MotoGP Preview: San Marino Grand Prix
After a two-week break, MotoGP returns to one of its most beloved tracks for the San Marino Grand Prix. Jorge Martín is still the championship leader, but Marc Márquez is rapidly eating into this advantage, having overtaken Marco Bezzecchi in the standings.
There are plenty of exciting storylines to follow this weekend, and here is everything you need to know before tuning in to this week’s action:
This week’s track: Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
Situated close to the city of Rimini, this track is actually situated on Italian territory, roughly one hour away from San Marino. The Grand Prix’ official name is the Grand Prix of San Marino and the Riviera of Rimini, but it’s commonly referred to as the San Marino Grand Prix, as the Republic serves as a logistical base for the teams and for the spectators alike.
The Misano World Circuit has 16 corners, and it’s a short and narrow track at only 4.226 km (2.626 miles). Although it does not open up plenty of opportunities for overtaking, the races held at the Italian venue are always full of action.
The traditional overtaking spots are Turn 8 (Quercia) and Turn 14 (Carro), both challenging braking zones that can bring an advantage to the bravest of riders. However, keep an eye on the final corner, as a perfect exit from Turn 15 could represent a great opportunity for overtaking before the opening straight.
Turns 4,5 and 6 form the Curvone section, and also hold the potential to deliver plenty of action, as riders are at risk of running wide or even crashing out of the race.
The history of the track showcases the locals’ passion for racing, which makes San Marino one of the most beloved stops in recent MotoGP history.
Originally built in 1972, the Misano Adriático circuit used to be a regular stop for MotoGP back in the 80s and early 90s. Back then, this race was referred to as the Italian Grand Prix, and it was a common stop for Formula One races as well.
It was taken off the calendar in 1993, but it made its return in 2007, in part due to the popularity surge of Valentino Rossi.
The racing legend used to live only a few miles away from the track, and his devoted fanbase created demand for another Italian round to be added to the calendar. Nowadays, this passion is still kept alive by the fluorescent yellow of the VR46 grandstands.
The Misano layout underwent significant changes until 2008 in order to comply with modern safety regulations, and in 2012 it changed its name to honour the late Marco Simoncelli, a local rider who lost his life in 2011 at Sepang.
Past results
Last year, Marc reigned victorious in San Marino, but Bezzecchi put on a tough fight all the way down to the finish line to stop the Spaniard from claiming another comfortable lead.
Bezzecchi had his best weekend at his home Grand Prix so far, claiming pole position for the first time and winning the sprint, ending the Márquez brothers’ streak of Saturday wins in 2025. After their thrilling battle in Aragón, could we witness another duel between the two of them this week?
Martín will need to turn his luck around if he wants to remain the championship leader. Last season, he received a double long-lap penalty for switching bikes before the race start, and he only managed to win at this track once in the premier class.
The circuit’s difficult layout caused plenty of crashes in 2025, with only 16 riders crossing the finish line.
Going further back in memory lane, the San Marino Grand Prix was the home of one of the sport’s most iconic rivalries between Yamaha teammates Jorge Lorenzo and Rossi. From Rossi’s comeback win in 2009 all the way to their 2016 press conference argument, this venue has witnessed all the drama.
Key talking points
Martín continues to lead, but the 2024 World Champion noticeably struggled at the previous race in Aragón. He is now 19 points ahead of Marc and 24 points off of Bezzecchi.
Although Bezzecchi lost a position against the reigning world champion, his performance was especially impressive considering he continues to struggle after his crash in Germany.
The Italian looks to have returned closer to the competitive form he displayed at the start of the season, but only time will tell if this will be enough for him to claim the title.
Pedro Acosta also entered the fight for the win in Aragón, overtaking Bezzecchi once Marc also made his pass on the Aprilia rider. He attempted to catch up to the reigning world champion on Sunday, but the 2024 rookie is still left chasing his first MotoGP win.
However, Acosta believes that things are moving in the right direction for KTM, stating after the race: “Now it looks like things are working. We’re having good races. It’s true that we are still far from winning a race, but on the other hand, we are finding a lot of consistency inside the top five. For that, we have to be really satisfied.”
Marc lived up to his name as the “King of Aragón” and claimed his eighth win at the track. This week, he is expected to have an advantage, as Ducati, a Rimini-based team, frequently uses this track as their testing ground. Could this mark the return of the reigning world champion at the top of the standings?
Johann Zarco returned in Aragón and managed an unbelievable performance after nearly two months of recovery following his knee injury. Having been dealt a long-lap penalty after his incident in Catalonia, the Frenchman was proud to score on Sunday, stating: “I took a point yesterday and today, and that’s awesome! I really enjoyed my weekend with the team; I had missed them!”
Ai Ogura was unable to compete in the last race, therefore losing one more position to Fabio Di Giannantonio in the standings. The Japanese rider now stands in fifth place but he will be not compete in this Grand Prix either.
Pol Espargaró will race in place of Maverick Viñales as he continues his recovery.
More line-up changes for the upcoming season: the VR46 Racing Team announced the riders who will be racing for them in 2027. Read more on this story here.
Can Martín hold on to the title lead even longer, or will a new contender emerge victorious? The only way to find out is to tune in to the San Marino Grand Prix this Sunday, 13 September, from 14:00 track time (13:00 BST).
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