MotoGP Rider Ratings - 2023 San Marino Grand Prix
Categories: MotoGP
On a weekend dominated by Jorge Martin, MotoGP provided plenty of stories across the field. Here are MGP1’s 2023 San Marino Grand Prix rider ratings.
Jorge Martin - 10
Started: 1st
Sprint: 1st
Race: 1st
Jorge Martin did not make a single mistake during the San Marino Grand Prix, never seemed to be in a tight spot against any competitor, and on a weekend when his title contenders faced difficulties, he capitalized to the fullest extent on their misfortunes.
Taking his first-ever MotoGP Grand Slam in Misano, the Pramac Ducati rider now sits just 36 points behind World Champion Francesco Bagnaia.
Marco Bezzecchi - 9
Started: 2nd
Sprint: 2nd
Race: 2nd
Amidst the focus primarily directed at his close friend and fellow rider Bagnaia, it could be quite simple to miss the challenging situation that Marco Bezzecchi was also facing at Misano.
Like Bagnaia, Bezzecchi arrived at his home race carrying the physical toll from the previous weekend’s race, discussing strategies to minimize the damage even before the event commenced.
Ultimately, limiting the point difference to just seven against the overwhelmingly dominant Martin was truly remarkable, particularly considering the persistent pain Bezzecchi had to endure throughout the entire weekend due to his injured hand.
Francesco Bagnaia - 9
Started: 3rd
Sprint: 3rd
Race: 3rd
Considering the condition he was in as he entered the weekend, having endured extensive injuries from a major crash just a week prior in Barcelona, Bagnaia’s performances on both Saturday and Sunday exemplified the qualities of a genuine champion.
Battling through considerable pain, he managed to avert what could have been a catastrophic outcome, surrendering only the minimum number of points to Martin, his primary title competitor, who won both races.
Even though he had the potential to yield more points and still maintain a comfortable position, Bagnaia did an outstanding job in minimizing the harm.
Dani Pedrosa - 9
Started: 5th
Sprint: 4th (+1)
Race: 4th (+1)
Considering that he is a rider who has participated in just one race in the last year and has been retired for five full seasons, Dani Pedrosa’s pace at Misano was truly extraordinary, and puts his rivals in a somewhat awkward position.
Although he didn’t display the assertiveness necessary to potentially secure a podium finish, which wasn’t entirely unexpected, he unquestionably proved that his speed remains as sharp as ever.
This achievement is particularly impressive given the considerable time he spent as a spectator rather than being on the bike racing.
Maverick Vinales - 8
Started: 4th
Sprint: 6th (-2)
Race: 5th (-1)
Maverick Vinales had somewhat greater expectations at Misano than just securing two top-six finishes, especially considering his podium achievement at the same circuit last year.
However, this time, things didn’t quite align as expected, and he had to accept what, in most cases and at most tracks, would be considered a highly commendable performance for an Aprilia rider.
This outcome strongly suggests that progress is still being made, despite occasional challenges with the bike’s performance on certain tracks.
It’s a sign that Vinales is on the right path, and it’s only a matter of time before he enjoys more success during this season.
Miguel Oliveira - 7
Started: 10th
Sprint: 12th (-2)
Race: 6th (+4)
A less-than-impressive beginning to the weekend and an average sprint race initially suggested that Oliveira might encounter difficulties in replicating his performance from Barcelona in his previous outing.
Nevertheless, the Portuguese rider deserves recognition for his determination: he tapped into his reserves on Sunday and ultimately put forth a commendable showing.
While it may not have been his finest weekend, it certainly wasn’t anywhere near his least successful one either.
Marc Marquez - 8
Started: 9th
Sprint: 10th (-1)
Race: 7th (+2)
For quite some time, Marc Marquez has been known as the individual capable of performing extraordinary feats on a Honda motorcycle, regardless of how challenging the bike was to handle.
However, recently, even he has had to adopt a more cautious approach while riding this extremely challenging machine.
Nevertheless, at the Misano race, he seemed to draw inspiration from the possibility of better times ahead, which might have initially appeared overly optimistic.
