MotoGP™: A sixth different winner and more records for Michelin at Misano

Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) has emerged as the 2020 MotoGPTM campaign’s sixth different victor after winning the Gran Premio TISSOT dell'Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini at Misano, Italy. Three different bikemakers finished on the afternoon’s podium, while the grip performance of the MICHELIN Power Slick contributed to a number of records tumbling.

Viñales’ perfect weekend started with a new track lap record (1m31.077s) and continued with his second straight start from pole position and his first win of the season.

The previous fastest lap of the Italian circuit – established by Viñales himself as recently as last week – was initially bettered by three riders in Free Practice 3, and then by six riders in the qualifying session which saw the factory Yamaha rider clinch pole with a time that beat his previous best by 0.334s, with his bike sitting on medium and soft MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear.

Viñales got away well on Sunday afternoon to lead during the race’s first five laps before being passed by Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) who was on form all weekend. The Ducati rider even clocked the afternoon’s fastest lap (1m32.319s) which helped him to pull d out a gap of 1.5 seconds by the halfway point.

His Yamaha rival fought back on medium MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear, however, and the Spaniard’s pressure forced the Italian into a mistake on the 21st of the race’s 27 laps. Viñales went on to take the flag in a total time of 41m55.846s, an improvement of almost half-a-second over last week’s duration!

The fight for the podium’s other two steps involved Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Racing Factory), Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha Petronas SRT) and Joan Mir (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR). Lapping on the same tyre combination as the eventual winner, the latter fought back strongly from fourth place with two laps remaining to ease past Quartararo, then Espargaro, and pocket his second runner-up finish in as many weeks.

Quartararo made sure of third in the penultimate lap but a penalty for exceeding the track limits relegated him to fourth. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was fifth.

Five of the seven tyre variants available in Italy were used, with three different specs making it onto podium.

Eighth place sufficed for Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) to defend his lead in the provisional championship standings, with Quartararo and Viñales on his heels.

Next round: Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain (September 25- 27).