The TIM Grand Prix of San Marino and Rimini Riviera (official title) is considered by most Italian drivers to be their national Grand Prix, unlike the Gran Premio d'Italia TIM which takes place at Mugello.
Indeed, although the two events are not geographically very far apart, the first is located at the very heart of the historical roots of the Italian competition and in a region where many of them were born and still reside.
In the immediate post-war period, Italy was impoverished and, as in Spain, the popular masses moved around in two economic wheels (hence the success of the legendary Vespa born in 2).
Events are then organized all along the Adriatic coast, a region which combines both an almost infinite seaside as well as an abundant and passionate population.
The first race takes place in Tortoreto but the following ones are grouped in Emilia-Romagna, in Cervia (Milano Marittima), Lugo, Cesenatico, Rimini, Riccione and Cattolica, even Pesaro.
We will group them under the generic name of Mototemporada Romagnola.
The “circuits” are urban and, given the seafront, are most often limited to a few bales of straw scattered around the right-angle turns that connect a handful of straight streets.
The races were gradually grouped into the Italian championship, but 1960 marked a major change with the opening of the Mototemporada Romagnola to foreign riders.
Therefore, as the races take place at the start of the season, many international riders come to “train” and fine-tune their motorcycles, official or not, in these local races.
Among them, nothing less than names like Hailwood, Read, Duff, Herrero, Redman, Ivy, Simmonds, Findlay, Carruthers or Andersson, came to mingle with the Italians, the most famous of whom were Agostini, Pasolini, Provini, Pagani, Bergamonti, Spaggiari, Parlotti, Grassetti, Villa or Buscherini : in short, beautiful people!
Rimini 125cc, 1968. Ralph Bryans (30), Francesco Villa (15), Walter Villa (11)
“Temporada” 500cc at Riccione in 1969; Honda n.63 Mike Hailwood and MV n.1 Giacomo Agostini
Read, Rimini 1970…
Rimini 1971
Angelo Bergamonti on the 6-cylinder MV…
It must be said that the beach and a certain Dolce Vita are not totally unrelated to the success of the formula…
The notoriety and the number of participants will therefore grow throughout the 60s, ending suddenly on April 4, 1971, during the Riccione race; in pouring rain, Angelo Bergamonti, MV Agusta official driver, lost control of his 350 during a duel with Agostini and died tragically.
In Riccione, the day of the tragedy…
From the following year, the Mototemporada Romagnola races will take place only on circuits, the events in Rimini, Cesenatico and Riccione being purely and simply canceled by prefectural decree.
Designed in 1969 and started in 1970, the “Santa Monica International Circuit» (named thus until 2006) will be inaugurated on August 4, 1972 in Misano-Adriatico, and has a route very similar to what we still find today. The track measures 3488 meters and the bends are called Brute pela, Curva della Quercia, Curva del Carro, etc. We turn it counterclockwise.
May the 11 1972, the Italian circuit receives its first Grand Prix, that of the Nations (58th edition). The winners are then named Eugenio Lazzarini (50cc) on Iprem, Pierpaolo Bianchi (125cc) on MBA, Anton Mang (250cc) on Krauser, Johnny Cecotto (350cc) on Yamaha and Kenny Roberts on Yamaha 500cc.
March 24 1974, Read wins in 350 and 500 after Agostini's retirements.
May the 11 1980, the 58th GP of Nations arrives in Emillia-Romagna.
We witness the victories of Eugenio Lazzarini on Iprem (50cc), Pierpaolo Bianchi (125cc) on MBA, Anton Mang on Krauser 250, Johnny Cecotto on Yamaha 350 and Kenny Roberts on Yamaha 500cc.
Debut of the Kawasaki KR500.
Podium 125. Guy Bertin, Pierpaolo Bianchi and Bruno Kneubühler
Sheene and Cecotto
Roberts, surrounded by Uncini and Rossi
The modern era is well underway…
1982 sees the victories of Angel Nieto in 125 cc, Didier de Radiguès in 350cc and Franco Uncini in 500cc, three characters who were always part of the world of MotoGP, until the accident of the first this year.
En 1993, we are building new facilities to replace the small open boxes, and we are extending the track to 4060 meters.
Unfortunately, during the Italian Grand Prix, Wayne Rainey falls on the ninth lap in the right turn after the starting line. Victim of a “High Side”, he is thrown into the air and lands heavily on his head. The diagnosis will be final. Sixth dorsal vertebra fractured, the three-time world champion will remain paralyzed. The Motorcyclist Grand Prix abandons the circuit. The American rider did not return to the circuit until 2011, 18 years later and invited by Yamaha, in his wheelchair.
Between 1996 and 2001, we are still adding stands.
En 2005, a new entrance is created, on Daijiro Kato Street, named in memory of the Japanese killed during his national GP in 2003 and who used to live in Misano Adriatico.
En 2006, major work is being carried out to once again host the World Motorcycling Championship; the track is extended to 4180 meters, widened to 14 meters, turns clockwise and is equipped with all the infrastructures of a modern circuit.
To mark the occasion, it changed its name to be called Misano World Circuit.
En 2007, now MotoGP makes its return to the circuit, but a torrential rain greets this return by completely flooding the Italian track during the first day of free practice; in certain turns, the water rises up to your crotch…
The circuit was modified again in 2008, mainly by leaving the pits and adding a chicane at turn #2, bringing its current length to 4226 meters.
2010 is marked by the terrible tragedy which took away Shoya Tomizawa.
End 2011, the circuit is renamed Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in honor of the “country child” who died at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
En 2015, the circuit has been completely resurfaced with a coating taking into account the immediate proximity of the sea (and therefore the salt). Drainage has also been significantly improved.
Ces racines géo-historiques expliquent pourquoi une grande quantités de “bambini” de la région ont été piqués par le virus de la compétition moto, à commencer par un certainValentino Rossi, qui demeure toujours à quelques kilomètres du circuit…
Photo credit: Internet origin, authors unknown.
