Misano MotoGP Rider Quotes and Images
Dani Pedrosa – P1
“It was a great race, and it has been a long time since I’ve had these feelings. Even I was surprised by the performance I put in today because I hadn’t expected to go so fast; we were fantastic. The key was the pace; I was able to fight my way through, especially in the final part, and being consistent allowed me to catch the riders at the front. It’s very nice for me to take a victory again, after all the effort made by those who have been with me in this challenging season so far: my family, my team and my fans. It has been very difficult, so I’m very happy for all of them. Today I enjoyed myself, although I was a little worried about the choice of front tyre because I hadn’t used it in hot conditions. In the end we were focused and everything went very well; it was an opportunity we had to take advantage of, and I think we achieved a great victory.”
Valentino Rossi – P2
“I tried the maximum to race against Marquez. When I saw that my rhythm was enough to win I was very happy, but later Pedrosa arrived and he was too fast. I tried the maximum but there was no way, he had a better pace. Anyway, it’s second place. It’s a shame here in Misano, it’s a race I especially tried to win, but today it wasn’t possible. Thank you to all the fans that were at the track, it was great.”
Jorge Lorenzo – P3
“I can’t be very happy, because I expected a bit more from the race. I tried hard for the victory but today I simply didn’t have the best pace. Especially Dani had a better pace and Rossi had one tenth on some laps. Little by little they were going away, so I tried my best to stay there but they went ahead. Honestly they were faster.”
Marc Marquez – P4
“Today’s race was complicated and it was perhaps not one of my better days. I went out with great desire and I felt strong, able to recover the ground I had lost in the first few laps and close in on Valentino and Jorge. Then I saw I had problems with the front tyre, because I was losing it a lot. When Dani passed me, I tried to follow him, but I saw that it was more likely that I would crash than finish on the podium, so I concentrated on finishing the race. We have to keep improving, but the positive thing is that we only lost a few points during a weekend that had been good but that we weren’t able to capitalize on in the race. Now we’re very motivated for Aragon.”
Maverick Viñales – P5
“I am really satisfied with this race, and although I couldn’t get on the podium, fifth place is a really good result if we consider our starting points; this was one of the hardest tracks for our machine and here it was really hot – a condition in which we have always been struggling recently. Finishing in fifth place, after winning a fierce battle, is a positive result. During the race I felt really confident with the front, but the rear had no grip at all, so I had to push really hard and adapt my riding style. I managed to keep with the leading group at the beginning but then I had to go back. At around half-race distance I felt I could push more and my lap-times became faster again. I had to give-up one position for having exceeded the track limit but recovered immediately. I must say thank you to my team, they did an incredible job and it’s really a relief to be aware that now we are getting competitive also in hot conditions.”
Andrea Dovizioso – P6
“It’s a pity because today I expected to get a different result in the race. Unfortunately we are still struggling to get the bike to turn like our rivals and as the laps go by this difference increases. To reduce the gap I have to use a lot of energy, push hard on the handlebars and my riding style becomes less smooth and a bit more ragged. To do a consistent lap it’s better that I don’t push hard in the early laps, but we are forced to do so to remain with the leading group.”
Michele Pirro – P7
“I gave away a bit too much at the start today: losing three or four seconds early on makes things all the more difficult, but it’s not easy to quickly find the right feeling to start well when you only take part in MotoGP occasionally like I do. In the race I managed to be quite consistent and I didn’t finish too far behind my team-mate. I want to thank Ducati for everything, because it’s been a great weekend; yesterday I was fifth in qualifying, this morning third in the warm-up and today in amongst the leading group in the race. I also want to wish Andrea Iannone a speedy recovery and tell him that today I treated his bike well and that at Aragon he’ll find it in the same condition as he left it!”
