Category: MotoGP

Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia completed the first day of the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna, where rain was the main protagonist at the Misano circuit.

Enea Bastianini was 12th in the combined practice times with a time of 1:42.842, achieved in the afternoon session. In the second free practice, the track conditions improved compared to the first one, which allowed a notable improvement in the times.

Luca Marini finished the first day 6th with a best time of 1:42.601. The Sky VR46 Avintia rider has done a great job since the morning, and allows him to place himself in positions of direct access to Q2, waiting to dispute the third free practice.

Tomorrow at 9:55 a.m. the third free practice of the premier class will start, followed by the fourth free practice and qualifying of the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna.

“It was a positive day and I’m happy with my performance. It was a pity because for 40 thousandths I’m out of Q2, I still have to improve in wet conditions. In FP2 we made a small step forward and finally I finished 12th. When the track dried up I felt more comfortable on the bike, even so, everything was very tricky. Overall I’m happy with my first day in Misano and tomorrow we will try to improve to be in Q2.”

“I am very happy with today, I had a very good feeling in the wet and also in the final part of the second session with the drier track. The last lap was good and I only had one attempt after the tyre change. The initial plan was to go out on the soft tyre, but the track was already dry and I went back in at the last moment to put on the medium one. I didn’t make any mistakes and I got a good lap time that will be useful for me tomorrow if it continues to rain in FP3.”

Avintia Esponsorama Racing and Sky VR46 Avintia arrive this weekend at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, for the second time this season, for the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna, the 16th round of the calendar.

Enea Bastianini achieved another great result in Austin, crossing the finish line in 6th position. The Avintia Esponsorama Racing rider arrives motivated to Misano and will be looking for a good position in his home Grand Prix to get closer to the goal of being the rookie of the season in the premier class.

For his part, Luca Marini was able to return to the points after his best qualifying position of the season in the United States. The Sky VR46 Avintia rider will try to consolidate his good feeling in front of his home crowd.

Tomorrow from 9:55am Bastianini and Marini will contest the first free practice of the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna.

“We are back in Misano. It’s a little bit colder, which will make it a different weekend from the last time we were here. We have to try to start from zero with the set up of the bike. We had a good race in Austin, so we come here with a good feeling and we have a good base to work on. We will try to be consistent to have a good qualifying on Saturday and prepare for the race, which is important to be able to start as far up front as possible.”

“I am happy to be back in Misano. The home Grand Prix is always special and coming here having already raced a race and having a base from which to start is positive. It wasn’t an easy weekend at the beginning of September, but we were able to work hard in the two days of testing after the race. We will try to build on that and have a good weekend.”

Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia finished the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas race, with both riders crossing the finish line in the points zone.

Enea Bastianini made a remarkable comeback. The Italian rider, who failed to close a good lap in qualifying, started 16th. After a good start, Bastianini was able to recover positions thanks to a great pace, to finish in a superb 6th position, getting another great result for him and for the team.

For his part, Luca Marini was able to return to the points positions in Austin. The Sky VR46 Avintia rider, who started 9th, lost a few positions at the start after the funnel at the first corner. From there, the Italian managed to hold on to a good 14th position, which allows him to score two more points.

Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia will return to the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in three weeks’ time for the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna.

“It was another unexpected result. Yesterday we had a difficult day, but we knew that our potential on this track was quite high. I had a good race, and in the first laps I tried to recover some positions. I didn’t know if I would arrive to the end of the race, because I went to the maximum and it’s a really tough track. On the last lap I managed to overtake Mir and Miller and it was a lot of fun. We knew we could fight for the top 10, but we didn’t expect to get this 6th. Another great result and we will try to keep it going.”

“In the race we had a bit of the same problems as in the last races and that didn’t allow me to make the difference I would have liked in terms of riding. Overall it was a positive weekend, we have to be happy with the whole team for the progress we have made since Misano. I struggled a lot physically, it was a long race and I struggled to ride the way I wanted to be faster.”

Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia have disputed this Saturday the qualifying of the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas at the COTA circuit.

Enea Bastianini will start the race in Austin from 16th position after failing to go through the Q1 cut. The Italian rider will be looking for another good result tomorrow to continue scoring points.

Luca Marini was 9th, his best qualifying position since his debut in the premier class. For the second time this season, the Sky VR46 Avintia rider fought for pole position in Q2 after leading Q1.

Tomorrow at 21:00 (CET+2) the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas race will start, where Bastianini and Marini will be looking for a good result.

