Misano, Rossi home territory, literally, as Tavullia his home town is just miles down the road, and the track is the playground for the VR46 squad, they often circulate on Yamaha R1’s for fun and a bit of muscle memory.
Quail made the “Rossi to win” camp excited as it looked like this: 1. Maverick Vinales. 2. Franco Morbidelli. 3. Fabio Quartararo. 4th Valentino Rossi. Vale being a Sunday man, they had their point.
Off the line Franco Morbidelli absolutely nailed it with Rossi tucked in behind his protege, it all started well for the 10,000 fans allowed into the circuit. Not the usual 100,000 but significantly and predominately yellow colours flying in the grandstands. Fabio Quartararo was swamped at the start, not good for the title leader.
Twenty laps to go, Fabio Quartararo, dropped it and slid along the tarmac, with the bike still running he managed to compose a return to the track but made the mistake of running through the gravel. One mistake too many. Sixteen laps to go and Franco the padawan leading his Jedi master Rossi with Miller third but on a track warning penalty hanging over him, after three infringements, two more would have him on a long lap penalty.
12 laps to go it was Franco in the lead, Rossi second, Alex Rins in third, Bagnia fourth and Joan Mir lurking in sixth. Ten laps to go and Quartararo slowly made his way into the pits, seemingly retiring. Then about a lap later Fabio emerged from pit lane back to the track. A couple of corners later and Fabio was flat on the tarmac again, his rear tyre showing no grip. So Andrea Dovizioso became the championship leader, despite a lacklustre race from him at Misano.
Four laps to go and it was Morbidelli Bagnia Rossi Rins and Mir. Last lap and Joan Mir decided it was time to be on the podium, with a superb undercut on Rossi to take the third slot, much to the chagrin of most of the 10,000.
For those that followed the Rossi helmet design and if you allow for an allegory, perhaps he took that pill a tad too early.
Franco rode a sublime race, and what a popular win! Bagnia showing the form we expected. Joan Mir, further establishing his rise to the top.
1. Franco Morbidelli Petronas Yamaha SRT 2. Francesco Bagnia Pramac Racing 3. Joan Mir Team Suzuki Ecstar
Photo:@MotoGP
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Author: Martin Northern
Founder of Bike Directory
