It's rare, but it happens: each of the 2 wild cards authorized in each category has been requested and awarded!
What could be more normal, in the heart of a region that has motorcycles in its genes?
MotoGP:
Michele Pirro: Having just regained his bearings during the recent MotoGP/SBK test at the Motoroland Aragon circuit, Michele Pirro is making his return to Grand Prix after suffering a frightening fall when he locked his front wheel at 350 km/h during the FP2 at Mugello.
Misano is a track that seems to suit the Ducati test rider as he finished 5th there last year and 7th in 2016.
Aged 32, the Transalpine rider has a single Grand Prix victory, at Valencia in Moto2 in 2011, one of the only 2 truly complete years he has completed.
Stefan Bradl: Also a test rider, but for HRC this time, Stefan Bradl completed 9 full seasons during which he achieved 2 victories in 125cc and 5 victories in Moto2, which earned him the title of world champion in the category intermediate in 2011. Switched to MotoGP the following year, his best result was a 2nd place at Laguna Seca in 2013.
This season, the 28-year-old German driver is already on his third wild card, after obtaining 3th place in Germany and being involved in the collision which eliminated Maverick Vinales on the first lap of the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic.
Moto2:
Xavi Cardelus is no longer strictly speaking a wild card but rather what we call a commercial entry. Indeed, the 20-year-old Andorran rider is already making his 7th appearance this year aboard his Kalex from the Stylobike team, with his best result being two 22nd places taken in Jerez and Mugello. He is also a MotoGP test rider for the Reale Avintia team.
At 32 years, Sheridan Morais already has a big career behind him. The South African rider thus participated in the Superbike World Championship, the Supersport World Championship, the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup and the FIM Endurance World Championship. In 2018, he inherited Kenan Sofuoglu's seat within the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Team in the Supersport category, where he occupied 16th place in the general classification. When it comes to the Grand Prix, the man from Johannesburg did his first race this year in Brno aboard a Kalex from the Willi Race Racing Team. He ranked 24th there.
Moto3:
Kevin Zannoni will celebrate his 18th birthday on Saturday in Misano. The Italian rider comes from the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup after having climbed the steps of the various Italian championships up to the Pre-Moto3 category. 15th in the promotion formula in 2016, the native of Cesena then turned to the Italian Moto3 championship, with the particularity of riding a TM, to finish this year in 23rd place in the FIM CEV Moto3 championship, always with the TM RACING FACTORY 3570 MTA.
It is also with this Italian motorcycle that he will make his wild card almost at home.
The TM had been mentioned to replace the Mahindra in the world championship. However, to oppose the giants that are Honda and KTM, the small company from Pesaro specializing in karts and off-road (with in particular Thomas Chareyre) probably lacked the scale to launch itself directly into such a challenge and preferred to develop his machine in the Italian championship then in the FIM CEV championship under the leadership of Efren Vazquez. About the bike itself, we don't know much other than that it is 100% made in Italy: engine, frame, trim, etc. Only a few photos are available on the Internet, without any details, and this only reinforces our interest…
After debuting in 2013 in the Italian SP speed championship, Yari Montella won the title the following season before making the jump to the Moto3 category. He then made his debut in the FIM CEV Moto3 championship, where he currently occupies 12th place for his 3rd season. He drives a Honda from the SIC58 Squadra Corse team. Aged 18, the Italian driver will therefore share the box with Tatsuki Suzuki and Niccolò Antonelli.
