The Emilia-Romagna GP brings a first championship match point for Fabio Quartararo, who comes to the second Misano round with a 52-point lead over Pecco Bagnaia.
Quartararo: “I’ll try to be smart”
A safe margin, which the Frenchman has no intention of squandering. “Austin was really tough but rewarding. That second place was great for the championship, especially because we only have three GPs left”, El Diablo comments ahead of Misano 2.
After a first part of the season in which he was on the attack, Fabio is now thinking more about the numbers: “For this final part of the competition my mindset has changed a little. The last time we were in Misano, I was racing for the win and not thinking about the championship at all. Of course I will still do my best as always to get the best result possible this weekend, because that’s what I enjoy most, but I will try to be smart about it”, concludes the Yamaha rider, aware that he cannot waste the opportunity to secure his first world title ahead of time.
Morbidelli: “A crucial weekend for Yamaha”
Franco Morbidelli will take a different approach, not yet fully fit following a knee surgery that has seen him sit out a good part of the season. “This is a crucial moment, for Fabio and also for the team and Yamaha, but we’ll tackle it like a normal weekend”, the Italian comments ahead of his home round. “We’ll give it our all in every session and will work together like a real team”. Morbido hopes for a good result that can serve as a morale boost: “We made some good progress during the Misano Test in September. We made a big step and improved my feeling with the bike considerably at this track, so I am looking forward to continue working in that direction this weekend”.
Translated by Heather Watson
MotoGP: a heartfelt tribute to Simoncelli and Gresini at Misano