There’s no escaping the truth that MotoGP’s return to the Misano circuit for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix two weeks after staging the San Marino GP on the identical venue is a nasty search for the championship.
Initially, the weekend of 20-22 September was meant to see the second version of the Indian GP staged after it made its debut on the calendar final yr. These plans had been scuppered, formally, as a result of “operational concerns” and unsuitable climate circumstances as a result of excessive warmth within the area at the moment of yr.
Nevertheless, it’s thought the race organisers had been really in breach of their contract with Dorna for monetary causes. India is now being touted as slotting into the calendar subsequent March.
The inaugural Kazakhstan GP, which was postponed from its June slot as a result of flooding of the area, was then drafted into Indian’s spot on the calendar. However, having been cancelled in 2023 as a result of facility exterior of Almati not being prepared, this race was additionally axed.
With rumours of a repeat occasion in Qatar and even a return to Brno, MotoGP settled on a second race at Misano – reviving the Emilia Romagna GP, which hasn’t been held since 2021 throughout the second COVID-affected season.
It wasn’t till mid-July that the paddock knew the place it will be this weekend just some days earlier than it must be on the island of Lombok for the Indonesian GP. In a post-COVID period, that type of calendar disruption for occasions that already posed issues and raised suspicions from inception merely isn’t acceptable.
This can virtually actually be one thing Liberty Media, when its acquisition of an 86% majority of Dorna is accomplished on the finish of this yr, will look to stamp out going ahead. In spite of everything, that is an organisation that introduced the 2025 calendar for Formulation 1 again in April – whereas MotoGP doesn’t have its schedule for subsequent yr ironed out but in September.
Whatever the messiness of the 2024 calendar, MotoGP is staying in Misano for an additional race… nicely, it’s technically returning, as a result of the paddock needed to be damaged down and stashed close by as a result of one other occasion long-booked happening on the circuit within the week between the San Marino and Emilia Romagna GPs.
The Emilia Romagna GP marks the primary time for the reason that 2021 season {that a} second grand prix has been staged on one monitor in the identical marketing campaign. This was one thing first achieved in 2020 on the peak of the COVID pandemic, with 5 tracks staging 10 of the 14 grands prix that yr. Whereas the world opened up a bit of bit extra in 2021, 4 tracks hosted eight rounds that yr.
In 2020, all of these repeat occasions had been staged back-to-back. In 2021, MotoGP’s two rounds in Portugal and Misano had been separated by different occasions, whereas the Qatar and Austria ones had been double-headers.
What influence will this have at Misano in 2024?
Typically, occasions held on the identical circuit tended to supply a lot nearer contests throughout qualifying and on the entrance of races. This isn’t shocking, given each rider primarily entered the second occasion at a monitor armed to the enamel with information from the earlier race.
Throughout the 9 races that had been held in 2020 and 2021 on a monitor for a second time, six of them noticed the general time lowered from the earlier grand prix. In six, the hole masking the highest 10 in qualifying shrunk – and significantly, as you’ll be able to see from the desk under.
Qualifying high 10 hole at repeat venues
| Race | Qualifying Prime 10 hole |
| 2020 Spanish GP (Jerez) | +0.969s |
| 2020 Andalucian GP (Jerez) | +0.593s |
| 2020 Austrian GP (Crimson Bull Ring) | +0.422s |
| 2020 Styrian GP (Crimson Bull Ring) | +0.222s |
| 2020 San Marino GP (Misano) | +0.807s |
| 2020 Emilia Romagna GP (Misano) | +0.504s |
| 2020 Aragon GP (Aragon) | +0.959s |
| 2020 Teruel GP (Aragon) | +0.721s |
| 2020 Valencia GP (Ricardo Tormo) | +1.347s |
| 2020 European GP (Ricardo Tormo) | +0.590s |
| 2021 Qatar GP (Losail) | +0.910s |
| 2021 Doha GP (Losail) | +0.688s |
As you’ll be able to see from the above desk, Misano doesn’t characteristic from 2021. That’s largely all the way down to the very fact the San Marino GP came about in September and the Emilia Romagna GP in October, so cooler circumstances had an influence.
