There are five great prizes left, two, precisely, in the beautiful, hot and fiery Misano layout, that is, in the circuit Marco Simoncelli, from Italy. There are five races that give 125 points and the French Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) has 53 points over the Italian ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia (Ducati), recent and brilliant winner after a great duel with Marc Márquez (Honda) in Motorland (Aragon), and 57 points over the champion Joan Mir (Suzuki), a real little ant that, without yet winning a race this year (he was only second in Styria), is still involved in the fight.
I mean that 125 points at stake and 53 ahead of one of the best, if not the best (the ‘Devil’ has won more than anyone this year, five great prizes: Doha, Portugal, Italy, Holland and England), it is not an easy battle to neutralize, to reduce. Of course it is not only Bagnaia who faces Quartararo, to the already unique leader of Yamaha. Today, without going any further, Ducati placed its four official motorcycles in the first five places on the grid tomorrow (2pm, DAZN) in Misano: 1st, Bagnaia (1.31.065 minutes); 2nd, Jack Miller; 3rd, Quartararo; 4th Jorge Martin, tremendous thing about the Spanish ‘rookie’ and 5th Johann zarco. In other words, Borgo Panigale’s signature can prepare the assault on the leader, solid, very solid in MotoGP, as a team, a tribe.
The persecutors
The others, those who could be the referees of the Quartararo-Ducati fight, for example, Marc Márquez (Honda, 7th), Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia, 8th), Alex Rins (Suzuki, 9th) or Joan Mir (Suzuki, 11th), they have it really difficult, very difficult, because in the race, the ‘Devil’ usually defends himself quite well and, therefore, five great prizes are few, very few, to try to shake the throne of the young Frenchman from Yamaha. “This time I have more desire for the race than for training, perhaps because Aragon did not go very well. Here in Misano, we are doing well, I have regained my rhythm and although the Ducati have been invincible lately in quali, I think we are going to fight hard in the race & rdquor ;, he said Quartararo.
“I love Misano, our Ducati also loves it, it is our home and, from Motorland, where I won my first GP, we are going with fantastic momentum and spectacular pace & rdquor ;, he commented proudly and sincerely Bagnaia. “I have seen that Fabio (Quartararo) has improved every day, he has taken one more step in each training session, so I expect a great Fabio in the race, but I cannot be better and my Ducati cannot be better & rdquor ;.
Bagnaia, the favorite
It is clear that there are drivers who, tomorrow, in the race, could pose a problem for those who fight for the lead, for the title. And among them are, now, the two Aprilias, since to the power and determination of Aleix Espargaró a Maverick Viñales who intends to assert himself and demonstrate his class already in the second grand prix with Aprilia. Something similar happens with the Repsol Honda team riders, Marc Márquez and Pol Espargaro, who need to stick their heads out and show that they are two great champions, whether they have a competitive bike or not.
It is true that given the power shown by Bagnaia At Motorland, not only leading all the laps of the race but enduring up to seven ruthless attacks (and overtaking) of a resurrected MM93, everyone will be the Ducati leader tomorrow’s favorite, that’s why he loves the track, because it’s the Borgo Panigale’s signature test circuit and because he comes out on pole after demonstrating, during two days of training, his dominance and power.