During this event, he delivered a spectacular performance that stands out as his most impressive of the season by a significant margin, serving as a powerful reminder of his incredible skills and his ability to push the limits of the RC213V.
Raul Fernandez - 7
Started: 12th
Sprint: 11th (+1)
Race: 8th (+4)
Raul Fernandez has been working tirelessly to persuade everyone that he had achieved a major breakthrough in adapting the Aprilia to his riding style, and he believed that only unfortunate circumstances were preventing him from showcasing his true skills.
Finally, at Misano, he managed to overcome some of that bad luck, resulting in a highly impressive weekend.
He outperformed his RNF teammate, Miguel Oliveira, in the sprint race and secured a position within the top eight in the main event. The question now is whether he can sustain this level of performance in the upcoming races.
Luca Marini - 6
Started: 8th
Sprint: 7th (+1)
Race: 9th (-1)
While Luca Marini didn’t deliver an extraordinary performance at his home race, it’s important to note that he didn’t perform poorly at all during the Misano event.
He managed to score points in both races, a feat that eluded many of his fellow Ducati riders. Although he may not have matched the performance of his VR46 team-mate Bezzecchi, he still did sufficiently well to satisfy team boss Valentino Rossi with the overall performances of both his riders.
Johann Zarco - 4
Started: 16th
Sprint: 14th (+2)
Race: 10th (+6)
Despite showing promising form in recent weekends, another Ducati rider, Johann Zarco, remained relatively inconspicuous at Misano.
This could be a cause for worry for Zarco, given his history of occasionally fading from the MotoGP scene when the series moves overseas.
Therefore, it becomes crucial for the Frenchman to make a strong comeback in the upcoming race in India and swiftly regain his momentum.
Alex Marquez - 5
Started: 11th
Sprint: 9th (+2)
Race: 11th (±0)
The Gresini Ducati rider had a fairly uneventful weekend, with minimal visibility throughout both races, except for some brief skirmishes with his brother.
It was not a particularly impressive outcome, especially when compared to the performance of some of the other Ducati riders on the grid.
It’s reasonable to assume that he had higher expectations for the weekend, and his results may not have ignited much enthusiasm within the team during their home race.
Aleix Espargaro - 6
Started: 6th
Sprint: 8th (-2)
Race: 12th (-6)
Given his dominant performance just a week ago in Barcelona, there were higher hopes for Aleix Espargaro at his team’s home race.
However, even before the weekend commenced, he deliberately set lower expectations and played down his prospects for achieving significant success at a track he doesn’t particularly favor.
This, coupled with an injury from a crash on Friday, transformed the weekend into more of a survival challenge than an opportunity for success in the end.
Fabio Quartararo - 6
Started: 13th
Sprint: 13th (±0)
Race: 13th (±0)
At this stage of the season, Fabio Quartararo’s prospects on the factory Yamaha M1 are somewhat limited, regardless of his prior accomplishments at a circuit.
This race was yet another instance where his primary goal was to finish without taking unnecessary risks. On a positive note, he did manage to outperform his teammate Franco Morbidelli. There isn’t much else noteworthy to mention about the weekend.
Brad Binder - 5
Started: 7th
Sprint: 5th (+2)
Race: 14th (-7)
Facing two riders, Bagnaia and Bezzecchi, who were dealing with injuries, Binder had a promising chance at securing a stable podium finish on Sunday.
Regrettably, he squandered this opportunity due to an unfortunate mistake. Although he managed to make a somewhat unexpected comeback and still earned points, the significant reward slipped away due to his own error.
This cost him valuable championship points that could have otherwise brought him closer to Bezzecchi in the battle for third place in the title race.
Franco Morbidelli - 3
Started: 19th
Sprint: 18th (+1)
Race: 15th (+4)
The most noteworthy aspect of Morbidelli’s weekend at Misano was his ability to uphold his impressive record of securing points in every race on Sundays throughout the 2023 season, a feat that he now holds exclusively.
Other than that, it was a relatively ordinary performance, although he wasn’t too distant from his teammate Quartararo.
