Misano pre-race MotoGP stats
Words and images courtesy MGP
This is the 30th time that Misano has hosted a Grand Prix. The first GP to take place at Misano was in 1980, and the 500cc race was over 40 laps of the 3.448 km anticlockwise circuit. It was won by Kenny Roberts. Misano hosted 10 GPs between 1980 and 1993 before a 13-year hiatus following Wayne Rainey’s crash in 1993.
When Grand Prix racing returned to Misano in 2007, it was on a much revised 4.18km clockwise circuit running in the opposite direction (clockwise). The MotoGP race in 2019 was the 350th Grand Prix race in Italy since the first Nations Grand Prix held in 1949 at Monza.
There have been four different GPs held at Misano: the Nations GP (1980, ‘82, ‘84, 1989-90), the San Marino GP (1985-87, from 2007 onwards), the Italian GP (‘91, ‘93) and the Emilia-Romagna GP (2020 and 2021).
Three Italian riders finished in the top five at Misano in 2017, all on Ducatis, which was the first time three Italian riders on Italian bikes finished in the top five in the premier class since Imola 1972 when Giacomo Agostini won from MV Agusta teammate Alberto Pagani, with Ducati rider Bruno Spaggiari third.
The rider with most wins at Misano since 2007 is Marc Marquez with seven (1x125cc, 2xMoto2, 4xMotoGP).
MotoGP WINNERS AT MISANO SINCE 2007:
Marc Marquez 4 (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021/2) – Valentino Rossi 3 (2008, 2009, 2014) – Jorge Lorenzo 3 (2011, 2012, 2013) – Dani Pedrosa 2 (2010, 2016) – Francesco Bagnaia 2 (2021/1, 2022) – Franco Morbidelli 1 (2020/1) – Maverick Viñales 1 (2020/2) – Andrea Dovizioso 1 (2018) – Casey Stoner 1 (2007) – Jorge Martin 1 (2023).
RACES AT MISANO SINCE 2007 (57):
19 MotoGP, 16 Moto2, 3 250cc, 14 Moto3, 5 125cc
FACTORIES AT MISANO SINCE 2007: MOAT WINS:
Yamaha 8 – Honda 6 – Ducati 5
Yamaha: Yamaha’s last MotoGP win at the track was Maverick Viñales in 2020/2. Yamaha is the most successful manufacturer with eight wins: three each for Valentino Rossi (2008, 2009, 2014) and Jorge Lorenzo (2011, 2012, 2013), and one each for Franco Morbidelli (2020/1) and Maverick Viñales (2020/2), the latter also qualifying on pole in 2019, 2020/1 and 2020/2.
Honda: Honda’s last MotoGP win at Misano was Marc Marquez in 2021/2. The win for Marc Marquez in 2015 was the first for Honda at Misano since 2010 and followed four successive wins for Yamaha at this circuit.
Ducati: Ducati’s last MotoGP win at Misano was Jorge Martin in 2023. Ducati riders have taken seven pole positions at the track: two with Casey Stoner (2007, 2008) and Francesco Bagnaia (2021/1 and 2021/2), and one each for Jorge Lorenzo (2018), Jack Miller (2022) and Jorge Martin (2023).
Aprilia: Aprilia’s best MotoGP result here is Maverick Viñales’ P3 in 2022, their only podium so far.
KTM: KTM’s best is Pol Espargaro’s P3 in 2020/2. He qualified P2 in 2019 for KTM’s best MotoGP qualifying at
the time.
PODIUMS:
10 riders who will be on the grid have podiums here in the class: M. Marquez (6), Bagnaia (4), Viñales (3), Enea Bastianini (3), Joan Mir (2), Fabio Quartararo (2), wildcard P. Espargaro (2), Morbidelli (1), Marco Bezzecchi (1), Martin (1). 5 have taken pole: Viñales (4), Bagnaia (2), M. Marquez (1), Miller (1) and Martin (1).
WHAT HAPPENS IF…
73 – If at least one Ducati qualifies in the top three, it will be the 73rd consecutive race that a Ducati rider starts on the front row, a run that stretches back to Valencia 2020.
59 – Ducati are on a streak of 58 consecutive GP races with at least one rider on the podium. If they take a podium this weekend, they will extend their own record to 59.
20 – Pedro Acosta will be 20 years and 106 days old on Sunday. If he wins, he will become the second-youngest premier class winner after from Marc Marquez (20 years 63 days old in Austin in 2013).
8 – If Francesco Bagnaia wins, it’ll be his eighth win of 2024, making it his best premier class season regarding wins. The last rider with eight (or more) wins in a MotoGP season is Marc Marquez with 12 in 2019. Only Marc Marquez, Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo have won eight or more in a single MotoGP season.
