Table of contents:
- Andrea Dovizioso returns to MotoGP with Yamaha at Misano
- Misano is a Yamaha circuit … and Marc Márquez
- MotoE returns to the World Championship with two races at Misano
- Schedules MotoGP San Marino 2021
The MotoGP World Championship enters its final stage. Misano will host the San Marino Grand Prix this weekend, the first of the five left to finish the season. The Marco Simoncelli circuit will have two races this season, but they will not be consecutive, since in between MotoGP will make the Americas.
Misano arrives with Fabio Quartararo as the great favorite for victory on a circuit that is practically a temple for Yamaha. The Iwata brand tends to do very well in San Marino, and also in this Grand Prix they will have many premieres in their ranks: Franco Morbidelli returns, already in the official team, and Andrea Dovizioso will be in Petronas.
Andrea Dovizioso returns to MotoGP with Yamaha at Misano
This is why Yamaha is going to turn heads in Misano. Another triumph for Quartararo could leave the World Cup ready to sentence him even in Austin, and the past shows that Yamaha are very difficult to beat at Misano. In 2020 they won both races, the first with Morbidelli and the second with Maverick Viñales.
Morbidelli is going to return to the world championship after a long absence and will make his debut on the official Yamaha motorcycle, the same team that he will be in in 2022. Although it seems that he is still limping, so he will not return 100%. As to Dovizioso returns to MotoGP after a half-year absence to adapt to Yamaha, where it will be next year.
The first favorite to stand up to Quartararo must be Pecco Bagnaia. Not only because the Italian, now second in the world championship, is on a roll after winning at MotorLand, but last year he had the victory in hand until he fell leading alone. He spun the Ducati on a circuit that is not natural for him.
Suzuki would have another chance to fight for the podium, although the long-awaited victory is difficult since it seems that the bike has lagged a bit behind. Winning the World Cup is already very difficult for Joan Mir, but rescuing at least the runner-up should be an objective to further honor a victory-orphan title defense.
For Marc Márquez it will be difficult to be in the fight for victory again on a more conventional track than MotorLand, but let's not forget that at the Red Bull Ring I was in position to win the race until the rain came. Chasing Quartararo here looks difficult, but the podium is feasible.
We will see how far Maverick Viñales can go in his second race with the Aprilia, already with more knowledge about the motorcycle and on a circuit that is more favorable to him. Viñales has already said that he still has left, but perhaps at least he can score. As for KTM, they continue with a galloping irregularity.
Misano is a Yamaha circuit … and Marc Márquez
The one in 2021 will be the 18th San Marino Grand Prix to be held at the Misano circuit, but the track that now bears the name of Marco Simoncelli has hosted more World Cup events, only with other names. Too there were five Grand Prix of Nations, two Grand Prix of Italy and last year's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The rider who has won the most races at Misano is Marc Márquez, who has won up to six times and three of them have been in the premier class. Jorge Lorenzo has four wins, also three in MotoGP, and Valentino Rossi took the races of 2008, 2009 and 2014, so it also has three.
Interestingly, there is a driver who has the same victories as Rossi. This is Matteo Ferrari, the first MotoE World Cup champion, who took all three triumphs for electric motorcycles at the Marco Simoncelli circuit. The MotoE World Cup returns this year also to Misano.
By brands Yamaha historically sweeps Misano. Has fourteen wins, including the two from last season, while Honda has only eight. Ducati has won two races at the Marco Simoncelli circuit and Suzuki has one, that of Franco Uncini in the season he was champion, 1982.
MotoE returns to the World Championship with two races at Misano
To follow the San Marino Grand Prix live there are three alternatives. DAZN remains the sole holder of the MotoGP rights in Spain, but Movistar + will click the signal of the entire Grand Prix on its DAZN 1 channel, after the agreement reached by both platforms. In addition, the MotoGP VideoPass will always be available.
The great news is that in Spain there will be a third way to follow the Grand Prix, open and through Telecinco, which will broadcast the races. The rest of the sessions will go on the other Mediaset channels. In Misano the usual times of the World Championship are maintained, with the MotoGP race at 2:00 p.m., and MotoE returns to finish the championship.
Schedules MotoGP San Marino 2021
- (FP1) MotoE free practice: 8:20
- (FP1) Moto3 free practice: 9:00
- (FP1) MotoGP free practice: 9:55
- (FP1) Moto2 free practice: 10:55
- (FP2) Moto3 free practice: 13:15
- (FP2) MotoGP free practice: 14:10
- (FP2) Moto2 free practice: 15:10
- (FP2) MotoE free practice: 16:05
- (FP3) Moto3 free practice: 9:00
- (FP3) MotoGP free practice: 9:55
- (FP3) Moto2 free practice: 10:55
- (Q) MotoE timed practice: 11:45
- (Q1) Moto3 timed practice: 12:35
- (Q2) Moto3 timed practice: 13:00
- (FP4) MotoGP free practice: 13:30
- (Q1) MotoGP timed practice: 14:10
- (Q2) MotoGP timed practice: 14:35
- (Q1) Moto2 timed practice: 15:10
- (Q2) Moto2 timed practice: 15:35
- (R) Race 1 MotoE: 16:20
- (WUP) Warm Up Moto3: 8:20
- (WUP) Warm Up Moto2: 8:50
- (WUP) Warm Up MotoGP: 9:40
- (RAC) Moto3 Race: 11:00
- (RAC) Moto2 Race: 12:20
- (RAC) MotoGP Race: 14:00
- (RAC) Race 2 MotoE: 15:30
