MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP RETURN TO MISANO FOR THE FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH POINT
Misano Adriatico (Italy), October 20, 2021
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team is ready to begin the final European stage of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, starting with the Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna this weekend.
After a two-week break, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team is going to the Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna with renewed energy this weekend.
The Factory Yamaha Team particularly enjoys riding the Misano circuit, which they consider to be their home GP. Fabio Quartararo likes to drive his YZR-M1 in this place, which is clear from the two second places he achieved here in 2019 and 2021.
This upcoming round will be a bit more intense than usual for El Diablo, however, as this weekend gives him his first chance to seal the deal for his MotoGP title hunt in 2021. Thanks to the Frenchman’s brilliant second place in Austin three weeks ago, he is currently leading the championship with three races to go, 52 points ahead of his closest rival.
The Misano track plays an important role in Franco Morbidelli’s career. Not only did he drive his first ever Moto2 Grand Prix there in 2013, he also clinched his first MotoGP win at this track in 2020 and made his factory Yamaha debut there at the San Marino GP that year.
The Italian hopes to make the upcoming Emilia-Romagna GP another memorable event. After the Misano test and the further rehabilitation of his knee injury since then, he would like to ride this route again with an improved feeling. In the overall ranking he is currently 17th with a total of 40 points.
The Misano circuit, built in 1972, was a regular venue for the Italian Grand Prix in the 1980s and early 1990s. The 4.2km track is run clockwise since a radical renovation was made in 2007 to meet MotoGP safety regulations that put the track back on the MotoGP calendar. The upgrade also included a new chicane, which led to the current layout of six left and ten right turns, adding even more racing fun to the track.
Those who want to remember the layout of the Misano track can refresh their memories by watching the Emilia – Romagna GP eSports video and Franco Morbidelli’s “Map The Track – San Marino GP” video.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
We’re back in Misano, ready to begin the final chapters of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship. This is a crucial point of the season for both Fabio and the team and Yamaha, but we will treat it like a “normal GP weekend”. By that I mean: We give everything in every session and work together as a team. We finished the San Marino GP and the Misano test immediately afterwards with very positive results. We have used this data to prepare for this weekend so we expect to be able to deliver another competitive performance.
FABIO QUARTARARO
Austin was really tough, but rewarding. That second place was great for the championship, especially since we only have three GPs left. For this last part of the competition, my mindset changed a bit. The last time we were in Misano, I was racing for the win and I wasn’t thinking about the championship at all. Of course, as always, I’ll do my best to get the best result possible this weekend because that’s what I enjoy the most, but I’ll try to be smart.
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
The race in Austin was really tough, especially because the track put a lot of strain on my injured knee. The two weeks without a race allowed me to give my leg some rest, so that we will now start the next Grand Prix better than we finished the previous one. We made good progress at the Misano test in September. We have taken a big step and have significantly improved my feeling with the bike on this track, so I’m looking forward to continuing to work in this direction this weekend.