Cal Crutchlow – P8
“Today I think I did the best job possible and we worked well together as a team all weekend to be competitive. In the race I had some problems with the visor in my helmet because drips of sweat got onto it on about lap eight and it affected my vision for the last 20 laps. There was also a bit of a struggle with the front tyre which was really difficult to ride with here and didn’t suit the setting or my style. I gave my best as always and could easily have been a different result if things had gone for us. I ran off the track five times into turn one due to the visor problem, and gained an advantage three laps out of the five. Then I deliberately gave the time back in the second sector, actually even more than I gained. After the race we got the penalty, which was then overturned once we provided Race Direction with the data and the sector times to clarify that I deliberately gave the time back on each occasion.” We’re not so happy with the result, but I think it was good to finish the race and get some more miles under our belts and now we look forward to going strong in Aragon.”
Pol Espargaro – P9
“I did my absolute best in today’s race but I have to admit that it was a challenging GP. It was very physically demanding and I struggled with the full fuel load, the bike moved a lot and my leg started to hurt a bit which certainly didn’t make things easier. In addition, at the beginning, it was tough to get past Aleix because his bike seemed to have the upper hand, but I pushed onwards and passed him on the 8th lap because he made a slight mistake whilst entering the last corner, which I rode perfectly. Then, in the last stages of the race, I was hunting down Cal and I got close because he was suffering a lot, plus I rode a 1’33.9 in the penultimate lap which helped to reduce the gap to 1.4 seconds and I gave it everything I had because I thought that he may receive a penalty. It’s good that I got the top satellite position but it wasn’t in the way that I would have wished to score it after the weekend I have had. I am only four points from Cal in the standings, so we have to try and lower this at the next round and therefore I will be back stronger in Aragon.”
Alvaro Bautista – P10
“I am happy because we rode a good race and had a good weekend. We knew that, despite going through to Q2, it would be a hard battle to get into the top ten and that is our goal. I started well, but in the second lap I lost a few positions because of contact with another rider, so I had to push hard to come back. Then, in the first laps, I had a strange feeling with the rear tyre. We don’t know why, but the bike slid around a lot. Then the situation went back to normal and I was able to maintain a good pace. I battled with Stefan and Petrucci, but once I overtook them I was able to pull away without any problems and I held my pace until the end. This was a decidedly positive weekend. We did a lot of good work finding new solutions for the bike and we improved, so I would like to thank Aprilia and the entire team for that. Now we want to continue moving in this direction to improve even more in the next portion of the season”.
Danilo Petrucci – P11
“It has been harder than I expected. In the race we have improved a little but not enough. I wanted to do better here, at the home Grand Prix, and I am sorry. Tyres? Yesterday Jorge Lorenzo made the circuit’s record and today those in front have been very fast, so, obviously, we did not understand how to exploit them at the best. I took some points and this is a good thing. I would like to thank the team for how they are working. It is good to be with them.”
Stefan Bradl – P12
“The weekend had started off well, but then a few problems kept me from using the evolution frame consistently. So for the race it was hard to choose which configuration to use and in the end I preferred the standard chassis. Unfortunately, it did not prove to be the best solution. I struggled with braking, the area where the new frame could have provided more advantages. In any case, the race result is not bad, considering the circumstances. I am back to finishing in the points. We showed some good signs during the weekend and we definitely learned a lot for the season finale”.
Hector Barbera – P13
“It was a really difficult race. The feeling during the first laps was not good, and I was not able to brake well because the suspension seemed to be too soft for dry conditions. The front end was closing everywhere, and I was close to crashing twice and I had to support the bike with my elbow. But then, as the fuel got less, the feeling came back and my pace was faster. The problem was that after losing too much time in the first five laps, the group with Bautista, Petrucci and Bradl was too far away. The only positive thing this weekend is that we found back to the right direction and the way we used to be before Silverstone. Now we need to focus on the next race which will be on home soil.”
Eugene Laverty – P14
“We had a consistent pace today. I’m happy with the performance. I made a good start, put in some good early laps and my pace was between 1:34.7s and 1:35.5. I stayed on my maximum for the entire race, but it wasn’t quite enough today. When I followed Scott Redding and Héctor Barberá, in particular, I realised that the problem we have is with turning the bike. We struggled at Turn 1 and Turn 5, and it meant that I lost a lot of time in the tight sections. That is where we struggled this weekend and where we have to improve.”
