Former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise led World Supersport Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Magny-Cours, in France. Riding his GMT94 Yamaha YZF-R6, the Frenchman turned a 1:41.083 on the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) circuit to top the field of 32 riders.
WSS FP1
Six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea was quickest during World Superbike Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Magny-Cours, in France. Riding his Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) Ninja ZX-10RR, the Northern Irishman lapped the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) course in 1:36.900 to top the field of 23 riders.
American Garrett Gerloff was second-best with a time of 1:37.057 on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
WorldSBK FP1
Ducati test rider Michele Pirro topped MotoGP Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the Italian lapped the 2.6-mile (4.2 km) circuit in 1:31.909, which is just off Enea Bastianini’s Race Lap Record of 1:31.868.
Defending World Champion and current point leader Francesco Bagnaia, making his return after crashing and getting run over five days ago at Catalunya, was 20th on his Lenovo Ducati with a 1:32.599.
MotoGP FP1
Pedro Acosta led Moto2 World Championship Practice One (P1) Friday morning at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. The Spaniard lapped the 2.6-mile (4.2 km) course in 1:36.488 on his Triumph-powered Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex to lead the field of 31 competitors.
American Joe Roberts was fourth-fastest with a 1:36.870 on his Italtrans Racing Kalex.
American Sean Dylan Kelly was 29th with a 1:39.012 on his new Forward Racing machine.
Moto2 P1
Jaume Masia was quickest during Moto3 World Championship Practice One (P1) Friday morning at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Leopard Racing Honda, Masia covered the 2.6-mile (4.2 km) track in 1:42.323 to top the field of 28 racers.
Moto3 P1
Matteo Ferrari was fastest in MotoE World Championship Practice One (P1) Friday morning at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Felo Gresini electrified Ducati, Ferrari lapped the 2.6-mile (4.2 km) track in 1:41.226 to lead the field of 18 riders.
MotoE FP1
San Marino, September 7, 2023 – Sean Dylan Kelly will be replacing Alex Escrig as the rider for the upcoming GPs in Misano, India, and Japan.
Following a longer recovery time than anticipated for the young rider Alex Escrig, the Forward Team announces Sean Dylan Kelly as the substitute rider until his return, scheduled for the Indonesia race.
The young American, previously with another team in the Moto2 Championship and recovering from an unsuccessful compartment syndrome surgery, had the opportunity to test the Forward Team’s motorcycle during the Pirelli tests held on Monday, September 4th, in Barcelona, and is physically prepared to take on this new challenge alongside the Italo- Swiss racing team.
The team wishes Escrig a speedy recovery and extends its official welcome to Kelly.
SEAN DYLAN KELLY – #4
“I’m extremely happy to be back on the grid! I haven’t been riding a moto2 since Assen and so I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity from forward racing. Of course I have to miss out on the British GP because I was recovering from my arm pump surgery done during the summer break. Now I feel 100% ready and I’m extremely excited for this opportunity. I want to wish Alex the best and I hope he comes back strong in Indonesia!”
“Like a superhero!”: riders reset and reload for Misano
Hear from Bagnaia, Martin, Bezzecchi, Aleix, Binder, Viñales, Quartararo and Marini
Thursday, 07 September 2023
We’re locked and loaded for another showdown at Misano, with the colourful Adriatic venue sure to deliver another stunner. Before all that, as ever, it was time to talk shop!
The first Press Conference on Thursday comprised Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), before Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was joined by Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™).
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA: “First of all I’m pleased and lucky to be here I have to say thanks to the hard work that Alpinestars are doing, for sure in terms of safety and evolution they are top in the world for the protection and everything they do. My home GP, it’s important to be here. We worked a lot, it was not easy, Monday was not an easy day but we worked really hard with our entourage and crew and I’m very proud of them for the work we did. It’s incredible the step we did from Monday to now. I will continue all weekend to do the therapy and I think it will be better each day so let’s see, I tried to jump on the bike before and I felt ok.”
What are the extent of the injuries?
“On my booty, that’s something that won’t help! The biggest one is where Binder’s impact was which is the right knee, I have a big hematoma in the knee and it goes down to the foot and it will be a problem to move the leg so let’s see.”
What happened?
“From the bike I was feeling from the warm up lap my rear grip was zero. I almost crashed three times on the warm up lap, at turns 3, 9 and 12, without pushing. Then in the first corner I already was losing the rear tyre, if you check Jorge had to brake a lot and that’s why I had this gap in the second corner and as soon as I leaned the bike and I opened the gas a bit, I completely lost the rear. Electronic side, mechanical side, riding side, we didn’t do any mistakes, so we’re waiting for Michelin to analyse everything because it’s correct that everyone need to analyse everything. It was a heavy crash, quite a strange crash, so it’s important to understand everything.”
Can you fight at the front this weekend?
“We will try for sure. Before we have to see my feeling on the bike but it’s one of my favourite race weekend, my home GP, the force and power the fans can give us here is incredible. I train here a lot so it’s a track I know perfectly so let’s see.”
JORGE MARTIN: “Last season I struggled a lot here but I also struggled with Mugello and I was able to finish both times on the podium. So I don’t have high expectations for this track. I don’t think that I can fight for the win, but for sure I will try my best and after tomorrow let’s see. I think I’ll make a big step compared to last season but maybe not enough. Hopefully, the bike is working well. I think the grip here is also good and I like the layout so hopefully with the step that we’ve made in braking I can be more competitive.”
You feel like you left Catalunya with a better team bond, why?
