After three races in August, the Ducati Team is back on home ground in Italy again for the thirteenth round of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship. The Gran Premio TIM di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini will be held this weekend at Misano World Circuit, the Adriatic Riviera track situated just down the A14 motorway from Ducati headquarters at Borgo Panigale.
Andrea Dovizioso comes to Misano off the back of a great performance at Silverstone, where he finished third after a wet-weather battle with his fellow Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci of the Pramac Racing Team. Dovizioso has never actually been on the Misano podium in the seven MotoGP races he has competed in since 2008, his best result a fourth place, which he obtained four times, in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014. Andrea Iannone on the other hand has taken part in two San Marino MotoGP races, with his best result being a fifth place last year after qualifying on the front row.
Misano will also see the return of Michele Pirro, test-rider for the Ducati Test Team, who lines up as a wild-card for the second time this season, with a third Desmosedici GP15.
On Thursday morning there will be a unique opportunity to see the Ducati Team and riders as Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone parade their Desmosedici GP15 machines through the historic centre of San Marino. The event, which begins in Piazza Fabbri and ends in Piazza della Libertà, is scheduled for an 11.45 start.
The Misano weekend programme gets underway on Friday morning with first free practice at 09.55 CET, while the 28-lap race is scheduled for Sunday at 14.00.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 4th (150 points)
“I am very happy to come back and race in Italy. Misano is one of our home circuits, just like Mugello, and in general it’s a positive track for me, so we think we can be fast and competitive throughout the weekend and we’ll try and bring home a good result. Of course racing in front of my fans and all the diehard ducatisti will be extra motivation to do well and so I can’t wait to get out on track.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 5th (120 points)
“At Silverstone my GP15 was more competitive, and the Misano test at the end of August helped with that, so we come here pretty confident. We know that it won’t be easy to repeat that performance, but at least now we can stay closer to the guys at the front, as you could see in England. I have to admit that the Misano track is not one of my favourites, but this GP is also our second ‘home’ race so I feel sure our tifosi will provide us with an extra gear!”
Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team #51) – 21st (8 points)
“I am very happy to return to racing with the Desmosedici GP15, and to do so at Misano is an extra thrill. I have to dial myself in and get into the groove again pretty quickly, because today’s MotoGP is tougher than ever. I haven’t raced a GP since the Italian round at Mugello although I have done some tests in which we managed to understand lots of things about our bike. I’ll be committed to getting a good result that fully lives up to the GP15’s excellent potential.”
The Misano World Circuit
Built in 1972, the Misano circuit was a venue for GP races in the 80s and 90s before dropping off the calendar for fourteen years. After a number of modifications to improve the infrastructure and a change in the track direction, Misano returned to the MotoGP calendar in 2007. As always for a ‘home’ round, the Ducati Team riders can count on the support of numerous fans present in the Ducati Grandstand.
Circuit Record: Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2011) 1’33.906 (162.0 km/h)
Fastest Lap: Marquez (Honda – 2013) 1’32.915 (163.7 km/h)
Top Speed: Pedrosa (Honda – 2013) 292.3 km/h
Track Length: 4.2 km
Race Distance: 28 laps (118.3 km)
Corners: 16 (6 left, 10 right)
Race Start: 14.00 CET
2014 Results
Podium: 1st Rossi (Yamaha), 2nd Lorenzo (Yamaha), 3rd Pedrosa (Honda)
Pole Position: Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1’33.238 (163.1 km/h)
Fastest Lap: Marquez (Honda) 1’34.108 (161.6 km/h)
Andrea Dovizioso
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP15
Race Number: 04
Age: 29 (born on March 23rd 1986 in Forlimpopoli, Italy)
Residence: Forlì (Italy)
Races: 233 (135 x MotoGP, 49 x 250cc, 49 x 125cc)
First GP: 2001 Italian GP (125cc)
Wins: 10 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First Win: 2004 South African GP (125cc)
Pole Positions: 16 (3 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)
First Pole: 2003 French GP (125cc)
Titles: 1 (1 x 125cc)
Andrea Iannone
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP15
Race Number: 29
Age: 26 (born on August 9th 1989 in Vasto, Italy)
Residence: Vasto (Italy)
Races: 171 (44 x MotoGP, 51 x Moto2, 76 x 125cc)
First GP: 2005 Spanish GP (125cc)
Wins: 12 (8 x Moto2, 4 x 125cc)
First Win: 2008 GP of China (125cc)
Pole Positions: 9 (1 x MotoGP, 5 x Moto2, 3 x 125cc)
First Pole: 2008 GP of Malaysia (125cc)
Michele Pirro
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP15
Race Number: 51
Age: 29 (born on July 5th 1986 at San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy)
Residence: Cesena (Italy)
Races: 82 (35 x MotoGP, 18 x Moto2, 29 x 125cc)
First GP: 2003 Italian GP (125cc)
Wins: 1 (1 x Moto2)
First Win: 2011 Valencia GP (Moto2)
Pole Positions: 1 (1 x Moto2)
First Pole: 2011 Valencia GP (Moto2)