Scott Redding – P15
“It has been a very difficult weekend. Especially the beginning of the race was frustrating. We are supposed to be among the fastest, in particular in this circuit and, instead, I found it hard to take the slower ones. Every time I tried to overtake someone I could not keep the trajectory, I went wide and I was always rehearsed. It was difficult to find the time and the feeling to go on and get those in front of me. I am very sorry for the way things went.”
Yonny Hernández – P16
“Throughout this Grand Prix we have found it hard to find a positive feeling that allows us to be in the front group. It has been a difficult weekend and in the race I could only keep up the fastest pace possible, but ultimately it was not to be and we were not rewarded. I looked to catch Redding in order to get into the points, but the tyre performance dropped and I was not able to do it.”
Tito Rabat – P17
“I made a very good first lap but then made a mistake. I braked too hard, lost the front and could not save it. The foot pegs were broken so thanks to the team for quickly fixing this problem. I re-joined and settled into a good rhythm in the group with Petrucci and Bradl who finished in the top twelve and I learnt a lot of things riding with these guys. Now I will focus on the next race at Aragon.”
Xavi Forés – DNF
“My start was quite good, but from the second lap I felt a lack of grip on the rear tyre compared to the rest of the weekend, and my pace in the race was slower. With that feeling, it was hard to ride the bike and I had to be more aggressive on the brakes, which stressed the front tyre too much. But the worst part was the arm pump in my right forearm. I had two big moments because the front was closing, and my lines got wider and wider, so I decided that the best decision was to stop, as it was getting dangerous. It was a difficult weekend, but at the same time I enjoyed riding the Desmosedici a lot. If I got a new chance in the future, I would be able to get a better result with the experience I gained this weekend with the bike and the team. I want to thank the team for this opportunity, because it was an amazing weekend.”
Alex Lowes – DNF
“After what has been a positive weekend, I am obviously disappointed with today’s outcome. To be honest, I didn’t really get the chance to get into the race, and sadly I made a small mistake and lost the front at turn one. For sure, this is a big shame because I’ve completed quite a few longer runs in the practice sessions and overall, my pace has been good and I have constantly improved my times. The whole weekend, apart from today, has been encouraging and I got a better understanding of the YZR-M1 with every lap. I’ve enjoyed this event but it’s never nice to end with a negative result in the GP, especially as I am getting more competitive on the Yamaha. I have to say again that this experience has been fantastic and I have been able to enjoy the time because there is no pressure with regards to the championship standings. I wish that I was able to repay the team’s efforts with a good finish today, but we made a good step up from Silverstone. Yet, I am super happy to announce that I will be riding for Monster Yamaha Tech3 again in Aragon and I am thankful to have another opportunity. Yet, first of all, I have to concentrate now on my own championship targets in WSBK with next week’s race in Lausitzring and I am very confident that the experience gained in MotoGP will enable me to fight for the podium.”
Aleix Espargaró – DNF
“The crash was a little one, but exactly the same as the other two I had; three crashes in a weekend is something rare and I’m disappointed with this. I struggled a lot with the front grip for the whole weekend, then in the race I had to push a lot and the problem generated the crash. Such a bad feeling I had in the race is not normal, maybe we can investigate some possible causes, but also the truth is that probably the tyre choice was a mistake. It’s always easy to comment when the game is over, but looking at the winner, we should have made a completely different choice. It’s a mistake, once again I struggled to find a good direction to work, we cannot work harder than what we are doing so be should probably find a better way to work in order to make better choices and be more competitive.”
Jack Miller – DNS
“Misano is a much more physically demanding track to ride than Silverstone and my right hand has been getting worse each day. Every time I got off the bike the swelling was more. It’s not painful, but I was lacking power in the hand and you need to have that here for the hard braking areas. I thought long and hard about it last night, but it simply wasn’t safe for me to ride a 28-lap race with this problem. Now I am focussed only on recovery and getting back on the bike as soon as I am fully fit again.”