“It was a really complicated weekend for me. On Friday, I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t fast. I pushed a lot, but I couldn’t understand it. Then analysing it, 90% it was my side. I wasn’t riding in the correct way and I didn’t understand the conditions of the track, so I feel like after a lot of hours analysing with my team we understood which way to go and from Friday to Saturday we made an amazing step. I think that now I feel like I understand a bit better every situation and hopefully this will help me to be competitive everywhere.”
How cool would it be to win in Misano?
“Well, it would be amazing. I mean, I feel like I’m in a good moment. I’m second in the Championship. This means at this point I’m super competitive, I feel in a good way physically and I feel mentally strong so I will try my maximum and if something better than a podium comes it would be amazing for sure.”
MARCO BEZZECCHI: “In Barcelona unfortunately after the start I crashed together with all the other riders, I immediately felt pain in my left hand, especially in my thumb, but with the adrenaline I was able to race. It was not the best race because I also didn’t have the right tyre on the front but physically I also felt a lot of pain in my back and in my right leg so when I came home I decided to do some checks to see if everything was ok, fortunately there’s nothing serious, just some big hits let’s say. But the muscle in my hand is very hard and it’s difficult for me to keep the handlebar very tight, it’s improving day by day and we are doing physio two or three times a day to improve the situation and honesty today I felt a good step compared to yesterday, so I’m positive for tomorrow to try and be good on the bike.”
Do you expect a difficult weekend?
For sure it will be tough. I feel good physically besides the hand so I think I’m prepared to fight and to ride to my best possibilities.
Early memories of watching here at Misano?
“For me when I was a kid I always came to the races in Italy to see the MotoGP on the grass (in general admission) in Mugello as well but here a lot because it’s very close to my house. Sometimes my dad said to me ‘we go to see the MotoGP session today,’ and we’d get a ticket last minute and go to the grass and I have very beautiful memories from that time. And now to race inside this track is fantastic with all the crowd, my stand with all the 72 t-shirts is something incredible so I’m very happy to be here!”
ALEIX ESPARGARO: “This will last forever, the mix of emotions that I had. It was an amazing weekend, not just because of how happy I was after the double win, but also riding the bike from Friday. I felt like a superhero. Riding the bike was crazy, my feelings with the bike were great. I’m very happy. Unfortunately in this world, there is no time to keep celebrating. On Monday I was already watching last year’s Misano GP sessions. We start from zero. I’m very happy about what we achieved and it will last forever and it will be historical also for Aprilia, so hopefully we can have more days like that.”
(watching the podium again): “I’ll try not to cry again. Yeah, it was amazing actually. It was my dream. My dream was to be on the top of the podium at my home GP with my kids, but it was a very faraway dream and it came true. I will never forget that!”
Misano is a different circuit, how do you rate your chances?
“Obviously Silverstone and Catalonia were very good layouts for us, but I have to say that the Aprilia is improving race by race. We never stop improving and we’re getting closer to the best ones. I think to finish on the podium in three of the last four races and two of the last three victories, it means that our level is rising and I’m very, very happy. It’s a good chance. It’s a good challenge this weekend here. Obviously, the Italian riders and the Ducatis here have been very strong in the past, but I think we can challenge them and we can fight them for the top spots.”
BRAD BINDER: “I think last Sunday was a little bit hectic for sure. The start of the first race and hitting Pecco was far from ideal. I’m just really happy that he walked away unscathed there and that he’s in one piece and hopefully ready to ride at the best of his ability tomorrow. Not a great Sunday for sure. But I’m looking forward to getting started here. Again, this is a cool track for us. And yeah, it was a bit of a challenge last season, but coming here with our new pace, I’m really looking forward to seeing how we stack up.”
How do you think this KTM will fare?
“I’m feeling good. I honestly think our bike can be really good here. We’ve been fighting amongst the podium at most tracks this season. If it hasn’t been me it’s been Jack. So I think our bike is working really well in many places, and I believe with a bit of extra grip, it will go a long way, so hopefully we can turn into a strong result.”
What’s on your ideal wish list of improvements?
“I think Monday is probably going to be a very busy day, for me knowing KTM, so I’m always extremely happy about that. Yeah, I think if I could tick one thing off my wish list, it would be a little bit less spinning. I think that could go a long way!”
MAVERICK VIÑALES: “It’s always beautiful when you have a nice weekend, the thing is that everything moves so quick and after the race we were already talking about Misano and yeah you want to enjoy but at the same time know the next GP is another challenge. Misano is a track I really love, a track I love to ride, love to put the bike on the limit and last year was a fantastic weekend so I see myself there battling which is our target but we will try to enjoy and enjoy this beautiful layout, fast corners, changes of direction, I love it, and try to put a good performance in. that’s the target.”
What about Misano do you love?
“Sector 3. These fast corners I’m able to do the difference, every year less because everyone is learning more and more, especially the VR46 guys, they’re fast there and they know pretty well where to put the wheels everywhere and it’s very tough, but I feel well prepared. I arrive here with a good base set up which is good because your only task is to concentrate on riding, on how to ride the track and then I feel we have a good package so it must work. I see many possibilities here, of course there are many riders that can be very strong but I feel like I’m one of them and we are going to be at the maximum.”
Two years since first testing the Aprilia, what are the memories from the first laps?
“I quickly discovered that Misano had bumps, in the past I never noticed that but then I saw a bike with a lot of potential. It’s something I felt always but it’s something that’s not easy to take from this bike, you have to be very precise, it’s demanding a lot of technical riding style and in the end we understand it quite well and in the last races we are making steps all the time. The good thing is that I don’t think this is my ceiling, we have a way to improve, also my riding style, it’s a matter of working and what I always like to improve is how I can help the bike and this is very important, and every time I am understanding more how to help this bike.”
