks but I can’t wait to ride in front of my fans and I’ll be giving it everything I have got! My fan club will be there in the colours of the San Marino flag and giving me an extra motivation to ride on the limit once again. I know I am riding for a job right now and I want to continue to show that I am worthy of a place in MotoGP. I think we have done that over the past few races and it is important we stay consistent and focused to the end of the season.”

Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini) says: “I was disappointed on Sunday night because I know we were capable of much more at Indy but I was also pleased with the way we worked over the weekend to solve our set-up issues with the bike. It is a good sign for Misano and to be honest I can’t wait to get back on track again. It is not easy making such a long trip and having to race again so soon but it’s the same situation for everybody and I’m just looking forward to it. This is the team’s home race so it is a special weekend and important that we are competitive again.”

Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Honda) says: “Misano is a track which has some good memories for me. I won the 125 race there last season and I finished second there the year before. As always I’ll try my best. I hope that during the two days of practice we can find a solution to improve the set-up of my Honda and make it more suitable to me.”

-- Yamaha Preview

Just one week after their last outing at Indianapolis in the USA, the Fiat Yamaha Team will arrive on home shores this week for the second Italian round of the season, at Misano on the east coast of Italy. They touch down in fine style with riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo first and second in the championship and having won eight out of the twelve races between them so far this season. Misano is just 300km from the team's base just outside Milan and with many Italian team members it is an important weekend for all.

Rossi's crash last Sunday saw his championship lead slashed to 25 points but the Italian favourite has quickly put that behind him and is thinking of nothing but a good result in front of his passionate home fans this week. Misano is just 15kms from his home town of Tavullia and he took an emphatic win there last year to the delight of his hordes of Tifosi. Having lost for the first time in eight years at Mugello this year he is doubly determined to make his second visit to home soil this season a fruitful one.

Spanish showman Lorenzo arrives his team-mate's home race full of confidence after a return to the top step of the podium last time out. He has lost both Spanish races this season to Rossi and is therefore hoping for payback in Italy. He rode one of the best races of his rookie season there last year and will be aiming for more of the same this time as he seeks to stay in touch with Rossi at the top of the championship at a track he loves, having won there in the 250cc class two years ago.

Grand Prix racing returned to Misano in 2007 after a 16-year gap, with the circuit altered to run in the opposite direction from previous years. Just a kilometre from the sea and Italy's famous 'east coast Riviera,' the track sits nestled between a string of small towns and villages, which turn into one huge party zone for the thousands of fans that pack into them during the race weekend. Like Indianapolis last weekend, Misano is completely flat but the similarities end there as the Italian track is tight and twisty, with no long straights and a fairly equal balance of right and left corners, meaning an agile bike is a must.

Valentino Rossi - "Keep working at the maximum"
"I'm glad we don't have long until the next race because I quickly want to forget the mistake of Indianapolis! Last year at Misano was incredible, to win in front of all my fans and so close to home was a great emotion and after missing out in Mugello this year we are really focused on trying to get the best result there. As usual my Fan Club will make a big party there so I hope that we can give them a good show, it's always great to ride at home. As we saw last weekend, anything can happen and the championship isn't over, we have to keep working at the maximum and just try to take as many points as we can each time."

Jorge Lorenzo - "Hoping for a good battle"
"Misano is one of the tracks where I was very fast in the past, so I'm really looking forward to going there in such good shape. I won in 2007, the first year we went there, on my 250cc bike and last year I was not far behind Valentino in second. I am very happy that I have cut the championship lead by 25 points in just one race, but I know that the title is still very difficult. My first aim is to keep enjoying riding my bike and try to do the best I can. I hope we can be as good as last year or even better, even though I know how hard it will be the best at Valentino's 'house'! I hope everyone there gets to see a big battle!"

Davide Brivio - "Hit-back with a good result"
"Of course we're disappointed about last weekend but we know we're still in a strong position in the championship and this is what we're focusing on. 25 points isn't much when our rivals are this strong though so we need to hit back at our home race this weekend with a good result. Last year we did a great race there and it was wonderful to watch Valentino in front of all the fans, so we hope we can do the same again this weekend. We will keep pushing, try to find a good set-up early and hopefully we can come back to our best."

Daniele Romagnoli - "The excitement is building"
"After the great result in Indy the team and Jorge have a great motivation to keep focused and to try to make the podium every time. Last year we had a great race in Misano and Jorge likes the circuit layout a lot. It's also the second home Grand Prix for the team, which makes it a special weekend. The championship is still very difficult but we will try, if possible, to keep recovering points and to stay in a position to challenge. Now the excitement is starting to build build towards the season finale and I think everyone will enjoy the fight to the end!

-- Suzuki Preview

Loris Capirossi heads to his home track of Misano in Italy for the San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix this weekend with hopes of a strong performance in front of his fellow countrymen.