“It was a difficult day. This morning we had a good start and I felt comfortable to do some good laps. This afternoon in qualifying I didn’t feel good on the bike. We need to understand what happened so we can work on it. Tomorrow we start a little bit behind, so it won’t be easy, but we’ll try to do the best we can.”

“I am very happy with the qualifying and the lap time, because it means we are doing well and we can see the results of our efforts at the Misano test. I feel better on the bike and I can ride the way I want to ride. In FP3 and FP4 we had some problems and maybe for the first time this season we have some doubts about the tyre choice for tomorrow. Our options are soft or medium on the rear, we will look at the data from the other Ducati and decide after the warm up. The team is doing a great job and I had fun today.”

Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia had their first taste of the COTA circuit on Friday after the first two free practice sessions of the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas.

Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini finished 10th and 12th in the combined combined free practice times at the end of the first day. In the morning session and in wet conditions, both riders were able to get their first laps on the MotoGP bike and start to get confidence with the track.

In the afternoon, in dry conditions, Bastianini was 10th fastest with a time of 2:04.836, whilst Luca Marini set the 12th fastest time of the second free practice session after stopping the clock at 2:04.933.

Tomorrow at 16:55 (GMT+2) Bastianini and Marini will be back on track for the third free practice and then the fourth free practice and the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas qualifying.

“It was an interesting first day. The asphalt is very bumpy and it wasn’t easy. The morning was wet and I tried to start to get some confidence. FP2 was completely dry, but I had some pain in my back caused by the crash I had in the Misano test, and I didn’t feel 100%. Anyway, we had a good lap. In the fast corners I feel good, but in the slow ones I still suffer a little bit. We have all day tomorrow to work and we will try to make a step forward.”

“A good and positive day. We were able to run in both conditions and I was fast in all sessions. It was a difficult situation to manage, especially with the many bumps in the track. Probably one of the most complicated things I’ve ever had to deal with riding a MotoGP bike, which is a shame because the track is very nice. I don’t think they can do anything between now and tomorrow, so all we have to do is work on the bike to make sure we can push as hard as we can and not make any mistakes. We will definitely talk with the other riders in the Safety Commission because this is close to be dangerous. Overall, the feeling on the bike is good, most of the work we did at the Misano test has worked on this track and hopefully the weather will be good for qualifying.”

Two years later, Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia will return to the United States for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, the 15th round of the calendar.

Enea Bastianini arrives in Texas after his first podium in the premier class in San Marino. The Italian rider wants to continue his great performance at the Circuit of the Americas and to get another great result.

Luca Marini arrives in the United States with renewed energy. The Sky VR46 Avintia rider had a positive test in Misano and is very motivated for the weekend in Austin, aiming to get back in the points positions.

On Friday at 16:55 (CET+2), the first free practice for the premier class of the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas will get underway.

“We are ready. Misano gave us the right energy and we did something incredible, we worked well all weekend and it was a very special Grand Prix. We know that the Circuit of the Americas is a difficult track, however, I think we can do a good job. In 2019 I was able to ride the Moto2 and I liked it a lot. We will have to look for a good set-up from Friday, as it is very important in this track.”

“Austin is undoubtedly one of the most special and difficult circuits on the calendar. We have a week of hard work ahead of us, where we have to make the most of what we did at the Misano test last week. We tried some new solutions and we were fast. The last few weekends have not been easy and the goal is definitely to get back in the points.”

Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia completed the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini race, where Enea Bastianini took his first podium in the premier class.

The Avintia Esponsorama rider rode an almost perfect race. After starting from 12th position, lap after lap, Bastianini recovered positions thanks to a great pace, even setting the historic fastest lap record in the race. With 8 laps to go, the Italian was able to consolidate his 3rd position, achieving his first ever podium in MotoGP in front of his crowd.

Luca Marini was unable to finish higher than 19th. The Sky VR46 Avintia rider was fighting for the top 15, but a long lap penalty with 18 laps to go ruined any chance of scoring points.

After a very positive weekend for the team, Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia will head to the United States in two weeks, where the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, the 15th round of the calendar, will take place.

“It was an unexpected result, but since this morning I thought it was possible because I saw that I could do good lap times easily. We were able to find a good set-up on the bike and I was able to enjoy. In the middle of the race I felt really good and when I overtook Miller, I kept setting my pace. I knew I had Quartararo and Bagnaia in front of me and I wanted to try to attack them, but I was already pretty much at the limit. I’m very happy with this 3rd position and it was great to get this podium in Misano.”