New contract:
LUCA MARINI: “It’s a good moment, now I can fully focus on the last races this season. I think we improved a lot this season compared to last season with this team and the people I’m working with are great and the feeling in the garage is fantastic. So we have to continue like this and try to fight for top positions in these last races and also start even better next season.”
Memories of GP debut in 2013 at Misano:
“Just remember that it was a weekend to forget because I wasn’t ready and not in the correct situation to make a race in the world championship so just bad memories about that moment. But it’s great to be here and be a MotoGP rider and I’m really pleased to have this opportunity again next year to show my potential and speed and try to achieve even better results.”
Always VR46 or other options available?
“For sure I spoke with Vale, Ducati, Uccio, we just wanted the same thing. We wanted to be competitive and fight for victory this season and also next season so together we tried to talk the correct decision so that’s it.”
Factory seat thoughts in future..?
“Yeah exactly. It was really important for me to just have a contract for one year so I can be aligned with all the other riders so when the seats are free in the market, we will see. It can be a good opportunity for me but I need to be fast also now on track and finish this season in the best way possible.”
Reasons to be optimistic this weekend?
FABIO QUARTARARO: ” Not really. It was a tough weekend for us. Sunday was great, we went back to last year’s base and it was a bit better. So basically we don’t know which one to start with but basically, we will do it with both and see how the weekend goes.”
Where does the old base help you?
“To be honest, it was on corner entry, every year we’ve lost a little bit of turning, and this year we’re missing it it even more. With last year’s base it helped me carry a little bit more speed and especially in Barcelona where the grip was very low, it helped me quite a lot.”
Had a chance to chat with Cal and test team?
“Yeah, I had Cal on the phone last night so he could tell me a little bit of the feedback. I also prefer not to know absolutely everything, test it for myself, and also share what I felt on the bike. I think this can be great.”
Did Cal sound positive?
“I will keep that to myself!”
Do you get memories of what happened here two years ago?
“Of course, it’s a great feeling. But it also hurts to see where we are right now compared to two years ago. Of course it was one of the best days of my life here, but coming back to this place and knowing the position we’re in now, it hurts. But it is what it is and we have to think positively and try to bring Yamaha to the best position they can be in and hopefully return to a feeling as good as 2021.”
Outspoken ahead of Magny-Cours
In one of the most extraordinary weeks in WorldSBK history, there’s no drought in hot topics coming into Round 9 in France.
It’s been a bombshell week in 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship; in what has turned into one of the most sensational silly seasons ever seen, this week’s hottest quotes ahead of our return to racing for the final third of 2023 need to introduction. With a seismic switch for next year, continuous speculation and talking about who the favourite to do the business this weekend at Magny-Cours will be, we’re certainly not a sandwich short of a picnic.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “One of the hardest decisions of my career… I need something new”
In what was arguably one of the most emotional Thursdays, Jonathan Rea spoke for the first time about his decision to leave KRT: “As you can imagine, after six World Championships, nine years working together and so many memories, it’s been one of the hardest decisions in my career. In the end, it all boils down to the fact that I need something new, a new challenge and I had the opportunity somewhere else to find that. The time is right to make the next chapter in my career and we’ll deal with that later, but it was a very hard decision. I’ll never forget my first World Championship or the first feelings with the team, pleading my team manager Guim to give me a chance on this bike. I’ll always remember my time with Kawasaki as the people who gave me the chance to fulfil a childhood dream. I’ll try not to be sad. This chapter might come to a close but I’ll be so happy with what we’ve achieved. I love this team. We’re going to try to create some amazing stories until the end of the season and try to enjoy my bike. When I can find that magic, I can make it happen on the track.”
Guim Roda (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK team principal): “It’s a reality we need to accept; we need to understand the market and which riders can fit”
Team boss for KRT’s effort Guim Roda admitted it is a heavy loss and looked ahead to potential replacements: “We feel a little bit sad. It’s been a long journey that we’ve been on together. It’s a reality we need to accept, keep working and we will continue our way and try our best. It’s difficult to find one moment because we have so many, but I’d like to mark those moments especially people cannot see because it happened between races. Those chats, meetings and all this time where he’s been working and talking about how to improve the team, the package, and the bike. All these things happen between races that people don’t see is maybe one of the key points we’ll keep apart from the success, winning and Championships. We need to understand the market and which riders can fit in Kawasaki’s wishes to have a rider represent them. We are on this now.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK): “We have many new parts”
With updates on his #54 Yamaha, Toprak Razgatlioglu is relishing a return to ‘Toprak territory’ this weekend: “We have many new parts and we’ll try them on Friday to check which are better and which aren’t. I think we should improve a little bit, enough to win. For the top speed, it will be similar, we just need better stopping and turning. The first and second sector have the long straights but after that, there are many corners. I will fight there! In general, I feel very positive.”
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “Nicolo’s a nice guy, he’s so fast and young… Jonathan is a very fast rider and a big Champion”
“It’s not an easy track, it’s very challenging because you have all sorts of corners: slow corners, fast corners, long straights and a lot of changes of direction. It’s not easy. I have a good memory from last year. We did a test at Aragon and found small things that can maybe help us, and we will re-try them maybe during the weekend. Nicolo’s a nice guy, he’s so fast and young and he’s doing really well in WorldSSP. It will be a big challenge, he’s very strong and welcome to him to the other side of the box. I don’t know, Kawasaki and Yamaha are very different bikes, so it depends how Rea adapts to the bike and how he gets a good setup. Everything will be new, so I don’t except anything because Jonathan is a very fast rider and a big Champion. I’m sure that sooner or later he’ll be competitive with that bike.”