Michael Bartholemy – Marc VDS Team Principal
“It is never easy when only one rider starts the race because all the focus is on him, in this case Tito who unfortunately had a crash on the second lap. He made a pit stop and then re-joined the race and had a good pace that matched that of 12th position so for sure the crash cost us a nice result today. With Jack we now just have to wait and see for his recovery and when he returns, it has been a hectic four weeks for him with injuries and missed races.”
Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha Team Director
“I thought we could win today, especially after a good start by Vale and Jorge. Vale was riding very hard, leading the race superbly until there were just seven laps to go when he had to relinquish the lead to Pedrosa and settle for an important second place. Jorge had his typical strong start and worked hard all race to keep in contact with the front guys, finishing in third place. A double podium at our home race is a great result. Over the last three races we have continuously gained on points in the championship standings to the leader. We are confident to continue this trend at the next round in two weeks’ time in Aragón, which is also sponsored by the team’s title sponsor, Movistar.”
Hervé Poncharal – Tech3 Yamaha Team manager
“We knew that it was not going to be an easy MotoGP race for us starting from the 4th and 5th rows of the grid, but altogether we did the best that we could and now we will look on to the next GP. Pol got a decent start, was in the right group from the beginning of the race and was fighting hard with those riders and I am very happy to see him finish the Grand Prix as the top independent rider. He is close to Cal in the satellite rider championship so this is important for us. I would like to thank him for his efforts because he was fast all weekend and it was a bit of a pity about what happened in qualifying. He was still in pain from the Silverstone crash, but I think he showed great determination. For sure, the week off is going to help him a lot and we will see him at full power in Aragon. On the other side of the garage, I was very pleased with Alex in every practice session including qualifying. He has been doing a great job and I was very sorry to see him crash. His performances have impressed Yamaha Europe, Yamaha Japan and the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team. So we would like to take this opportunity to announce that the second rider for our team at the Aragon round will be Alex Lowes. We are really happy with this news and we hope that another MotoGP appearance will continue to boost his career.”
Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki Technical Manager
“Today’s race cannot be considered negative, but compared to the last one we cannot be satisfied. It’s been a pity because during the weekend in all the race simulations, we had a very strong pace with both riders, but finally our best result in the race is Maverick’s fifth place; this means we need to find something more to catch the faster competitors as soon as possible. Also, it’s a pity for Aleix, he has been consistently-improving in the weekend but unfortunately had to retire because of the crash. Now we head to Aragon, which is a good track for our riders, and I hope we can continue to improve and chase the podium again.”
Romano Albesiano – Aprilia Racing Manager
“This was a positive weekend from Friday. We achieved a good pace straight away with close gaps and consistently good positions. The race confirmed Alvaro’s great quality in terms of pace and Stefan also rode a very positive race. My compliments to our riders! The bike is maturing in many of its aspects, especially in terms of chassis settings. The hard work we have done with the many frame and swingarm solutions, as well as the components we tested recently, is beginning to bear fruit and, most importantly, it confirms that we are moving in the right direction with the developments we will be continuing in the upcoming Valencia tests. I hope that this is the start of a phase where we will reap the results of the hard work done by the entire Aprilia Racing department”.
Nicolas Goubert – Michelin
“Today has seen the eighth different winner in eight races and this is something we never imagined at the start of the season. Our aim has always been to supply the best tyres for all types of riders, on all bikes and in every condition and when you get so many winners it seems like we are achieving that. Dani had been strong all weekend and his qualifying yesterday didn’t show his true potential, but in the race today he performed very well and used the soft compound front tyre to its full capacity to record his first win of the season. We have been very pleased with the performance of our tyres here, between them the riders all used the three different front tyre choices in today’s race. To get the fastest lap and break the race record is very positive, but the durability and consistency in such demanding conditions is a greater reward. Today the track was 43 degrees and with the abrasiveness of the surface it was always going to place extra demands on the rubber, but we are pleased with the results and will use this as a stepping stone as we progress through the season. We now head to Aragon, which can have quite conflicting weather conditions, but we had a test there with the MotoGP riders last season so we have some good data as a start point.”
