Yamaha and Honda Gear Up for Four Misano MotoGP Showdowns: ‘I Will Ride with My Eyes Closed!

Yamaha and Honda are preparing for four trips to Misano for MotoGP: ‘I’ll ride blindfolded!’

The two teams, Yamaha and Honda, are scheduled for private testing sessions at Misano in addition to participating in three official MotoGP races at the circuit in Italy.

This year, a second MotoGP event at Misano, along with an official test session in between, will result in the premier-class riders visiting the Italian circuit three times by the end of September.

However, the number will increase to four for Yamaha and Honda riders, allowing them to perform private testing as part of the concessions deal.

Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo announced, "Right after this weekend's race in Austria, we are heading to Misano. We will be conducting tests for two days."

Joan Mir of Repsol Honda commented, "We've got a schedule of a Misano test, followed by a Misano race, then another Misano test, and finally another Misano race! It's going to be fascinating."

The San Marino MotoGP event is scheduled to take place in Misano from September 6 to 8, with an official MotoGP test session planned for Monday, September 9.

The 'Emilia Romagna' event, which was scheduled to replace the Kazakhstan round (which in turn was set to replace India), has been added to the calendar for the weekend of September 20-22.

Quartararo humorously remarked that he could navigate the track blindfolded after the second race in Misano.

"I believe it will be fascinating to experiment with this updated engine in various locations."

Quartararo has identified handling as the primary aspect that needs enhancement for the M1.

He stated at Silverstone that their bike's maneuverability, which used to be their strength, has now become a weakness. He emphasized the need to improve in this aspect again.

"Our engine's speed has improved, but we face challenges with steering and braking. We are encountering difficulties in several aspects."

Yamaha aims to find the optimal mix of sufficient engine power and effective cornering capability.

“When you seek one thing, you inevitably give up something else,” Quartararo stated.

“Undoubtedly, we will have to give up something to achieve improved handling.”

In the meantime, Mir anticipates that Honda will introduce updates, such as an improved engine setup, in Austria this weekend. Although he believes that Misano may not be the perfect location for testing, he thinks it is sufficient to assess the new components' performance.

“Misano is a unique circuit. It has a high level of traction and features corners that require stopping and accelerating,” Mir explained.

“To thoroughly test things, you need a circuit like Sepang, which features extended curves and significant wheel spin.”

"We can still experiment with everything, though [Misano] might not be the ideal circuit for testing."

The series of long-distance races, taking place outside of Europe, kicks off the weekend following the Emilia Romagna event with the Indonesian Grand Prix in Mandalika.

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