Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Pick Up 4th and 6th in San Marino Match

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales pushed to the limit at the GP di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, taking fourth and sixth place respectively.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi was a strong contender for the podium during the GP di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini. He spent most of the race positioned in second place but came just short to greet the Italian fans from the rostrum. Maverick Viñales had a more difficult day at the office. Though his pace improved in the latter stages, he crossed the finish line in sixth position.

Rossi made a lightning fast start from P4 on the grid, slotting into second place. He got into an early scrap with Franco Morbidelli for the lead but completed the first lap in second. Over the next couple of laps the two Italian Yamaha riders stuck together, breaking away from the pack.

The Doctor wasn’t quite able to stick with Morbidelli, so it was mostly a lonely race for him. He had a strong pace, riding consistent low-1’33s laps, but with eight laps to go, Francesco Bagnaia, Joan Mir, and Álex Rins reeled him in. The number-46 rider made his Yamaha as wide as possible, riding brilliantly until the very end, determined to be on the podium in Misano. However, in the last stages he was unable to keep Bagnaia and Mir behind him and took the chequered flag in fourth, 2.643s from first.

Viñales had a bit of a scare at the start of the race, as the team suspected a technical issue when he arrived on the starting grid. It was a false alarm though, and the Spaniard was able to start from pole position as originally planned.

He had a decent start but found himself in fourth place after the first couple of corners. Being the only rider on the hard rear tyre, he had to wait for the tyre to come to him. Meanwhile, he tried to defend his position from charging riders. He was in seventh place with 17 laps to go, but never stopped pushing. With nine laps left, the Spaniard was making strides again. As his pace improved, he soon overtook Jack Miller to take sixth place over the start-finish line, 5.383s from the lead.

After the race, Viñales holds fifth in the championship rankings, 18 points from the top. Rossi moves up to sixth place, also with an 18-point gap to first. Yamaha remains first in the constructor standings, and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP also stay in second place in the team classification.

Rossi and Viñales will return to the Misano track coming Tuesday for a scheduled IRTA Test before next weekend’s Gran Premio dell’Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini, held from 18 – 20 September.

Massimo Meregalli – Team Director

“We knew this race was going to be tough and that the tyres would play a decisive role. We had hoped to fight for the victory, but unfortunately that wasn’t possible. Valentino had a good start and his pace was really good throughout the whole race. It’s a shame he wasn’t able to get a podium result, because that would have been a real treat for the team and also the fans. But the way he performed is encouraging, so for sure he will try to be fighting at the front again next time. Maverick’s pre-race experience was a bit unsettling, because we saw smoke coming from his bike when he arrived on the starting grid. We had a thorough check, and it turned out it was fine. However, the race was tough for him, because he didn’t feel as good with the hard tyre today as he had done earlier this weekend. It’s really disappointing, because we know how fast he is. But we get another chance next week. We will take this experience on board, and we have the opportunity to test some new parts on Tuesday, so we will push to come back stronger.”

Valentino Rossi

“It’s a great shame because the podium is always special, here in Misano even more so. Also, to share the podium with Franco and Pecco would have been like a race at the ranch. I made a small mistake and Mir was very strong in that moment, he did very good lap times in the last part of the race. At the end he was able to beat me, which is a shame with just 2km to go. On the other hand, it was still a good race, a good weekend, because I rode well. We had a very good pace and I feel good with the bike. So, even without a podium, I enjoyed it. It was a good weekend for our team and for me, because we were always competitive. This is so important. I think that we can improve three or four things for next week, when we’ll have another chance. This makes me even more happy, because we can try again.”

Maverick Viñales

“I don’t know what happened. I’m really disappointed. I don’t know why I lost grip in the race. I tried everything I could, but I wasn’t getting enough feedback from the tyre. At the end of the race, I did three or four really good laps, but that was too late. We will work on it. We have a test here on Tuesday. We will try to stay relaxed. We need to reset our minds for next weekend. We know we are fast here, so we can start in front again.”

Words and photos by yamahamotogp.com

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