The 2015 San Marino round saw Marquez take the win, he was joined on the podium by Bradley Smith and Scott Redding, Lorenzo crashed out which saw Rossi extend his lead to 23 points. Don’t write him off for the 2016 round at Misano though, he’s always been strong here.
It’s hard to say what might happen on race day after looking at FP1 & FP2, could we see another shock victory?
Here’s what some of the rider’s had to say on Thursday.
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda: “Silverstone was not the best result but, okay, we still have a 50-point advantage. Michelin brought a new front tire. The target is a lower temperature. We will see. If it is harder but doesn’t have feel then you cannot brake late.”
Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha: “This one is something special for me. It is always a very good weekend with a lot of fans. Misano is the first track where I watched a MotoGP race. It was also the first track that I tried with a ‘big’ motorcycle.”
Jorge Lorenzo, Movistar Yamaha: “This track, historically, has been great for me. For some reason, I have always been fast. Last year, after my crash, was the only year I finished off the podium. Let’s see if we can be at the same level as the last seven years.”
Continued below…
Valentino Rossi
G.O.A.T
Date of birth: 16 February 1979
Place of birth: Urbino (ITA)
Weight: 67kg; Height: 182cm
Date of first GP: MAL 96 (125cc)
2016 World Champ.Standing: 2nd (160 points)
2015 RSM: QP- 3rd, Race- 5th
Marc Marquez
Youngest MotoGP World Champion
Date of birth: 17 February 1993
Place of birth: Cervera (SPA)
Weight: 59 kg; Height: 168 cm
Date of first GP: QAT 08 (125cc)
2016 World Champ.Standing: 1st (201 points)
2015 RSM: QP – 2nd, Race – 1st
Championship Standings
1st Marc Marquez
2nd Valentino Rossi
3rd Jorge Lorenzo
Maverick Vinales, Suzuki ECSTAR: “Honestly, I haven’t even had time to make a party. When I arrived Monday, I just trained again to try to come back stronger here. I hope we can bring all the positive things we found in Silverstone to also be competitive.”
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda: “Misano is a completely different track compared to Brno and Silverstone—everything is tighter and smaller. We have hard braking points. We also have three hard accelerations. But it looks like we can manage this side better.”
Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team: “This race is really important for Ducati and, especially, me. Like Marc said, there is a different front tire. Misano is quite a strange track, and the front is really important.”
Jorge Lorenzo, Movistar Yamaha: “Marc has been very consistent. There are only six races to finish the championship, but anything can happen. Until it’s mathematically impossible, you still have a chance to win.”
Cal Crutchlow, LCR Honda: “I didn’t have a clue that it’s my 100th Grand Prix. Do I get a present? One euro each would be perfect. It’s really nice to come here to Misano in good shape. We’ve had a good run. Hopefully, we can have a strong weekend.”
Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team: “Like every time you crash, after a few days, [an injury] becomes worse. I have more pain in my knee now than last weekend, but we will see tomorrow on the bike. I don’t think it will be a problem.”
Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha: “For some reason, this is the ‘zone’ in Italy where a lot of riders grow up. Now, riders born in other places are moving here to train because you have good facilities. Here, you can feel the ‘taste’ of a motorcycle.”
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