At the San Marino Grand Prix in Misano, Ducati factory duo Francesco Pecco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini showed intuition in the face of uncertain weather conditions, which allowed them to climb onto the podium alongside race winner Marc Marquez. The rain, which fell from lap seven onwards, caused a moment of uncertainty when some riders, including championship leader Jorge Martin, decided to pit to change bikes and switch to rain tyres. However, the rain did not last long, making this strategy ineffective.
After the race, bagnaia et bastianini revealed that they used an unusual indicator to assess the situation: the smell of the wet track. As natives of the region and accustomed to train regularly in Misano, They were able to detect that the rain was not enough to require a tire change..
Francis Bagnaia declared: “ On Thursday it was raining in the paddock and the smell was strong. It's something I know well, and on Sunday it didn't smell like that.. I was a bit worried when I saw Morbidelli crash, so I slowed down a bit more, but I didn't want to take any risks. Especially after Jorge Martin came into the pits. »
Enea Bastianini added : " I thought I would stay on track because here, when it starts to rain and it rains a lot, the track smells a bit like water. But on Sunday, it wasn't. The sky was cloudy, but not too cloudy. I decided to keep going, and it was the right choice. »
Marc Marquez after Misano: " I followed the local guys, they know better than me »
Marc Marquez, who won the race, acknowledged that follow local driversas an bagnaia et bastianini, had helped him make the right decision. He also stressed that the strategy of George Martin, who opted for a change of bike, was not foolish, because if the rain had persisted he could have benefited from a better position.
Marc Marquez commented: “ Martin's strategy wasn't very crazy, because if the rain had continued, he would have had the best strategy. But I followed the local guys, who stayed outside, and I decided to do the same. They know better than me. »
This race showed the importance of experience and knowledge of local conditions, a decisive factor that allowed bagnaia, bastianini, a Marquez to make the right decisions and maximize their results in a race made unpredictable by the weather.
Course MotoGP from the San Marino GP
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