TIM Grand Prix of San Marino and the Riviera of Rimini 2014
Posted on Sep 08, 2014 by MotoGP™
ROUND THIRTEEN 2014 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER
Bradley Smith seeks a change of fortune at the six remaining grands prix of the season, starting on Sunday at the Grand Prix of San Marino E Della Riviera Di Rimini on the Adriatic coast of Italy at Misano. Tyre problems and a cracked rear wheel at the previous round at Silverstone have halted the points scoring potential of the Oxfordshire rider in his second season in MotoGP™ on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha. However, he has shown plenty of pace in qualifying, practice and testing which he hopes will relate to results in the final third of the season.
Gloucestershire’s Scott Redding still waits to finalise his future next year after a superb first season in MotoGP. He was the leading British rider at Silverstone on the Open Class GO&FUN Gresini Honda and is 12th in the world championship just five points behind his team-mate Alvaro Bautista on the factory specification Honda. It’s going to be a tough final third of the season for Isle of Man based Midlander Cal Crutchlow as he sees out his Ducati contract before joining LCR Honda next season.
Understandably Ducati, who tested at Misano a couple of weeks ago, did not supply Crutchlow with the latest specification machine as he fights to improve his 13th place in the championship. Former British Superbike Champion Leon Camier looks set for his fourth successive MotoGP ride replacing the injured former World Champion Nicky Hayden on the Drive M7 Aspar Honda. Ulsterman Michael Laverty also faces an uncertain MotoGP future as he continues that chase for hard earned championship points on the Paul Bird Motorsport Aprilia.
World Supersport Champion Sam Lowes scored his first Moto2™ points for six races when he finished seventh at Silverstone on his debut home grand prix appearance. The Lincolnshire rider will be looking to consolidate on his promising first grand prix season as the single member of the Speed–Up team. Londoner Gino Rea soldiers on but in such a competitive class finished just out of the points at Silverstone riding the AGT Rea Racing Suter.
Both Danny Kent and John McPhee picked up Moto3 championship points at Silverstone but both will be looking for a little bit more round the flat 2.626 miles Misano circuit. Wiltshire based Kent, fresh from his podium at Brno, was ninth and Scotsman McPhee 11th in another hard fought scrap in which you can drop ten places in the blink of an eye.
Lorenzo chases fourth in a row to beat Marquez
Jorge Lorenzo has finished second in the last three grands prix and hopes to grab that elusive first win of the season as he chases his fourth successive win in the Grand Prix of San Marino E Della Riviera Di Rimini on Sunday. The Movistar Yamaha rider has dominated the last three races round the 2.626 miles Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on the Adriatic coast of Italy and he chases his first victory of the season over World Champion and runaway championship leader Marc Marquez at round 13 of the championship.
His team-mate Valentino Rossi, who lives just round the corner from the circuit, has won twice at his local track and has finished third in those last three races but as always Marquez will be the man to beat. After his hiccup in Brno the Repsol Honda rider was back on the top step of the podium at the last round in Silverstone after another titanic battle with Lorenzo to make it 11 wins this season. The 21 year old Spaniard has won three times at Misano including a couple of Moto2 victories. His team-mate Brno winner Dani Pedrosa won in Misano four years ago and needs at least a podium finish on Sunday as Rossi trails him by just ten points in their battle for second place in the championship.
Another local Andrea Dovizioso is spearheading the Ducati challenge this season with some superb performances. The former 125cc World Champion has qualified second in the last three races and is fifth in the championship as he awaits the arrival of the 2015 machine. His team-mate Cal Crutchlow is struggling and it could be that Andrea Iannone, who joins Dovizioso on the factory Ducati next season, will be the biggest threat on Sunday riding the Pramac Ducati.
The Espargaro brothers continue their championship battle. Older brother Aleix, who is a comfortable leader of the Open class on the NGM Forward Racing Yamaha, has a four point advantage over younger brother Pol who is having an excellent debut season on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha.
Misano Moments
This will be the 18th grand prix to be held at Misano. The first in 1980 was the Nations Grand Prix. Since then the circuit has staged four more Nations, two Italian and ten San Marino Grands Prix. The grand prix in 1980 was the first round of the world championship and the 40 lap 500cc race was won by Kenny Roberts with Valentino Rossi’s father Graziano third.
There was a 14 year absence of grand prix racing at Misano between 1993 and 2007 following a serious accident to 500cc World Champion, American Wayne Rainey. When grand prix racing resumed the circuit ran in a reverse direction and was increased in length to 2.597 miles. Casey Stoner brought Ducati victory in the MotoGP race winning by 4.851 s from fellow Australian Chris Vermeulen.
Jorge Lorenzo has won the MotoGP race at Misano for the last three years. His Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi, who lives just six miles from the circuit, has won twice in 2008/9 with Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa the other winners since racing returned in 2007.
In 1989 many of the top riders refused to ride in the 500cc race on safety grounds. Local rider Pier Francesco Chili scored his only 500cc victory. The Honda rider won the 33 lap race by 32.27 s from Simon Buckmaster. Only five riders finished on the same lap of the race.
Misano Facts and Figures
Circuit Length: 4.226 km/2.626 miles
Width: 14m
Pole Position: Left
Longest Straight: 565m/0.351 miles
Left Corners: Six
Right Corners: Ten
Pole Position Record: Marc Marquez/Honda 1.32.915 (2013)
Lap Record: Jorge Lorenzo/Yamaha 1'33.906 (2011)
Television Times
BT Sport Schedule (unless stated this will be on BT Sport 2)
Friday 12th September
8.00am – Grand Prix of the San Marino – FP1 - LIVE
12.00am – Grand Prix of the San Marino – FP2 - LIVE
Saturday 13th September
8.00am – Grand Prix of the San Marino – Free Practice/Qualifying - LIVE
Sunday 14th September
9.30am – Grand Prix of the San Marino - Moto3/Moto2/MotoGP Races - LIVE
Tuesday 16th September
8.00pm - MotoGP Tonight: (BT Sport 1)
ITV4 Schedule
Monday 15th September
8.00pm – MotoGP Highlights Programme