MotoGP: Marc Marquez on top again, this time at Misano
Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGPTM) followed up his Aragon win last week with victory in the Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, Round 13 of the 2024 MotoGPTM World Championship. Ducati Lenovo Team's Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini were second and third in Italy where the MICHELIN Power Slick range showcased its consistency and grip once again. Both the soft and medium rears finished on the grand prix podium. Read on for more about the San Marino GP weekend...
From ninth on the grid, Marquez reveled in Sunday's tricky conditions to take control when a short shower swept over Misano on the eighth of the race's 27 laps. Having opted for the medium MICHELIN Power Slick front and rear shortly before lights-out, the Spaniard took advantage of his tires' grip to post a string of fast, consistent times (including the best race lap – 1m31.564s - on Lap 20) that laid the foundations for his second win of the campaign.
The result had a special flavor for Gresini Racing MotoGPTM which had painted the bikes of Marquez and his brother Alex with a bespoke livery in memory of the team's late founder, Fausto Gresini, who died in 2021.
Bagnaia topped qualifying with a new track-lap record of 1m30.304s and started on the same tire pairing as his Spanish rival. He led early on but was ultimately second past the flag, chased by team-mate Bastianini (medium/soft MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear).
The brief shower prompted a handful of riders to pit in order to trade their bike for one equipped with wet-weather tires. Their numbers included Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) who was running second at the time. The rain soon ceased, however, and he was compelled to stop again to revert to his original Ducati. The move cost the championship-leader valuable points since he had to settle for 15th place at the finish, although he did win the sprint.
The MICHELIN Power Slick range lived up to expectations, providing the riders with the grip, consistency and confidence they needed over the weekend. They all selected the soft rear for Saturday's shorter race, but both the soft and medium rears appeared for the grand prix itself, with Bagnaia and Marc Marquez both opting for the latter at the last moment. The trip to Italy concluded with new Misano track-lap and race-lap records for Michelin.
As the title chase hots up, Martin's cushion over Bagnaia has been whittled down to seven points. Third-placed Marc Marquez is 53 points adrift.
Misano also hosted the last two races of this year's FIM ENEL MotoETM World Championship. The wins were shared by Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) and Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI), while Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) succeeded in his bid to claim his first world crown. Michelin provided the 2024 championship with new MICHELIN Power Slicks that contained an average 50 percent renewable/recycled raw materials. All the series' previous records were beaten over the season thanks to these higher-performing, even more sustainable tires.
Next round: Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Italy (September 20-22).