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “We split in a friendly way… 99.9% I’ll be in WorldSBK”
With his future not lying with the factory Ducati team, Michael Ruben Rinaldi confirmed he’ll be back on the grid next year, but not where: “It’s been a good time and there’s been a lot of beautiful moments with the team and I can be happy about the great people I’ve met during these years. Even if our ways will split, I’ll continue having friends that I didn’t have before. It’s life; things start and things end. We’re in motorsport and I’m not that old, so never say never. It could be a goodbye but not farewell. For three years, they gave me the opportunity to ride the factory bike and I always gave my best and tried every year to improve. From my point of view, after many efforts, it’s time for new challenges. At the moment, I’m still talking and I have a few options which will not take too much time to understand where I’ll be. For sure, I can say that 99.9% I will be in WorldSBK, but we have to understand the details better, to know which will be my best choice.”
Serafino Foti (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team principal): “Our relationship with Michael doesn’t change; Bulega deserves this opportunity”
Welcoming new talent into WorldSBK, Serafino Foti readies for Nicolo Bulega’s arrival: “I think Bulega deserves this opportunity because he did a really good job in the last two years in WorldSSP. He’s still young but he has a lot of experience from Moto2™ and Moto3™ so I think this is the best choice regarding our line-up. On one side of the garage, we have a Champion, and we can give the opportunity to a young rider, and I think he can do a good job. It’s never easy to take a decision but racing is racing. The journey is over but our relationship with Michael doesn’t change. I wish him all the best and I hope he can find a really good opportunity, he’s so fast and an unbelievable talent. He deserves another opportunity. The wildcard is exciting for Aruba, and we decided after the second test. Our engineers analysed the data and they said ‘Alvaro could do a good job, it could be a good choice’ because he was impressive and quite fast.”
Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “My future is something you’ll know in the coming weeks”
After a two-day test at Aragon where communication was limited to the media, Scott Redding revealed some he’s excited after it and looked to 2024 too: “The Aragon test was quite good; it was good to get back there and get back riding without the pressure of a race weekend. We tested a few items with the setup and bigger things I can’t test in a race weekend. I’m quite excited; I’m making a few steps with the bike, and I hope we can show that again here. It’s a track that I like. My future is something you’ll know in the coming weeks. There’s nothing I can say on what’s happening. That’s where we’re at really; you can ask me the question all the time but I’m not in a position to say anything at the moment.”
Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW): “The cards aren’t in my hands… we’ll see where I’ll end up”
Once more stating that his future isn’t clear, home-hero Loris Baz said: “I’m looking forward to it and it’s always nice to race at home; it’s once a year and I enjoy it a lot. WorldSBK is really popular in France so it’s good to see all the fans that come around. We had a good end to the first part and now I’m looking forward to ending the season as well as possible. The test was about getting ready for Aragon but also here, a base setup that works well at both. We were trying to get some confidence in our pocket for the rest of the season. For 2024, the cards aren’t in my hands and it will get sorted sooner or later. We’ll see where I’ll end up.”
Xavi Vierge (Team HRC): “The idea is to continue with Honda; we have a big goal”
With his future still unknown at round nine, Xavi Vierge provided an update on his 2024 situation: “I hope we will know something soon, but we can’t say anything right now. The idea is to continue with Honda. We have a big goal together and we haven’t achieved it yet. We had a good test at MotorLand. It’s always good to have a test in the summer break. You arrive more ready for the last part of the season. The test was good. We focused on the bike setup and made some big changes to make a step forward. We understood some things and we’ll try to take this to make a step. After the break, I’m looking forward to resuming the season. We started the season really strong but the last three rounds have been a bit lower than we expected. I think the final four rounds are tracks that are good for us.”
Yamaha and Gardner Extend Agreement for 2024 WorldSBK Season
Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to confirm that Remy Gardner will continue with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team for the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship season, after agreeing a contract extension with the 25-year-old Australian ahead of this weekend’s Magny-Cours round.
Joining Yamaha for 2023, Gardner brought with him a wealth of experience gained in Grand Prix racing where, in 2021, the Australian was crowned as the FIM Moto2 World Champion and promoted to the premier MotoGP class the following season.
Adapting to the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK, and the demands of production racing, after a career spent mostly racing prototypes meant a steep learning curve for Gardner in his debut WorldSBK season. Working closely with both his GYTR GRT Yamaha crew and Yamaha’s Engineers, the Australian has made steady progress, and returns to the fray this weekend targeting top five finishes in the 12 races remaining and top ten in the championship standings by season’s end.
Gardner will once again race alongside two-time Supersport World Champion Dominique Aegerter for the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team in 2024, with the Swiss rider’s contract extension having already been announced during the summer break.
Andrea Dosoli: Road Racing Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe
“We are happy to be able to announce the extension of our partnership with Remy, and to finalise an unchanged rider line up at the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team for the 2024 season. We can see both the talent and the potential that Remy possesses and, although it’s been something of an inconsistent debut season for him in WorldSBK so far, we remain confident that we can achieve our goals together during the remainder of this season and the next. With Remy now onboard, we are looking forward to what promises to be an exciting 2024 season, which Yamaha will be contesting with an incredibly strong line up, with the four riders racing for the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK and GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK teams counting 11 World Championship titles between them. This exceptional rider line up comes with significant responsibility for Yamaha, but we are committed to providing a competitive package that matches the talent of our riders and we have secured the resources and support required.”
Remy Gardner: GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
“I am really thrilled to announce my renewal with Yamaha for the 2024 season and I believe we have a promising future together. Next year will be my second year with the R1, and I couldn’t be happier with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. With an additional year of experience under our belts, I have high hopes for our performance. I already feel right at home, so it’s a great feeling to continue this journey, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to Yamaha for this fantastic opportunity.”