7 – If a rider other than Martin, Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Bastianini, Viñales or Aleix Espargaro wins the Tissot Sprint at Misano, 2024 will already have had more different Sprint winners than across the whole of 2023.
6 – There are six full-time riders on the grid who could take their maiden MotoGP win this weekend: Alex Marquez, Raul Fernandez, Luca Marini, Takaaki Nakagami, Augusto Fernandez and rookie Pedro Acosta.
2 – At the San Marino GP, Marc Marquez will be aiming to take back-to-back MotoGP wins for the first time since 2021 (Americas/Emilia-Romagna).
1 – KTM and Aprilia riders could give their factory a maiden premier class win at Misano.
ON THIS DAY…
September 6th
At the 1992 South African GP at Kyalami, Max Biaggi took his maiden GP win in 250cc from Loris Reggiani and Pierfrancesco Chili.
At the same GP, Wayne Rainey finished third in the 500cc race behind John Kocinski and Wayne Gardner, taking his third and final title. Alessandro Gramigni was third in the 125cc race to give Aprilia their first rider crown.
September 7th
At the 1969 Nations GP held at Imola, Alberto Pagani won the 500cc race to become the first son of a former premier class winner (Nello Pagani) to win a race.
September 8th
At the 1991 Vitesse du Mans GP, held at Le Mans (the first time two GPs were hosted in France), Wayne Rainey finished third behind Kevin Schwantz and Mick Doohan to clinch his second premier class crown in a row.
400th MotoGP RACE AT MISANO
The MotoGP race at the San Marino GP will be the 400th MotoGP race to take place since the category, by that name, was introduced in 2002. Over 399 races so far:
36 different riders have won in MotoGP – 13 more since the 300th race in Jerez in 2019. The rider with most MotoGP wins is Valentino Rossi with 76, followed by Marc Marquez (60), Jorge Lorenzo (47), Casey Stoner (38) and Dani Pedrosa (31).
58 different riders have podiums in MotoGP – also 13 more since from the 300th race in Jerez in 2019. Valentino Rossi is the rider with the most, 176, followed by Jorge Lorenzo (114), Dani Pedrosa (112), Marc Marquez (106) and Casey Stoner (69).
Nine different riders have won one race in MotoGP since 2002: Andrea Iannone, Ben Spies, Chris Vermeulen, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Joan Mir, Johann Zarco, Tohru Ukawa, Toni Elias and Troy Bayliss.
The MotoGP winners are from 10 different nations, with three winning for the first time since the 300th race: Spain (174), Italy (149), Australia (44), France (12), Portugal (5), USA (4), Great Britain (3), Brazil (3), Japan (3) and South Africa (2).
Honda is the most successful manufacturer in MotoGP with 157 wins. Other manufacturers who have taken MotoGP wins are Yamaha (125), Ducati (98), Suzuki (8), KTM (7) and Aprilia (4).
PREVIOUSLY AT MISANO:
#1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) has won three times in Misano: once in Moto2 in 2018 from pole, and twice in MotoGP in 2021/1 from pole and 2022, from fifth after a 3-place grid penalty. He has had three more podiums here: P3s in Moto2 in 2017 and in MotoGP in 2023, following his crash in Catalunya), and P2 in MotoGP in 2020/1 (his maiden MotoGP podium). In 2023, he also finished P3 in the Sprint. In 2020/2, he took the lead from Viñales with 22 laps to go but crashed out at Turn 6 with seven laps remaining.
#5 Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) has one win in Misano when he was in Moto2 in 2015 (from pole) and finished on the podium a further two times: P2 in 2011 in 125cc and P3 in 2014 in Moto2. In his first MotoGP race here, he finished P15 after running out of fuel on the last lap and pushing his bike to the line. He finished fifth at the 2021 Emilia-Romagna GP for his best MotoGP result so far at the track.
#6 Stefan Bradl (HRC Team – wildcard) has had one podium at Misano: second to Marc Marquez in Moto2 in 2011, after qualifying on pole. In 2013, he finished P5 in MotoGP after passing Cal Crutchlow on the final lap, which is his best result so far in MotoGP at the track.
#10 Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) has won at the track once: in Moto2 at the 2020 San Marino GP after starting from pole. He also qualified on pole at the 2020 Emilia-Romagna GP. He finished P4 in 2022, for his best MotoGP result at the track, equalling his best result in the class at that time. He qualified third at the 2021 Emilia-Romagna GP (his best qualifying result in the class at that time). He made his GP debut in Moto3 at Misano in 2013 but crashed out in the opening lap (that was his only race in the class).
