By Diana Tamantini / Motoracing
Local authorities presented the San Marino MotoGP Grand Prix, which will take place next weekend in Misano. They also hope to keep him for the next three seasons.
A very special event for motorcycle enthusiasts is approaching: next week the OCTO Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera will take place, an important event given what this region represents, known as “the Land of Motors. » Indeed, many World Cup drivers and teams come from there (such as the current leader of the Moto3 Championship Marco Bezzecchi, a native of Rimini, or Valentino Rossi, and Marco Simoncelli, from whom the circuit took its name, all as will soon be the case for a street).
The local authorities, from the mayors of the municipalities concerned (that of Misano, Gianini, particularly insisted with pride on the joy of attending its tenth edition of the Grand Prix) to the president of the province, including the test driver and wild card Ducati Michele Pirro, champion Kevin Schwantz and the creator of the poster, Aldo Drudi, presented the 2018 edition of the MotoGP Grand Prix by reviewing everything that has been done since the beginning. They also discussed the discussions currently taking place with Dorna in order to maintain the event, at least for the next three years. In addition to this, Manuel Poggiali and Alex De Angelis will be in action in the city with two MotoEs, a ride not only seen as an announcement of the next Electric Motorcycle Championship (which will begin in 2019), but also as an ecological message. This same message will be supported, as every year, by KISS Misano, committed to promoting respect for the environment.
The emotion and pride of a great event that is a World Championship stage can be summed up by the words of the Tourism and Commerce Advisor of the Emilia-Romagna region, Andrew Corsini : “This is a great team effort put in place to strengthen the event and the tourist environment, with initiatives that will take place throughout the week to enrich the MotoGP program. We have increased the visibility of the event by making it international thanks to companies that are the essence of “made in Italy” in the world. MotoGP is certainly the spearhead of our calendar given the international media attention, but we also aim to create an increasingly popular tourist event. We are trying to keep MotoGP here for the next three years with Dorna and the municipalities involved. »
The President of the Province of Rimini and Mayor of the city, Andrea Gnassi, confirmed these remarks: “The MotoGP event tells unique stories of the land of engines, given that in this territory the greatest riders and the largest engine industries in the world were born. This is an important and essential event, but we are not only talking about MotoGP: we are also talking about mechanics, electronics and engineering. We are therefore trying to work to maintain this Grand Prix in this territory for the next three seasons, with an option for two more, thus continuing to give value to all this work through an international dimension. »
It is also necessary to highlight the presence of Kevin schwantz, 500cc world champion in 1993, and who has always remained closely linked to the San Marino circuit: “I arrived here in 1986, and this was the third Grand Prix that I competed in the World Cup. I have always loved this region, even if I have never won here. In 1988 I met Aldo Drudi for the first time, he is now part of my circle of friends, and the following year he introduced me to a little boy of about eight or nine years old who was already rolling: he was the son of Graziano Rossi. »
Michele Pirro was also present. Ducati test rider in MotoGP and Superbike in addition to being the last Italian CIV Superbike Champion, he will be one of the protagonists of the Misano race where he will compete for a new wild card, the first since his terrible accident at Mugello: “I'm not from the area, but I've always felt at home there. Coming back to MotoGP after what happened is important. Ducati has progressed a lot. In the past we have never been very fast here but this year we have a good package. The “home” atmosphere will also help me forget the difficult period I experienced after my accident. »
Questions about Jorge Lorenzo and the change made during the season were also asked: “From the start we established a very good relationship, he relied on me a lot, and started to feel more comfortable with the Ducati. Then, when I had to move away because I had other commitments, and I couldn't follow him as before, he looked for another person to accompany him. It took Jorge a while to start trusting those around him again, until he mentally freed himself and became the Lorenzo we all know again. But all that happened too late for some, so he looked around and signed with Honda. Now he is riding with an even freer mind and I am sure he can still win a lot until the end of the season. »
Aldo Drudi, who created the poster for this edition, said: “I grew up with this circuit, I saw its turns take shape. I consider myself very lucky: I can link my passion for drawing to this line, in the literal sense of the word. Plus, I've become friends with many of the pilots, and getting to be a part of their story with a little color is fantastic. Applying my style to a circuit is spectacular, in addition to being a great emotion. I hope to have the honor of completing the track in the future, as there is still an open graphics site. »
Read the original article on Corsedimoto.com
Auteur: Diana Tamantini