Former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise led World Supersport Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Magny-Cours, in France. Riding his GMT94 Yamaha YZF-R6, the Frenchman turned a 1:41.083 on the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) circuit to top the field of 32 riders.
WSS FP1
Six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea was quickest during World Superbike Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Magny-Cours, in France. Riding his Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) Ninja ZX-10RR, the Northern Irishman lapped the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) course in 1:36.900 to top the field of 23 riders.
American Garrett Gerloff was second-best with a time of 1:37.057 on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
WorldSBK FP1
Ducati test rider Michele Pirro topped MotoGP Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the Italian lapped the 2.6-mile (4.2 km) circuit in 1:31.909, which is just off Enea Bastianini’s Race Lap Record of 1:31.868.
Defending World Champion and current point leader Francesco Bagnaia, making his return after crashing and getting run over five days ago at Catalunya, was 20th on his Lenovo Ducati with a 1:32.599.
MotoGP FP1
Pedro Acosta led Moto2 World Championship Practice One (P1) Friday morning at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. The Spaniard lapped the 2.6-mile (4.2 km) course in 1:36.488 on his Triumph-powered Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex to lead the field of 31 competitors.
American Joe Roberts was fourth-fastest with a 1:36.870 on his Italtrans Racing Kalex.
American Sean Dylan Kelly was 29th with a 1:39.012 on his new Forward Racing machine.
Moto2 P1
Jaume Masia was quickest during Moto3 World Championship Practice One (P1) Friday morning at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Leopard Racing Honda, Masia covered the 2.6-mile (4.2 km) track in 1:42.323 to top the field of 28 racers.
Moto3 P1
Matteo Ferrari was fastest in MotoE World Championship Practice One (P1) Friday morning at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Felo Gresini electrified Ducati, Ferrari lapped the 2.6-mile (4.2 km) track in 1:41.226 to lead the field of 18 riders.
MotoE FP1
San Marino, September 7, 2023 – Sean Dylan Kelly will be replacing Alex Escrig as the rider for the upcoming GPs in Misano, India, and Japan.
Following a longer recovery time than anticipated for the young rider Alex Escrig, the Forward Team announces Sean Dylan Kelly as the substitute rider until his return, scheduled for the Indonesia race.
The young American, previously with another team in the Moto2 Championship and recovering from an unsuccessful compartment syndrome surgery, had the opportunity to test the Forward Team’s motorcycle during the Pirelli tests held on Monday, September 4th, in Barcelona, and is physically prepared to take on this new challenge alongside the Italo- Swiss racing team.
The team wishes Escrig a speedy recovery and extends its official welcome to Kelly.
SEAN DYLAN KELLY – #4
“I’m extremely happy to be back on the grid! I haven’t been riding a moto2 since Assen and so I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity from forward racing. Of course I have to miss out on the British GP because I was recovering from my arm pump surgery done during the summer break. Now I feel 100% ready and I’m extremely excited for this opportunity. I want to wish Alex the best and I hope he comes back strong in Indonesia!”
“Like a superhero!”: riders reset and reload for Misano
Hear from Bagnaia, Martin, Bezzecchi, Aleix, Binder, Viñales, Quartararo and Marini
Thursday, 07 September 2023
We’re locked and loaded for another showdown at Misano, with the colourful Adriatic venue sure to deliver another stunner. Before all that, as ever, it was time to talk shop!
The first Press Conference on Thursday comprised Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), before Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was joined by Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™).
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA: “First of all I’m pleased and lucky to be here I have to say thanks to the hard work that Alpinestars are doing, for sure in terms of safety and evolution they are top in the world for the protection and everything they do. My home GP, it’s important to be here. We worked a lot, it was not easy, Monday was not an easy day but we worked really hard with our entourage and crew and I’m very proud of them for the work we did. It’s incredible the step we did from Monday to now. I will continue all weekend to do the therapy and I think it will be better each day so let’s see, I tried to jump on the bike before and I felt ok.”
What are the extent of the injuries?
“On my booty, that’s something that won’t help! The biggest one is where Binder’s impact was which is the right knee, I have a big hematoma in the knee and it goes down to the foot and it will be a problem to move the leg so let’s see.”
What happened?
“From the bike I was feeling from the warm up lap my rear grip was zero. I almost crashed three times on the warm up lap, at turns 3, 9 and 12, without pushing. Then in the first corner I already was losing the rear tyre, if you check Jorge had to brake a lot and that’s why I had this gap in the second corner and as soon as I leaned the bike and I opened the gas a bit, I completely lost the rear. Electronic side, mechanical side, riding side, we didn’t do any mistakes, so we’re waiting for Michelin to analyse everything because it’s correct that everyone need to analyse everything. It was a heavy crash, quite a strange crash, so it’s important to understand everything.”
Can you fight at the front this weekend?
“We will try for sure. Before we have to see my feeling on the bike but it’s one of my favourite race weekend, my home GP, the force and power the fans can give us here is incredible. I train here a lot so it’s a track I know perfectly so let’s see.”
JORGE MARTIN: “Last season I struggled a lot here but I also struggled with Mugello and I was able to finish both times on the podium. So I don’t have high expectations for this track. I don’t think that I can fight for the win, but for sure I will try my best and after tomorrow let’s see. I think I’ll make a big step compared to last season but maybe not enough. Hopefully, the bike is working well. I think the grip here is also good and I like the layout so hopefully with the step that we’ve made in braking I can be more competitive.”
You feel like you left Catalunya with a better team bond, why?
