From a press release issued by Yamaha:

Race date: 22 June 2003
Track length: 4060m
Year opened: 1972
2002 WSS winner: Fabien Foret (Honda)
WSS lap record: 1:39.132: Jörg Teuchert(Yamaha)
Circuit website: http://www.misanocircuit.com

Misano – the seaside circuit

The World Supersport riders make their second visit to Italy this season when the championship moves to the Misano Adriatica circuit near Rimini this weekend.

Misano has hosted World Superbike/World Supersport racing since 1991 and, officially, this is known as the San Marino round, although the circuit itself is on the border of the tiny principality and is technically in Italy.

Not that this bothers the fans or teams, as this privately owned coastal circuit is a favourite due to the seaside location which gives a real holiday feel to this round. A large crowd is expected, with many arriving early to enjoy the blisteringly hot weather expected at this time of year.

Technically, the track has a relatively simple layout made up mostly of second and third gear bends. The exception is the long back straight, which is preceeded by a fast left hand corner.

The track is also renowned for inconsistent grip levels. This is partly due to the bumpy surface, which features many different types of tarmac due to work carried out since the circuit opened in 1972 but also due to location and weather conditions. Sea salt can contaminate the track surface to make early morning laps slippery, while the expected high temperatures will test the tyres and suspension towards the end of the race. Rain has not been forecast for this weekend, which is just as well because the Misano surface is treacherous in the wet.

YZF-R6 set-up – tough on tyres

Despite the relatively simple layout of the circuit, the rough Misano surface combines with the high temperatures to give the tyres and suspension a tough workout.

The teams will work to find a set-up that will absorb the bumps without overly compromising performance through the fast left-hander leading onto the back straight. With this in mind, most riders are likely to opt for a fairly stiff rear spring with soft damper settings. This will stop the rear of the bike squatting through the fast section while offering a plush ride through the bumpy slow corners. It’s not a perfect solution, but like most tracks Misano is about finding a good compromise setting.

Misano will also provide the tyre engineers from Dunlop and Pirelli with their stiffest test of the season so far. Temperature is the big concern and riders could easily find themselves caught out as the pace heats up and front end grip levels decrease. Conditions will dictate the use of hard compound tyres to last the distance, but these will provide the riders with less feedback and consequently is not uncommon to see competitors ‘lose the front end’ at Misano.

Of the Yamaha squads, only Jurgen van den Goorbergh and Simone Sanna of the Italian-distributor Yamaha Belgarda Team have tested at Misano this year. However, with rain reducing the amount of dry track time neither rider will have a set-up advantage over their rivals – although it did give the pair a chance to reacquaint themselves with a circuit they haven’t raced at for many years.

2002 race recap – hot but not so sticky

Last year’s Misano encounter saw the top four riders separated by less than a second at the chequered flag, with eventual champion Fabien Foret (Honda) heading off Suzuki’s Katsuaki Fujiwara for the win. Jamie Whitham (Yamaha Belgarda Team) was top Yamaha in third place, finishing narrowly ahead of Yamaha Motor Germany’s Christian Kellner.

Sweltering conditions led to a tough race for all the riders. Track temperatures in excess of 55°C were recorded and most admitted to sliding around as they suffered traction problems from around mid race distance.

Season so far – Silverstone promise fires Misano hopes

Yamaha goes to Misano on a high after a strong showing at Silverstone last weekend. In a meeting of personal bests, Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Belgarda Team) scorched to his first pole position in the class and equalled his best result of the season with a second place. The Dutchman goes to Misano in second place in the championship, 47 points behind series leader and Silverstone winner Chris Vermeulen (Honda).

Yamaha Motor France IPONE rookies Thierry van den Bosch and Mattieu Lagrive left Silverstone in good spirits after finishing fourth and ninth respectively, while Belgarda Yamaha Team’s Simone Sanna showed his class with his first front row start since switching from 125cc Grand Prix racing. Fellow Italian Alessio Corradi did his championship no harm with a fifth place.

For Yamaha Motor Germany, Silverstone proved a real test of their resolve. Both Christian Kellner and Jörg Teuchert struggled to find a good setup, although Kellner did battle through to 11th place – a result which maintains his fifth place in the championship standings. But Misano is a track that has served the squad well in the past. Kellner won here in 2000 with Teuchert a victor the following year, so the pair are expected to be back at the sharp end this weekend.