The 2021 San Marino GP noticed the highest 10 in qualifying lined by 1.066s, which swelled to 1.642s for the Emilia Romagna GP – although that is all the way down to the climate fairly than any important drop in dry tempo. The San Marino GP was additionally accomplished in 41m48.305s, whereas the Emilia Romagna GP was barely slower at 41m52.830s.
In principle, the 2024 Emilia Romagna must be nearer when it comes to qualifying and the battle on the entrance ought to stay as tight because it was final time on the San Marino GP. Nevertheless, in all however two occasions throughout 2020 and 2021 did the hole masking the highest 10 on the finish of a race shrink. However given how a lot climate circumstances performed an element in final weekend’s Misano race, the sector unfold will likely be a lot nearer this week.
By way of kind information, the occasions of these repeat races in 2020 and 2021 spotlight simply how a lot the steadiness of energy in MotoGP has shifted within the ensuing years.
Yamaha is essentially the most profitable producer on this space, with it successful 5 instances on the second go to to a monitor. In 2020, Fabio Quartararo accomplished the Jerez double with victory within the Andalucian GP; Maverick Vinales received the Emilia Romagna GP, whereas two of Franco Morbidelli’s three grand prix victories got here on the Teruel and Valencia GPs. In 2021, Quartararo was victorious on the Doha GP.
KTM is subsequent on that checklist with two wins courtesy of Miguel Oliveira on the 2020 Styrian GP for Tech3 and Brad Binder together with his heroic experience to victory within the moist Austrian GP of 2021 on slick tyres. Ducati and Honda share the remaining wins, with Francesco Bagnaia victorious on the 2021 Algarve GP and Marc Marquez securing his remaining Honda triumph in that yr’s Emilia Romagna GP.
Waiting for this weekend’s version of the Emilia Romagna GP, it’s laborious to not view it as a pivotal second within the 2024 season. It begins a triple-header that may absorb Indonesia after which Japan, and the title battle is finely poised forward of it.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP Group, San Marino GP 2024
© Gold & Goose
After acing the dash on the San Marino GP, Jorge Martin’s strategic gaffe within the flag-to-flag grand prix meant his championship lead shrunk from 26 factors to simply seven over Bagnaia – who was second in each contests.
Driving under full health following his tangle with Alex Marquez on the Aragon GP, Bagnaia mentioned in Ducati’s preview for the Emilia Romagna GP that he’s now totally match. Having claimed pole with a brand new lap report on the San Marino GP, Martin will discover a a lot more durable Bagnaia to cope with.
However after his second win of the 2024 season, Marquez looms menacingly within the background now. Simply 53 factors adrift of Martin, momentum may be very a lot with the Gresini rider. Successful the earlier Emilia Romagna GP means nothing coming into this yr’s version, however what is critical is that this being the primary time since Qatar that Marquez has raced on a monitor with prior Ducati expertise.
Having discovered the bike feeling he had on the Crimson Bull Ring when he hit the monitor at Misano for the San Marino GP, he’ll have his first actual probability this season to actually hone in on his weak factors relative to his Ducati rivals.
Enea Bastianini has at all times reached the rostrum at no matter Misano grand prix he has competed in since stepping as much as MotoGP. On the 2021 Emilia Romagna GP, he snatched third from Quartararo – who was topped champion that race – aboard a year-old Avintia-run Ducati.
A raffle to run the tender tyre within the San Marino GP final outing didn’t fairly repay, however he nonetheless had robust tempo on his method to third. And will circumstances warrant it, his race distance information of that tyre may come in useful this weekend. Fellow Ducati rider Morbidelli put in his greatest exhibiting of the yr on the San Marino GP and will get a second shot to complete the job, after crashing out of the rostrum locations in the principle race.
Very like Marquez, KTM’s Pedro Acosta involves a monitor he has prior bike information of. When he did so in Qatar, he ran contained in the podium battle earlier than fading down the order. That was his maiden grand prix, and his tempo all through the San Marino GP was Ducati-threatening. Armed with extra information from the post-race check, Acosta may very well be an actual darkish horse.
For individuals who struggled first time round, it’s an opportunity to proper some wrongs and probably come away with one thing robust. That will likely be one thing Aprilia hopes rings true after its latest struggles, whereas a powerful San Marino GP for Quartararo and Yamaha supplied a platform for some sustained good outcomes because it continues to haul itself up the grid.
