VOL. 55 ISSUE 36 SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 P55
lid sporting words and pictures based on the "Back
to the Future II" movie, with Rossi as time traveler
Marty McFly and crew chief Silvano Galbusera as
mad scientist Doc. The "Back to Misano" theme
reflects that he missed last year's race at the track
barely six miles from his hometown of Tavullia after
breaking his leg in an enduro accident. You could
almost hear the cash registers ringing over the
noise of the bikes.
BREMBO BRAKERS
Brembo chose a new corner for their now-traditional
"last of the late brakers" contest—the "Quercia"
corner at the end of the earlier back straight, where
speeds are cut from some 183 mph to less than 50,
over a distance of 730 feet. After ceding the position
at Mugello to Marquez, Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso
was back on top of the daring parade, with Marquez
second, then Rossi, Crutchlow and Lorenzo.
SMITH TO APRILIA
Bradley Smith's MotoGP career has been saved,
at least in part, after the British rider inked a deal
to join Aprilia as test rider in the Italian factory's
upgraded test team next year. The job will also offer
"several wild card rides," according to an official
statement, while racing boss Romano Albesiano
told Dorna TV interviewer Simon Crafar that the ex-
perienced Smith was the perfect choice, because
"we are planning a different level of testing next
year." Yamaha also informally confirmed that Jonas
Folger will be the main test rider for their planned
Europe-based test team for next season.
ABRAHAM GETS AVINTIA RIDE
The last vacant seat in MotoGP was tied up on the
eve of the Misano round, with independent Czech
rider Karel Abraham switching Ducati teams to take
over from Xavier Simeon at the Spanish Reale Avin-
tia squad. The 28-year-old legal graduate, who has
several top-10 finishes including four seventh places
in his portfolio, was left without a ride when his cur-
rent Aspar-owned Angel Nieto Ducati team ceded
its grid place to the new satellite Petronas Yamaha
outfit. Now he will replace the under-performing
Xavier Simeon alongside Tito Rabat next year.
Briefly...
exceeding track limits once too often.
Bagnaia had qualified on pole, and managed his
tactics perfectly.
"I knew I was fast, but the other guys were also," he
said. "On the first lap, I closed my eyes and pushed
my hardest."
He gained a gap of seven tenths over fellow front-
row starters Schrotter and Pasini, and a lap later had
stretched it to better than a second.
Now Pasini got into second, and closed briefly.
But Bagnaia got the message, and just before half
distance the gap was better than two seconds. "It was
one of the longest races of my life, and maybe the
best," Bagnaia said later.
Brad Binder had finished lap one fourth, but his
Red Bull KTM teammate Miguel Oliveira had started
even more strongly from the third row of the grid, and
was ahead of him next time around, and directly past
Schrotter as well.
Now he had to hunt down the flying Pasini, and it
took him until lap 17 before he could mount a success-
ful attack. At this point he was more than three sec-
