Local Knowledge and ‘Smell’ of Rain Guide Factory Ducati Duo to Podium Finish at Misano

Factory Ducati riders used their familiarity with the Misano track to steer clear of Jorge Martin's mistake, attributing their success to sensing the rain.

Ducati MotoGP riders Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini mentioned that they could sense the Misano circuit wasn't suitable for wet tires during the San Marino Grand Prix.

Intermittent rain showers occurred as preparations were underway for Sunday’s grand prix at Misano, with weather predictions indicating a chance of intense rainfall affecting the track during the event.

Initially, the race started under dry conditions, but by the seventh lap of the 27-lap event, heavy rain necessitated a flag-to-flag situation.

Six racers, one of whom was the championship leader Jorge Martin and holding second place at the time, decided to switch to their motorcycles equipped for wet conditions. However, the rain was short-lived, making this decision a strategic misstep.

Marc Marquez secured the victory at the grand prix, with Bagnaia and Bastianini finishing in second and third place, respectively.

Following the race, Bagnaia and Bastianini, who regularly train at this circuit and are familiar with it, shared that their strategies were guided accurately by their sense of smell.

Bagnaia mentioned the distinct scent of the Misano track when it's wet, referring to the experience they had on Thursday.

“Thursday saw rain falling in the paddock, filling the air with a strong scent.”

"Therefore, it's something I'm very familiar with, and it didn't have this odor."

“I felt really frightened when I witnessed Morbidelli's accident. After that, I reduced my speed even more and noticed the others approaching from behind.

"However, I chose not to take any chances, especially after Jorge went into the pits."

Bastianini commented: "I decided to stay on the circuit because, in this location, when it begins to rain heavily, the track gives off a distinct scent of water."

"Today, the weather remained consistent. It was somewhat cloudy, but not overly so. I assumed there would be a light rain and chose to proceed, which turned out to be the correct decision."

Marquez was among the frontrunners when Martin pitted, and he mentioned that making a pit stop wasn't on his mind at that moment.

However, he acknowledges that his accurate prediction was due to observing the local experts, and he doesn't consider Martin's prediction to be "extremely unconventional."

"The race winner explained that Martin's strategy wasn't all that outrageous since, had the water level remained consistent on that lap, it would have been the optimal approach."

"But indeed, I mentioned that I would follow the actions of the local individual, and that person decided not to go in. They have more knowledge than I do. So, I stated, ‘if they remain outside, I’ll do the same’. Consequently, all the Italians chose to stay outside as well."

Before the race began, I inquired with my crew chief, Frankie Carchedi, and he mentioned that the forecast indicated no rain, though there was a possibility of some weather changes.

“But when they mention the possibility of something arriving, they are referring to light rain.

"However, it's uncertain. In that situation, it's just a matter of slightly more or slightly less."

"Franco Morbidelli had a slip at Turn 1 because the track was pretty wet. Honestly, I'm not kidding when I say this, but I decided to follow the local riders since they have a better understanding of the conditions than I do."

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