Augusto Fernandez - 4
Started: 18th
Sprint: 19th (-1)
Race: 16th (+2)
Every positive streak eventually comes to an end, and for the rookie Augusto Fernandez, this weekend marked the end of his string of consecutive points-scoring finishes in every Sunday race of the season thus far.
Although he narrowly missed out on continuing the streak, it was still a reasonably good weekend for Fernandez as he adapted to riding a MotoGP machine on a circuit that differed significantly from his previous race at home in Barcelona just a week ago.
It’s important to remember that he is still in the learning phase, so regardless of the outcome, each weekend provides valuable experience for him.
Fabio Di Giannantonio - 2
Started: 21st
Sprint: 17th (+4)
Race: 17th (+4)
It was yet another challenging weekend for Fabio Di Giannantonio, who was hoping for everything to fall into place on his Gresini Ducati, but once again, it didn’t materialize as desired.
While he displayed impressive speed at times, he couldn’t string together a consistent performance throughout the weekend.
His race essentially took a turn for the worse early on Sunday when he became entangled in the crash involving Jack Miller and Michele Pirro. As a result, he found himself off the track and faced considerable difficulty in regaining lost positions.
Stefan Bradl - 5
Started: 15th
Sprint: 22nd (-7)
Race: 18th (-3)
Stefan Bradl’s outing as a test rider followed a typical pattern. The only aspect that might be seen as a drawback, despite his reasonably ordinary performance, is that a few of his fellow Honda riders were somewhat taken aback by Bradl’s on-track assertiveness.
Especially with some aggressive maneuvers aimed at Joan Mir, which some viewed as potentially unnecessary, the German put himself second-best placed Honda in Misano.
On the flip side, it demonstrates that Honda’s test rider still possesses a competitive spirit and determination.
Takaaki Nakagami - 2
Started: 20th
Sprint: 21st (-1)
Race: 19th (+1)
Once again, it was a rather unremarkable weekend for a satellite Honda rider. Taka Nakagami managed to meet the expected performance level at Misano and finished the race safely.
However, it’s not an ideal situation for him to be outperformed by test rider Bradl, even considering Bradl’s new and improved RC213V.
Additionally, Nakagami’s significant distance from the leading bike of Marc Marquez doesn’t reflect positively on his performance.
Jack Miller - 1
Started: 18th
Sprint: 15th (+3)
Race: DNF
On one side, Miller’s race on Sunday was prematurely concluded due to Pirro’s collision with him. However, on the flip side, the reason Miller found himself in close proximity to Pirro was due to an exceptionally disappointing weekend where he was not only outperformed by his KTM teammate Brad Binder but also by test rider Dani Pedrosa and the satellite Tech3 Gas Gas duo.
This isn’t a favorable situation, especially when considering that one of the current KTM quartet is likely facing the possibility of being replaced for the upcoming season.
Pol Espargaro - 3
Started: 23rd
Sprint: 16th (+7)
Race: DNF
After making a remarkable return with strong performances at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring following a serious injury, Pol Espargaro arrived at one of his preferred circuits with high expectations. However, his weekend took a painful turn as he experienced an astonishing total of five crashes.
It’s possible that he underestimated the physical demands of Misano on his body, which is still in the process of recovery. This serves as a clear indication of the considerable distance he still needs to cover in order to regain full race fitness.
Joan Mir - 1
Started: 22nd
Sprint: 23rd (-1)
Race: DNF
What compounds the disappointment of the 2020 world champion’s weekend, aside from another race ending in the graveö, is that there was a fleeting moment at Misano when he believed he had discovered a potential solution to alleviate his most significant issues.
Regrettably, this turned out not to be the case, and after the race, the focus shifted back to hoping for a positive outcome during the upcoming Monday test.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any indication of a resolution to the Repsol Honda racer’s troubles in sight just yet.
Michele Pirro - 3
Started: 14th
Sprint: 20th (-6)
Race: DNF
Pirro’s collision with Miller, resulting in both of them exiting Sunday’s race, was certainly not the preferred conclusion to his weekend.
Despite displaying speed during qualifying, Pirro couldn’t replicate his usual strong performances in either of the two races, up until the point of his crash. This made for a less remarkable single-event appearance for the Ducati tester.