#12 Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) has won here once in MotoGP, at the 2020 Emilia-Romagna GP from pole. His other three podiums here were in 2013 (P2 in Moto3), in 2019 (P3 in MotoGP) and in 2022 (P3 in MotoGP).
#20 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team) has finished on the podium twice at Misano, both times in MotoGP; P2 in 2019 following a battle with Marc Marquez and P2 in 2021/1. At the 2021 Emilia- Romagna GP, he qualified 15th (after his lap time was cancelled) for his worst qualifying result at that time in MotoGP but finished P4 and clinched the world title.
#21 Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) has one podium here, taking his maiden MotoGP win at the 2020 San Marino GP.
#23 Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) has seven podiums at Misano (he is the second current rider with the most podiums here behind M. Marquez (nine)): a win in Moto3 in 2015 from pole – his maiden win, P2 in Moto3 in 2016, P3 in Moto2 in 2020/1, a win in Moto2 in 2020/2 and three podiums in MotoGP: P3 in 2021/1 (his maiden MotoGP podium) and in 2021/2 and P2 in 2022 (following a great battle with Bagnaia). He missed the San Marino GP in 2023 due to injury.
#25 Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) has won at Misano once, in Moto2 at the 2021 San Marino GP (from pole). He also qualified on pole in Moto3 at the 2020 Emilia-Romagna GP. He finished P8 here in 2023, which was his best MotoGP result at that time.
#30 Takaaki Nakagami (Idemistu Honda LCR) has taken three podiums here, all in Moto2: P2 in 2013 and P3s in both 2015 and 2016. He finished P6 at the 2020 Emilia-Romagna GP, his best MotoGP result here.
#31 Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) has two podiums here: P3 in 2021/2 in Moto3 and a win in Moto2 in 2023, both on his way to clinching the title.
#33 Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has one podium here, winning in Moto3 in 2016 (from pole) on his way to clinching the title. His best MotoGP result here is P8 scored in 2022.
#36 Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) has finished on the podium at Misano four times, twice in Moto3 (P3 in 2016 and P2 in 2017) and twice in MotoGP (P3 in 2020/1 and P2 in 2020/2).
#37 Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) finished on the podium three times at Misano, all in Moto2: a win in 2019, P2 in 2021/2 and P3 in 2022. He finished P16 in his first MotoGP race here in 2023.
#41 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing)’s best Grand Prix result at Misano is P6, scored in MotoGP in 2022.
#42 Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team) has three podiums here: two wins in Moto3 in 2013 and 2014, and a second place in 2016 in Moto2. His best MotoGP result here is P4 in 2018 when riding a Suzuki.
#43 Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has finished on the podium here once, in Moto3 in 2014 from pole. His best MotoGP result here is P5 at the 2021 San Marino GP. He took his second and most recent pole here in 2022. At the 2020 Emilia-Romagna GP, he retired after a tear-off got caught in his air filter on Lap 2.
#44 Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – wildcard) has finished on the podium four times here: P2 in Moto2 in 2012, a win in Moto2 in 2013, P3 in MotoGP in 2020/2 after Quartararo was given a penalty, which is KTM’s best result in the class at Misano so far, and a P2 in MotoGP in 2021/2 (with Honda), which is his best result in MotoGP so far.
#49 Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) has finished on the podium three times here: P3 in Moto3 in both 2017 and 2018, and P2 in 2019 in Moto2 after taking his only pole position in the class. He finished P17 here in 2023 for his best MotoGP result at the track.
#72 Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) has finished on the podium here three times: P2 in both Moto2 races held at Misano in 2020, and P2 in MotoGP in 2023. He also finished P2 in the Sprint in 2023.
#73 Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) has had three podiums at Misano: P3 in 2013 and P2 in 2014 in Moto3, and P3 in 2019 in Moto2. He finished P7 in MotoGP at the 2020 Emilia-Romagna GP for his best result in the class at the track so far.
#88 Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) has had two podiums at Misano: P2 in Moto3 in 2015 and P2 in Moto2 in 2018. He finished P5 at the 2020 Emilia-Romagna GP, for his best MotoGP result here.
#89 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) has two podiums here: P2 in Moto3 in 2018 (from pole) and winning the MotoGP race here in 2023 from pole. He took his second double that weekend, winning both the GP race and the Sprint.
#93 Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) has finished on the podium nine times here, including seven wins: in 125cc in 2010, in Moto2 in both 2011 and 2012, and in MotoGP in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021/2. He missed the podium only four times in his 10 visits to the track in MotoGP: P15 in 2014 (after crashing and rejoining the race), P4 in 2016 and in 2021/1 and P7 in 2023.