“I didn’t have a bad start, but from the beginning I didn’t have enough speed to overtake riders in my group like Pirro, Binder or Nakagami. In the slipstream, the temperature of the front tyre went up and that’s something I have to work on, because I’m still not used to managing it to the maximum. I went long at Turn 1, then I tried to lose time to let other riders pass me, but I still got a long lap penalty that pushed me back to the last positions. I struggled to recover, I suffered a lot with the front tyre and, with seven laps to go, the left side of the rear tyre was badly damaged. We have to work, we are at a standstill and the two days of testing this week will be very important.”

Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia have finished the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini qualifying, where both riders had to compete in Q1.

Enea Bastianini was able to make it through the Q1 cut after finishing 1st. In Q2, the Italian rider couldn’t go further than 12th position as he couldn’t complete almost any fast lap. His best time was cancelled for exceeding the track limits and, on his last attempt, he had to abort the lap due to a yellow flag.

Luca Marini will start the race in Misano in 15th position. After a difficult Friday where he didn’t find a good feeling on the bike, the VR46 Academy rider made an important step forward on Saturday. In qualifying, Marini managed to set a good lap that will allow him to start the race in a good position to fight for the points.

Tomorrow at 14:00, Bastianini and Marini will fight in the race of the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini to continue scoring important points for the team.

“It’s important to be in Q2, although I could have done more. However, I didn’t feel as good as I did in Q1 and it was a shame because I’m sure we could have finished in the top 6. We have improved a lot throughout the weekend and the track conditions are constantly changing. I think if we keep going like this we can do well in the race.”

“Yesterday we struggled, but today we worked well and made a good step forward. I’m riding better even though we are still a little bit short in terms of set-up to be 100%. We are going in the right direction, maybe I could have done more in Q1 by putting the hard tyre on immediately. I went out for the first time attack on the medium to get more grip, but the hard tyre would probably have given me more stability. Let’s look at the data, the tyre choice for tomorrow is pretty much set and we’ll sort out the final details.”

Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia completed the first day of the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, where rain was the main protagonist at the Misano circuit.

Enea Bastianini was 12th in the combined free practice times with a time of 1:33.314 achieved in the morning, as most of the practice has been held in dry conditions. In the second free practice, the Italian suffered a crash without consequences and, due to the rain, like the other riders, he did not improve his lap times.

Luca Marini finished the first day 23rd with a best time of 1:34.037. The Sky VR46 Avintia rider worked on the set-up and, step by step, improved his feeling on the bike.

Tomorrow at 9:55am the third practice of the premier class will start, followed by the fourth free practice and the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini qualifying.

“It was a difficult day. We had a good start and immediately I felt pretty good on the bike. I didn’t feel quite comfortable under braking, so that’s something we’ll have to work on tomorrow. It rained in the afternoon, so I took it easy. We’ll keep working tomorrow, but overall it was a good start.”

“Today was definitely one of the hardest days of the season as I didn’t find the feeling I was looking for in the dry or in the wet. We couldn’t do much work, FP1 finished earlier than planned and FP2 was in wet conditions. Tomorrow we will have to make some changes to the bike because it’s difficult for me and I can’t do what I want to do. We will keep working to find a solution.”

Avintia Esponsorama and Sky VR46 Avintia arrive this weekend at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, where the 14th round of the calendar, the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, will take place.

Enea Bastianini arrives at Misano 16th in the world standing with 45 points and after achieving his best result since his debut in the premier class at MotorLand Aragón. The Italian wants to repeat another good performance in front of his fans to continue getting important points.

Luca Marini is 20th with 28 points. The Sky VR46 Avintia rider, who had a difficult weekend at Aragón, wants to recover his good feeling this weekend and get a good result at his home Grand Prix.

The first free practice for the MotoGP class of the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini will start on Friday at 9:55am.

“We are at our home Grand Prix. We come from a very good race at Aragón, where we finished in an excellent 6th position. Misano is obviously a circuit I know very well and it’s 10 minutes from my home. This weekend I would like to continue like we did in the last race and it will certainly be a very special Grand Prix. We will try to go fast from the start to repeat another good result.”

“The Misano Grand Prix will be a special weekend for many reasons, certainly one of the most exciting of the whole season. We will work hard to make it one of the best races of the year. I want to have fun and entertain the crowd in the grandstands.”