By Donovan Fourie | Guest Contributor | MotoGP Analyst
The Adriatic Setting
This weekend, MotoGP heads to the famous Adriatic Coast on the northwestern edge of Italy. The docile towns of Riccione, Rimini and Misano Adriatico are the most popular holiday destinations for the entire north of Italy. It’s a place where Italy’s glamour shines at its brightest.
The Misano Circuit
A stone’s throw away from the sparkling Adriatic Sea is the Misano Circuit, a 4.2km cherry on top of the Adriatic cake. It’s a circuit that folds in on itself like an acrobatic amoeba. It runs clockwise with ten right-hand corners and six left-handers with a varying degree of different corners and flick-flack arrangements. Most notably, the Curvone corner that literally translates as “big corner”.
The back straight is the longest on the circuit, even though it’s only 530 metres long. The riders are able to only just top 300km/h before they swerve hard into the Curvone sweep without tapping off the throttle!
It’s a corner that MotoGP bikes take flat out at 300km/h. The men riding these bikes are clearly made from different stuff than ordinary humans.
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It’s very likely that this matters more than the number of laps that a single rider has turned for one simple reason: Misano is very grippy.
Grippy tracks mean more pressure on tyres, suspension, frames and brakes. With that, a good bike setup is essential. While Pecco Bagnaia might know the circuit better than anyone else, with his current bike troubles, it’s highly likely he will struggle.
KTM prefers circuits with less grip, hence their relative success at Catalunya. The grippy Misano circuit will be a challenge.
Riders to Watch
Marc Marquez has the most wins at Misano with five, and with his current form and the data held by Ducati, he would be a sure bet to win.
However, Marco Bezzecchi has turned many laps personally, plus his Aprilia has a ton of setup data. While Marc seems formidable, a Bezzecchi upset is very possible.
With the lack of long straights, Fabio Quartararo on his Yamaha may also find himself in the mix.
What to Expect
While a Marc Marquez win seems very likely, it’s also possible that this might be a different kind of weekend.