“It was a really complicated weekend for me. On Friday, I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t fast. I pushed a lot, but I couldn’t understand it. Then analysing it, 90% it was my side. I wasn’t riding in the correct way and I didn’t understand the conditions of the track, so I feel like after a lot of hours analysing with my team we understood which way to go and from Friday to Saturday we made an amazing step. I think that now I feel like I understand a bit better every situation and hopefully this will help me to be competitive everywhere.”
How cool would it be to win in Misano?
“Well, it would be amazing. I mean, I feel like I’m in a good moment. I’m second in the Championship. This means at this point I’m super competitive, I feel in a good way physically and I feel mentally strong so I will try my maximum and if something better than a podium comes it would be amazing for sure.”
MARCO BEZZECCHI: “In Barcelona unfortunately after the start I crashed together with all the other riders, I immediately felt pain in my left hand, especially in my thumb, but with the adrenaline I was able to race. It was not the best race because I also didn’t have the right tyre on the front but physically I also felt a lot of pain in my back and in my right leg so when I came home I decided to do some checks to see if everything was ok, fortunately there’s nothing serious, just some big hits let’s say. But the muscle in my hand is very hard and it’s difficult for me to keep the handlebar very tight, it’s improving day by day and we are doing physio two or three times a day to improve the situation and honesty today I felt a good step compared to yesterday, so I’m positive for tomorrow to try and be good on the bike.”
Do you expect a difficult weekend?
For sure it will be tough. I feel good physically besides the hand so I think I’m prepared to fight and to ride to my best possibilities.
Early memories of watching here at Misano?
“For me when I was a kid I always came to the races in Italy to see the MotoGP on the grass (in general admission) in Mugello as well but here a lot because it’s very close to my house. Sometimes my dad said to me ‘we go to see the MotoGP session today,’ and we’d get a ticket last minute and go to the grass and I have very beautiful memories from that time. And now to race inside this track is fantastic with all the crowd, my stand with all the 72 t-shirts is something incredible so I’m very happy to be here!”
ALEIX ESPARGARO: “This will last forever, the mix of emotions that I had. It was an amazing weekend, not just because of how happy I was after the double win, but also riding the bike from Friday. I felt like a superhero. Riding the bike was crazy, my feelings with the bike were great. I’m very happy. Unfortunately in this world, there is no time to keep celebrating. On Monday I was already watching last year’s Misano GP sessions. We start from zero. I’m very happy about what we achieved and it will last forever and it will be historical also for Aprilia, so hopefully we can have more days like that.”
(watching the podium again): “I’ll try not to cry again. Yeah, it was amazing actually. It was my dream. My dream was to be on the top of the podium at my home GP with my kids, but it was a very faraway dream and it came true. I will never forget that!”
Misano is a different circuit, how do you rate your chances?
“Obviously Silverstone and Catalonia were very good layouts for us, but I have to say that the Aprilia is improving race by race. We never stop improving and we’re getting closer to the best ones. I think to finish on the podium in three of the last four races and two of the last three victories, it means that our level is rising and I’m very, very happy. It’s a good chance. It’s a good challenge this weekend here. Obviously, the Italian riders and the Ducatis here have been very strong in the past, but I think we can challenge them and we can fight them for the top spots.”
BRAD BINDER: “I think last Sunday was a little bit hectic for sure. The start of the first race and hitting Pecco was far from ideal. I’m just really happy that he walked away unscathed there and that he’s in one piece and hopefully ready to ride at the best of his ability tomorrow. Not a great Sunday for sure. But I’m looking forward to getting started here. Again, this is a cool track for us. And yeah, it was a bit of a challenge last season, but coming here with our new pace, I’m really looking forward to seeing how we stack up.”
How do you think this KTM will fare?
“I’m feeling good. I honestly think our bike can be really good here. We’ve been fighting amongst the podium at most tracks this season. If it hasn’t been me it’s been Jack. So I think our bike is working really well in many places, and I believe with a bit of extra grip, it will go a long way, so hopefully we can turn into a strong result.”
What’s on your ideal wish list of improvements?
“I think Monday is probably going to be a very busy day, for me knowing KTM, so I’m always extremely happy about that. Yeah, I think if I could tick one thing off my wish list, it would be a little bit less spinning. I think that could go a long way!”
MAVERICK VIÑALES: “It’s always beautiful when you have a nice weekend, the thing is that everything moves so quick and after the race we were already talking about Misano and yeah you want to enjoy but at the same time know the next GP is another challenge. Misano is a track I really love, a track I love to ride, love to put the bike on the limit and last year was a fantastic weekend so I see myself there battling which is our target but we will try to enjoy and enjoy this beautiful layout, fast corners, changes of direction, I love it, and try to put a good performance in. that’s the target.”
What about Misano do you love?
“Sector 3. These fast corners I’m able to do the difference, every year less because everyone is learning more and more, especially the VR46 guys, they’re fast there and they know pretty well where to put the wheels everywhere and it’s very tough, but I feel well prepared. I arrive here with a good base set up which is good because your only task is to concentrate on riding, on how to ride the track and then I feel we have a good package so it must work. I see many possibilities here, of course there are many riders that can be very strong but I feel like I’m one of them and we are going to be at the maximum.”
Two years since first testing the Aprilia, what are the memories from the first laps?
“I quickly discovered that Misano had bumps, in the past I never noticed that but then I saw a bike with a lot of potential. It’s something I felt always but it’s something that’s not easy to take from this bike, you have to be very precise, it’s demanding a lot of technical riding style and in the end we understand it quite well and in the last races we are making steps all the time. The good thing is that I don’t think this is my ceiling, we have a way to improve, also my riding style, it’s a matter of working and what I always like to improve is how I can help the bike and this is very important, and every time I am understanding more how to help this bike.”