Capirossi hails from Bologna, approximately 130kms from Misano, so can be assured of plenty of local support at the 4,226m circuit. He will be heading home in a confident mood after giving a strong race-day performance in Indianapolis last weekend and with the introduction of the new chassis and engine for the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R recently, Capirossi will be determined to improve on the seventh place he scored at Misano last year.

Chris Vermeulen also has high expectations for the forthcoming race. He was second at Misano two years ago and produced an equally impressive result there last year, after nearly high-siding early on and damaging his bike he pushed his way through the field to take fifth place.

The Misano World Circuit is located near Rimini on the Adriatic Riviera and will be hosting its third MotoGP event since motorcycle Grand Prix racing returned to the venue after a 14-year absence. The track features many first and second gear slower corners where overtaking is almost impossible and a long sweeping curve with two high speed right-handers that certainly make for exciting racing. It is a circuit where ultimate top-speed is not essential, but smooth and tidy riding certainly plays a part in mastering the layout.

Capirossi and Vermeulen will take to the track on Friday 4th September at 13.55hrs local time (11.55hrs GMT) for the first free practice session. Sunday's 28-lap race is scheduled to get underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

Loris Capirossi: "I am really excited about going to Italy for my home GP. Misano is a beautiful place and I really like the circuit. I will have many friends and family there and for sure the Italian fans will certainly be giving me a lot of support. I have been fifth and seventh here in the last two years and would love to get on the podium this time - especially because it is in Italy - and will certainly be trying as hard as I can to achieve that. We made big steps with the chassis at Indianapolis and will have a good start point on Friday, we don't know the full potential of it yet, but we will certainly be trying to find out in Misano!"

Chris Vermeulen: "I am looking forward to going to Misano as it is a track I enjoy a lot; also it has been really warm there recently so it will be good to get back to the hot weather. I was fast there last year, apart from a small mishap on the first lap and I was on the podium two years ago so it holds some good memories for me. It is a track that has suited the Suzuki well in the past and we have good experience with the bikes there, I am sure we're going to roll the bikes out of the box with a good set-up on Friday and push for a front-running position all weekend."

-- Bridgestone Preview

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium, Hard. Rear: Medium, Hard

In the fourth of the season’s back-to-back races, Bridgestone’s technicians and engineers travel directly to the Misano circuit for round 13 of the season which comes the weekend after the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

San Marino presents a much smoother circuit with much lower grip, necessitating softer compounds of slick tyre. Bridgestone have selected the medium and hard compound front and rear slicks and hard compound wet tyres. Even though the circuit’s surface is smooth, the hard compound wets are used as the ambient temperature in the region is generally high and the hard compound offers better durability in these conditions.

The nature of the circuit is twisty and riders spend a lot of time on the brakes, meaning that braking stability afforded by the front tyre is crucial. As with every race since the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen in June, each rider can opt for an even split of four of each compound of front tyre or five of one and three of the other to better suit their individual riding and machine preference.

After a time away, MotoGP returned to Misano in 2007, but the circuit layout was changed slightly at turn three in time for last year, increasing the track’s length to 4.226km. Appearing in various guises in past years, the circuit remains unchanged from last year, allowing Bridgestone to maximise their experience and success at the venue.

Bridgestone has a great track record in Misano since its return to the calendar in 2007. Ducati Team’s Casey Stoner took pole and won in 2007 on Bridgestone tyres, and in 2008 the Australian grabbed pole again. The win was taken by Valentino Rossi for Fiat Yamaha, and the Italian set a new lap record on Bridgestone tyres in the process.

Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“We have a good record of winning performances in Misano with Casey in 2007 and with Valentino last year. A Bridgestone-shod rider has got pole position both years since the race returned in 2007, and that same year the top five riders were all on Bridgestone tyres which made it one of our best results. “After Jorge’s win in Indianapolis, the championship is still open with five races to go so I think we will see an exciting end to what has been an already exciting season. It has been a hugely competitive year and we have seen some intense battles and close finishes, and with many areas of heavy braking at Misano I am confident that we will see some more great competition this weekend.”

Tohru Ubukata – Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
“The track surface at Misano is smooth and offers relatively low grip. The layout is basically twisty, but there are some long, high-speed corners. There are also a lot of slow and tight corners, and the main straight is not so long, so the focus will be on obtaining good braking stability and traction on corner exit.

“Owing to its twisty nature, the tyres spend a lot of time on their shoulders and not much time upright, especially as the straight is short. This means that the setup of each machine is very important here in ensuring that each bike and rider package can make the best and most efficient use of our tyres. We have used our experience from last year on the lengthened track, when the performance of our tyres was good, to select the most suitable slick and wet tyre compounds this time round.”

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