MotoGP 2025 San Marino Grand Prix: Preview
- Finn Glover
- 8 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Written by Finn Glover, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
It could've been a championship-clinching weekend. Yet Álex Márquez's home heroics last time out mean the fight, or wait, reigns on. We head to the Ducati dreamland of Misano, the home of the San Marino Grand Prix, and if Catalunya has anything to say, it might not be all easy running for the red devils out front.
Hundreds of thousands of Italians will flock to what is one of motor racing’s pilgrimage sites, to what is undoubtedly a highlight of the schedule. As we approach the last chapter of what has been a European leg tainted in red, will they be served up with a Misano blockbuster?
The San Marino Grand Prix: Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
Named after the late great Marco Simoncelli, who tragically died in an accident at Sepang in 2011, the circuit certainly honours the Italian by producing a classic, challenging layout, a pleasure for riders and fans alike.
The current layout has stood since 2008, and at 16 corners and 2.626 mi (4.226 km), it remains one of MotoGP's shortest, and possibly more old-school racetracks. The racing line can be narrow and there is only realistically one or two ‘orthodox’ overtaking opportunities; yet still, despite their inadequacies, Misano always seems to produce classic upon classic.
The track features some iconic sections, from ‘Curvone’, one of MotoGP's fastest and bravest corners, to the awkward braking zones of ‘Quercia’ and ‘Carro’; places where ability is put to the test and riders often fall foul of the awkwardly cambered corners.
Being the homeowners, Ducati obviously have the automatic advantage here; having conducted hundreds of thousands of laps testing round the circuit. And in a season where they have won all but two races, the omens look pretty decent for the Italian giants.
Past results
Due to the cancellation of the then-scheduled Kazakh Grand Prix, Misano had the honour of hosting two races last year. Both were won by Ducati; one by then-Gresini man Marc Márquez in awkward ‘mental rain’ conditions, and the other a masterclass by Enea Bastianini, overtaking (or barging past) Jorge Mártin on the final lap.
Ducati have obliterated the form books here since the pandemic. Yet, before that, it was a place ruled by the Japanese manufacturers. Championship leader Marc Márquez won here three times on the Honda, and Franco Morbidelli claimed a sensational home win on board the Petronas Yamaha in 2020, meaning four current MotoGP riders have won here in the premier class.
The track's blend of slow-speed, technical sections and vast expanses allows bikes to go flat out. It means nobody tends to have an extreme performance advantage here. Yet, with that being said, it was indeed a Ducati 1-2-3-5-6 in the race last year.
It is a track that consistently produces a fairy tale; from Marc Márquez's comeback win after injury in 2021, to Bagnaia heroically beating Bastianini to the line in a nail-biting finish just two years later, claiming his first MotoGP win at the venue. Will anyone get their calling this year? We will soon find out!
Key notes
As it tends to be with Misano, this weekend, teams are opting to throw out the wildcard riders on the track to gain valuable data at a track which tells so much about performance.
Augusto Fernandez will be testing the Yamaha V4, and Aprilia's Lorenzo Savadori could also likely be a wildcard this weekend. Other than that, for what feels like the first time in ages, we will have a fully fit field of 22, ready to go.
After he was denied an eighth consecutive win at home in Barcelona, Marc Márquez now holds a lead of 182 points; with Motegi, or maybe Mandalika, the venues that will need to prepare for some championship-winning celebrations.
On the other side of the garage, Bagnaia will be under seething pressure to perform after what was an utterly catastrophic Catalan Grand Prix, making it now four races without a podium finish.
KTM will be looking to capitalise on a very impressive Catalan weekend, particularly Tech3 and Enea Bastianini, who, under the new prospect of future management by ex-F1 guru Guenther Steiner, look revitalised and ready to challenge not just for the podium, but victory.
Another one to watch out for is Miguel Oliveira, who had a reasonably uncovered yet superb Catalan weekend, claiming a season's best P9 amidst the impending announcement of his new WorldSBK venture after being sacked from PRAMAC.
So, what will happen? Can Ducati dominate once more, or can KTM throw up a total surprise to the party? In the final venture before MotoGP heads off to the Asian leg of the championship, a result here could be pivotal.
The San Marino Grand Prix begins at 1pm BST on Sunday, 14 September 2025.