New contract:
LUCA MARINI: “It’s a good moment, now I can fully focus on the last races this season. I think we improved a lot this season compared to last season with this team and the people I’m working with are great and the feeling in the garage is fantastic. So we have to continue like this and try to fight for top positions in these last races and also start even better next season.”
Memories of GP debut in 2013 at Misano:
“Just remember that it was a weekend to forget because I wasn’t ready and not in the correct situation to make a race in the world championship so just bad memories about that moment. But it’s great to be here and be a MotoGP rider and I’m really pleased to have this opportunity again next year to show my potential and speed and try to achieve even better results.”
Always VR46 or other options available?
“For sure I spoke with Vale, Ducati, Uccio, we just wanted the same thing. We wanted to be competitive and fight for victory this season and also next season so together we tried to talk the correct decision so that’s it.”
Factory seat thoughts in future..?
“Yeah exactly. It was really important for me to just have a contract for one year so I can be aligned with all the other riders so when the seats are free in the market, we will see. It can be a good opportunity for me but I need to be fast also now on track and finish this season in the best way possible.”
Reasons to be optimistic this weekend?
FABIO QUARTARARO: ” Not really. It was a tough weekend for us. Sunday was great, we went back to last year’s base and it was a bit better. So basically we don’t know which one to start with but basically, we will do it with both and see how the weekend goes.”
Where does the old base help you?
“To be honest, it was on corner entry, every year we’ve lost a little bit of turning, and this year we’re missing it it even more. With last year’s base it helped me carry a little bit more speed and especially in Barcelona where the grip was very low, it helped me quite a lot.”
Had a chance to chat with Cal and test team?
“Yeah, I had Cal on the phone last night so he could tell me a little bit of the feedback. I also prefer not to know absolutely everything, test it for myself, and also share what I felt on the bike. I think this can be great.”
Did Cal sound positive?
“I will keep that to myself!”
Do you get memories of what happened here two years ago?
“Of course, it’s a great feeling. But it also hurts to see where we are right now compared to two years ago. Of course it was one of the best days of my life here, but coming back to this place and knowing the position we’re in now, it hurts. But it is what it is and we have to think positively and try to bring Yamaha to the best position they can be in and hopefully return to a feeling as good as 2021.”
Outspoken ahead of Magny-Cours
In one of the most extraordinary weeks in WorldSBK history, there’s no drought in hot topics coming into Round 9 in France.
It’s been a bombshell week in 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship; in what has turned into one of the most sensational silly seasons ever seen, this week’s hottest quotes ahead of our return to racing for the final third of 2023 need to introduction. With a seismic switch for next year, continuous speculation and talking about who the favourite to do the business this weekend at Magny-Cours will be, we’re certainly not a sandwich short of a picnic.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “One of the hardest decisions of my career… I need something new”
In what was arguably one of the most emotional Thursdays, Jonathan Rea spoke for the first time about his decision to leave KRT: “As you can imagine, after six World Championships, nine years working together and so many memories, it’s been one of the hardest decisions in my career. In the end, it all boils down to the fact that I need something new, a new challenge and I had the opportunity somewhere else to find that. The time is right to make the next chapter in my career and we’ll deal with that later, but it was a very hard decision. I’ll never forget my first World Championship or the first feelings with the team, pleading my team manager Guim to give me a chance on this bike. I’ll always remember my time with Kawasaki as the people who gave me the chance to fulfil a childhood dream. I’ll try not to be sad. This chapter might come to a close but I’ll be so happy with what we’ve achieved. I love this team. We’re going to try to create some amazing stories until the end of the season and try to enjoy my bike. When I can find that magic, I can make it happen on the track.”
Guim Roda (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK team principal): “It’s a reality we need to accept; we need to understand the market and which riders can fit”
Team boss for KRT’s effort Guim Roda admitted it is a heavy loss and looked ahead to potential replacements: “We feel a little bit sad. It’s been a long journey that we’ve been on together. It’s a reality we need to accept, keep working and we will continue our way and try our best. It’s difficult to find one moment because we have so many, but I’d like to mark those moments especially people cannot see because it happened between races. Those chats, meetings and all this time where he’s been working and talking about how to improve the team, the package, and the bike. All these things happen between races that people don’t see is maybe one of the key points we’ll keep apart from the success, winning and Championships. We need to understand the market and which riders can fit in Kawasaki’s wishes to have a rider represent them. We are on this now.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK): “We have many new parts”
With updates on his #54 Yamaha, Toprak Razgatlioglu is relishing a return to ‘Toprak territory’ this weekend: “We have many new parts and we’ll try them on Friday to check which are better and which aren’t. I think we should improve a little bit, enough to win. For the top speed, it will be similar, we just need better stopping and turning. The first and second sector have the long straights but after that, there are many corners. I will fight there! In general, I feel very positive.”
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “Nicolo’s a nice guy, he’s so fast and young… Jonathan is a very fast rider and a big Champion”
“It’s not an easy track, it’s very challenging because you have all sorts of corners: slow corners, fast corners, long straights and a lot of changes of direction. It’s not easy. I have a good memory from last year. We did a test at Aragon and found small things that can maybe help us, and we will re-try them maybe during the weekend. Nicolo’s a nice guy, he’s so fast and young and he’s doing really well in WorldSSP. It will be a big challenge, he’s very strong and welcome to him to the other side of the box. I don’t know, Kawasaki and Yamaha are very different bikes, so it depends how Rea adapts to the bike and how he gets a good setup. Everything will be new, so I don’t except anything because Jonathan is a very fast rider and a big Champion. I’m sure that sooner or later he’ll be competitive with that bike.”
