Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) made it back-to-back pole positions at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, but can the Gran Premio TISSOT dell'Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini polesitter covert it into victory? Well, the stats don’t favour the Spaniard... Check out 10 things you need to know ahead of the MotoGP™ race:
1. Viñales has qualified on pole position for the third time this season along with the Austria and San Marino GPs, which is the same tally as the whole 2019 season. This is Viñales’ 12th pole in the premier class.
2. This is Viñales’ first back-to-back pole positions since Valencia 2018 and Qatar 2019. On his 11 previous premier class pole positions, Viñales has won twice (Qatar and France, 2017).
3. Since 2007, only three riders have won the MotoGP™ race after qualifying on pole position in Misano: Casey Stoner (2007), Valentino Rossi (2009) and Dani Pedrosa (2010).
From Q1 to the front row! ????@jackmilleraus with a superb recovery to second, and we think he's pleased with himself!!! ????#EmiliaRomagnaGP ???? pic.twitter.com/ujyRkFTJH0
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) September 19, 2020
4. Passing through Q1, Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) has qualified second as the top Ducati rider. This is his best qualifying result since he was also second this year in Austria, which is his only other front row start so far this season. This is Ducati’s best qualifying result at Misano since Jorge Lorenzo was on pole in 2018 ahead of Miller, the Australian second on that occasion.
5. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) has qualified third on his 19th front row start in MotoGP™. On his 18 previous front rows, he’s finished on the podium nine times (50% success rate), including two wins.
6. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has qualified sixth, which is the best qualifying result of his rookie season in MotoGP™. This is the second time there are two KTM riders inside the top six in qualifying, along with Brno last year.
7. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi is the most successful rider on the current grid in MotoGP™ at Misano. The Doctor has three wins to his name at the venue.
8. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), who finished second at Misano in 2017, has qualified in ninth place. This is his second-best qualifying result so far this season after Brno, when he was eighth.
9. After coming through Q1, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), who has finished twice on the podium at Misano in MotoGP™ including a win in 2018 (the last win for Ducati at the track to date), has qualified in 10th. This is his worst qualifying result at Misano in MotoGP™ since he was 14th in 2008.
10. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) will be starting 11th, with Suzuki riders aiming to stand on the podium for the first time in back-to-back MotoGP™ races since the Americas and Spanish GPs last year with Alex Rins.