Reload for Emilia-Romagna: can the home heroes take back their territory?

There’s a lot on the line as the paddock returns to the fabulous Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli – from the Constructors’ crown to some Ducati milestones.Buckle up for more MotoGP™ as we get ready for the Gran Premio Pramac dell’Emilia-Romagna, with season silverware on the line already and plenty of extra bragging rights to race for. The biggest is the Constructors’ crown, with Ducati able to wrap that up on Sunday after their stunning form so far. They’re 229 points clear of KTM and 239 ahead of Aprilia, with 222 the golden number by the flag on Sunday to wrap it up. They could also win it in style, as their next victory would be their 100th MotoGP™ win. With the top two in the title fight – Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – split by only seven points, and so much on the line between them and those they’ll likely be racing most closely at the front, all that’s on offer promises a serious show.

THE SHOW WILL GO ON

Martin will want to prove a serious point, for himself after that flag-to-flag gamble didn’t pay off, and for the points to extend that gap at the top. And for the future when it comes to the Constructors’ crown and that milestone 100th MotoGP™ win. If that’s not enough motivation, he’d also like to beat the Italian riders on their home turf and take the glory for his Italian team, who title sponsor the event. Coming out swinging probably won’t cover it, and he still knows he won in 2023 when the weather threw no curveballs.

Bagnaia, meanwhile, arrives with more margin to play with now the gap is back down to single digits in the Championship. But he also arrives preparing for his own milestone: his 100th MotoGP™ start, and on home turf for him and the Ducati Lenovo Team. As their double and reigning World Champion, those milestones must speak to him too. Constructors’ crown secured on home turf in his 100th MotoGP™ race, by taking Ducati’s 100th MotoGP™ win? The stars have aligned if Bagnaia can make it happen. This time round, he’ll also be closer to full fitness – something he hasn’t been at Misano since 2022.

On to Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). Now confirmed alongside Bagnaia in the factory squad next season, he’ll be keen to start inking in some Ducati milestones ahead of the switch. Force that territory to be shared. He’ll also be keen to stop Bagnaia doing so as the two prepare to share a garage, and on the #1’s home turf. Having now won two in a row, if Marquez wins a third it’s the first time he’ll have taken three or more consecutive MotoGP™ GP wins since 2019. It would also extend his record as the most winning rider at Misano on the current grid… and close that Championship gap to the top two even more.

And then there’s Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). He’s got a 100% podium record in MotoGP™ races he’s started at Misano, which is no mean feat. He shares some of his rivals’ motivation – home turf, for one – and that 100th MotoGP™ win for Ducati would probably feel pretty sweet. He’s also still well in contention in the title fight, and only nine points behind Marc Marquez. Qualifying further up would only intensify the Jaws music for those he was chasing down last time out.

ON THE CHASE

Saturday at the San Marino GP proved once again there are plenty of rivals for the top four in the Championship though. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) has been gaining speed throughout 2024, and in the Tissot Sprint last time out took his first Saturday rostrum finish. He was also fast on Sunday before crashing out. Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) also took a front row and top five in the GP race, and a better launch off the line could improve those fortunes even more on take two. Teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio will have had longer to recover as we get back on track, and Alex Marquez’ (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) Sunday at San Marino was a solid one. Can they move forward?

At KTM and GASGAS there was also good speed on Sunday, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) coming home fourth after both he and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) had a solid Sprint. Acosta will want to minimise those mistakes, and it’ll be interesting as he races at a venue for the second time in his rookie season. It went well for him in the 2021 Doha GP. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had a good weekend last time out too, taking his best Sunday finish since Portimão, on top of scoring in the Sprint. More of that will be the minimum aim for the Aussie, and more points the aim for Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) after a tougher one at Misano on our first visit.

CHAPEAU!

Meanwhile at Yamaha, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) must be in the conversation for rider of the weekend last time out, having equalled his best Sunday finish so far in 2024 and scored in the Sprint to make it his equal best weekend for points. The Iwata factory and their 2021 World Champion want to be racing for more than seventh, but the world-beating form they’ve both shown before is built – or rebuilt – over time. Quartararo and teammate Alex Rins have tested at Misano a few weeks ago, done the San Marino GP, and now pocketed some more track time in the Monday test, in which Quartararo was fifth quickest. So can they make another step forward this time out?

BACK IN THE SADDLE

Steps forward is likewise the aim at Aprilia as the Noale factory suffer a tougher patch of form. Neither Maverick Viñales nor Aprilia Racing teammate Aleix Espargaro took any points at the San Marino GP, so that’s a clear aim this time out. They’ll also hope that work at the Monday Test – focused on the here and now – will help to turn those fortunes around. Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing), meanwhile, DID score – five points on Sunday to come home top Noale machine. He’ll want more, the factory wants more, the factory riders will want to beat him, and teammate Raul Fernandez will also want to hit back.

Finally, at Honda it’s a first full weekend at Misano for Repsol Honda Team’s Joan Mir and Luca Marini. Both suffering with illness sidelining them last time out, they did get back out for the Monday test so they’ll hope that sets them up to get back in the mix at the Grand Prix. Meanwhile at IDEMITSU and CASTROL Honda LCR, there were some solid points for Takaaki Nakagami and Johann Zarco, respectively. Notably, they’re now on an equal total this season – and Nakagami is ahead in the standings thanks to that P11 finish in Aragon. They’ll want to beat each other and beat the Repsol Honda duo, and to continue adding information and kilometres to Honda’s mission to move forward. What can they do with a full line-up and after the extra track time of the Misano Test?

We’ll find out this weekend as another 37 points go into play – and a whole lot more.

SHOWTIME

Saturday

Tissot Sprint: 15:00 (UTC +2)

Sunday

Grand Prix: 13:00 (UTC +2)

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