Grand Prix of San Marino

The Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera has been a frequent round of the MotoGP calendar since the 1981 500cc season, plus a constant presence since 2007.

After 13 years without staging a San Marino Grand Prix following Mick Doohan winning with Honda in 1993, MotoGP revived the round in 2007 with a return to Misano after 20 years. In the interim, Misano held many editions of the Nations Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix.

Imola, Mugello and Misano alternated hosting the San Marino Grand Prix through its earlier appearances in the 500cc world championship. Yet MotoGP made the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, as it is officially named, the San Marino GP’s permanent home from 2007.

History of the MotoGP Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera

Imola hosted the first running of the San Marino Grand Prix in 1981, for the second of three 500cc world championship rounds that the series held at the Emilia-Romagna region circuit. Yet the San Marino GP only returned to Imola in 1983 after Mugello held the round in 1982.

Mugello would also prove to only be an intermittent home for the San Marino GP – with the traditional home of the Italian Grand Prix staging the race again in 1984 plus 1991 and 1993. Misano got its first San Marino GP in 1985 and until 1987, before MotoGP revived it in 2007.

Due to the race regularly changing tracks over its earlier editions, just Marco Lucchinelli and Kenny Roberts have the honour of winning a San Marino Grand Prix at Imola to date. Suzuki saw Lucchinelli win on its Gallina-backed bike in 1981, and Roberts won for Yamaha in 1983.

Likewise, Freddie Spencer and Randy Mamola get the honour of being the only 500cc world championship riders to win a San Marino Grand Prix at Mugello. Their victories in 1982 and 1984 also both came whilst riding Honda bikes, but only Spencer’s was for the factory crew.

Misano, on the other hand, proved to be a Yamaha track during its first stint hosting the San Marino Grand Prix from 1985-1987. Eddie Lawson and Mamola swept up for Team Agostini and Team Roberts respectively at Misano, riding a Yamaha YZR500 to glory those seasons.

Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo helped Yamaha dominate the San Marino Grand Prix

Despite Casey Stoner gifting Ducati the win as MotoGP returned to Misano for the 2007 San Marino Grand Prix, the Rimini venue even remained a Yamaha circuit in the modern era. Six of the first eight editions upon MotoGP returning to Misano were won by a factory Yamaha.

Valentino Rossi bookended Yamaha’s early dominance at Misano come the MotoGP era with wins in 2008, 2009 and 2014. Yet the Italian’s great rival Jorge Lorenzo was the first rider to achieve three consecutive San Marino GP wins – and not just at Misano – from 2011-2013.

Before Lorenzo achieved three wins on the spin at the San Marino GP with Yamaha, the best that a rider had performed at the race was Lawson (1985-86) and Rossi (2008-09) winning back-to-back trips. Francesco Bagnaia secured the next double but not until 2021 and 2022.

The San Marino Grand Prix was also a special race for Rossi as it was truly the Italian’s home round with the seven-time premier class champion’s home in Tavullia just a 10-minute drive away. Throngs of fans flooded Misano to show their support for Rossi at the San Marino GP.

Rossi’s loyal following especially made their presence felt at the 2014 San Marino Grand Prix when the Yamaha rider, finally, won his first race of the season. Marc Marquez had swept 11 of the first 12 wins, only stopped by Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa at the Czech Grand Prix.

Marquez was once again the man to beat heading into race day at Misano, too, despite pole position going the way of Lorenzo. Yet Rossi quickly dismissed both of his rivals to lead, and Marquez even crashed trying to fight back – leaving the Yamaha icon to lead Lorenzo home.

What is the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli like?

MotoGP returned to Misano in 2007 to revive the San Marino Grand Prix after the track had updated its facilities, circuit and grandstands. The new grandstands offer fans great views of the most crucial parts of the track, as well as ample general admission areas in prime spots.

Turn 1 is naturally a key corner at Misano, which was officially renamed as the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in June 2012 after the 2008 250cc champion from Cattolica, Rimini. Marco Simoncelli, who died in October 2011, lived less than five miles away from the circuit.

Overtaking chances are possible either into T1 or by carrying speed through the chicane for Turn 2. Yet riders forcing a pass into T2 leave themselves vulnerable to being passed into T3 or Turn 4. A good exit from T5 is also key as it is the acceleration point for the run to Turn 8.

Turn 8 is often the main overtaking point at Misano, and fans attending the San Marino GP can get close to the corner thanks to the nearby general admission zone. It also establishes the run to another key overtaking point at T10, leading onto the fastest section at Misano.

MotoGP bikes can also hit in excess of 300km/h (186mph) through the sweeping right-hand Curvone at Misano. But it is crucial to carry as much speed as possible through the T11 kink, plus T12 and T13, risking exceeding track limits on the exit, for an overtaking chance at T14.

Riders will often attempt a block pass into Carro to stop their rival from securing the outside line out of Turn 14 to then snatch the inside for T15. The last overtaking chance at Misano is also possible into the final corner but riders need the perfect run through T15 to dive at T16.

With the majority of Misano’s corners being right-handers and most of the left-hand corners being slow-speed turns, it is also vital to manage the asymmetric rear tyres MotoGP uses for the San Marino Grand Prix. Tyre management can regularly dictate the result at Misano, too.

Another aspect that can occasionally work against the San Marino Grand Prix enjoying a raft of overtakes for an action-packed race is that MotoGP itself and most teams frequently hire Misano as a test track. So, the teams have a lot of data to call on to build their race set-ups.

Winners of the MotoGP Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera

Below, MotoGP News has listed every premier class rider to win the San Marino Grand Prix…