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “We split in a friendly way… 99.9% I’ll be in WorldSBK”
With his future not lying with the factory Ducati team, Michael Ruben Rinaldi confirmed he’ll be back on the grid next year, but not where: “It’s been a good time and there’s been a lot of beautiful moments with the team and I can be happy about the great people I’ve met during these years. Even if our ways will split, I’ll continue having friends that I didn’t have before. It’s life; things start and things end. We’re in motorsport and I’m not that old, so never say never. It could be a goodbye but not farewell. For three years, they gave me the opportunity to ride the factory bike and I always gave my best and tried every year to improve. From my point of view, after many efforts, it’s time for new challenges. At the moment, I’m still talking and I have a few options which will not take too much time to understand where I’ll be. For sure, I can say that 99.9% I will be in WorldSBK, but we have to understand the details better, to know which will be my best choice.”
Serafino Foti (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team principal): “Our relationship with Michael doesn’t change; Bulega deserves this opportunity”
Welcoming new talent into WorldSBK, Serafino Foti readies for Nicolo Bulega’s arrival: “I think Bulega deserves this opportunity because he did a really good job in the last two years in WorldSSP. He’s still young but he has a lot of experience from Moto2™ and Moto3™ so I think this is the best choice regarding our line-up. On one side of the garage, we have a Champion, and we can give the opportunity to a young rider, and I think he can do a good job. It’s never easy to take a decision but racing is racing. The journey is over but our relationship with Michael doesn’t change. I wish him all the best and I hope he can find a really good opportunity, he’s so fast and an unbelievable talent. He deserves another opportunity. The wildcard is exciting for Aruba, and we decided after the second test. Our engineers analysed the data and they said ‘Alvaro could do a good job, it could be a good choice’ because he was impressive and quite fast.”
Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “My future is something you’ll know in the coming weeks”
After a two-day test at Aragon where communication was limited to the media, Scott Redding revealed some he’s excited after it and looked to 2024 too: “The Aragon test was quite good; it was good to get back there and get back riding without the pressure of a race weekend. We tested a few items with the setup and bigger things I can’t test in a race weekend. I’m quite excited; I’m making a few steps with the bike, and I hope we can show that again here. It’s a track that I like. My future is something you’ll know in the coming weeks. There’s nothing I can say on what’s happening. That’s where we’re at really; you can ask me the question all the time but I’m not in a position to say anything at the moment.”
Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW): “The cards aren’t in my hands… we’ll see where I’ll end up”
Once more stating that his future isn’t clear, home-hero Loris Baz said: “I’m looking forward to it and it’s always nice to race at home; it’s once a year and I enjoy it a lot. WorldSBK is really popular in France so it’s good to see all the fans that come around. We had a good end to the first part and now I’m looking forward to ending the season as well as possible. The test was about getting ready for Aragon but also here, a base setup that works well at both. We were trying to get some confidence in our pocket for the rest of the season. For 2024, the cards aren’t in my hands and it will get sorted sooner or later. We’ll see where I’ll end up.”
Xavi Vierge (Team HRC): “The idea is to continue with Honda; we have a big goal”
With his future still unknown at round nine, Xavi Vierge provided an update on his 2024 situation: “I hope we will know something soon, but we can’t say anything right now. The idea is to continue with Honda. We have a big goal together and we haven’t achieved it yet. We had a good test at MotorLand. It’s always good to have a test in the summer break. You arrive more ready for the last part of the season. The test was good. We focused on the bike setup and made some big changes to make a step forward. We understood some things and we’ll try to take this to make a step. After the break, I’m looking forward to resuming the season. We started the season really strong but the last three rounds have been a bit lower than we expected. I think the final four rounds are tracks that are good for us.”
Yamaha and Gardner Extend Agreement for 2024 WorldSBK Season
Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to confirm that Remy Gardner will continue with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team for the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship season, after agreeing a contract extension with the 25-year-old Australian ahead of this weekend’s Magny-Cours round.
Joining Yamaha for 2023, Gardner brought with him a wealth of experience gained in Grand Prix racing where, in 2021, the Australian was crowned as the FIM Moto2 World Champion and promoted to the premier MotoGP class the following season.
Adapting to the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK, and the demands of production racing, after a career spent mostly racing prototypes meant a steep learning curve for Gardner in his debut WorldSBK season. Working closely with both his GYTR GRT Yamaha crew and Yamaha’s Engineers, the Australian has made steady progress, and returns to the fray this weekend targeting top five finishes in the 12 races remaining and top ten in the championship standings by season’s end.
Gardner will once again race alongside two-time Supersport World Champion Dominique Aegerter for the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team in 2024, with the Swiss rider’s contract extension having already been announced during the summer break.
Andrea Dosoli: Road Racing Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe
“We are happy to be able to announce the extension of our partnership with Remy, and to finalise an unchanged rider line up at the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team for the 2024 season. We can see both the talent and the potential that Remy possesses and, although it’s been something of an inconsistent debut season for him in WorldSBK so far, we remain confident that we can achieve our goals together during the remainder of this season and the next. With Remy now onboard, we are looking forward to what promises to be an exciting 2024 season, which Yamaha will be contesting with an incredibly strong line up, with the four riders racing for the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK and GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK teams counting 11 World Championship titles between them. This exceptional rider line up comes with significant responsibility for Yamaha, but we are committed to providing a competitive package that matches the talent of our riders and we have secured the resources and support required.”
Remy Gardner: GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
“I am really thrilled to announce my renewal with Yamaha for the 2024 season and I believe we have a promising future together. Next year will be my second year with the R1, and I couldn’t be happier with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. With an additional year of experience under our belts, I have high hopes for our performance. I already feel right at home, so it’s a great feeling to continue this journey, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to Yamaha for this fantastic opportunity.”
