MotoGP: Misano this weekend – here’s the stats that matter

This weekend sees the 20th time that Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli has hosted a motorcycle grand prix event and below are some facts and stats about MotoGP on the Riviera di Rimini:

– The first grand prix event to take place at Misano was in 1980; the 500cc race was over 40 laps of the circuit that measured 3.448 km and ran in an anti-clockwise direction. It was won by Kenny Roberts.

– The Misano circuit hosted a GP event for a total of ten occasions between the years of 1980 and 1993.

– Misano did not have a grand prix event for thirteen years following the accident that ended Wayne Rainey’s career in 1993.

– When GP racing returned to Misano in 2007, it was on a much revised 4.18 km circuit running in the opposite direction to the earlier layout.

– There have been eighteen previous San Marino Grand Prix events. The first San Marino Grand Prix was held at Imola in 1981. Three different circuits have hosted the San Marino Grand Prix – Imola twice (1981 and 1983), Mugello four times (1982, 84, 91 and 93) and Misano on twelve occasions (1985, 86, 87 and from 2007 onwards).

– Yamaha have been the most successful manufacturer in MotoGP at the track since the grand prix series returned to Misano in 2007 with six victories. Honda have had two MotoGP wins at the Misano circuit during this period and Ducati a single victory.

– Ducati have had just three podium finishes in the MotoGP class at Misano: 2007 – Casey Stoner – 1st, 2008 – Toni Elias – 3rd, 2012 – Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) – 2nd.

– Suzuki have had two podium finishes in the MotoGP era at Misano circuit, both of which came in 2007 when Chris Vermeulen finished second and John Hopkins third. This was the last occasion that Suzuki had two riders on a grand prix podium.

– The win by Marc Marquez last year was the first for Honda at Misano since 2010 and followed four successive wins for Yamaha at this circuit.

– The most successful riders at Misano since racing returned to the circuit in 2007, each with four victories, are Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Lorenzo has had three premier class wins and one in 250, and Marquez a single GP win, two in Moto2 and one in 125s.

– Dani Pedrosa’s (Repsol Honda Team) victory in 2010 is the last time that the MotoGP race at Misano was won by a rider starting from pole position.

– Last year’s MotoGP podium at Misano was: Marc Marquez, Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) – the first MotoGP podium where all three of the riders had graduated from the Moto2 class.