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Whether you go with "full or official calendar", the San Marino Grand Prix will be round 14 of the your first tour around the world. This is the second MotoGP race to take place in Italy in 2021 and is hosted by the Misano circuit.
The San Marino GP has been a permanent fixture in the MotoGP calendar since Misano's 2007 renovation. Misano is one of the hardest MotoGP tracks on the current roster, as corners come thick and fast and often produce difficult braking zones.
Those who like this Italian track will be happy this year, as MotoGP is going here twice in 2021!
Here's our guide to success in San Marino!
Tyres
If you ride with the correct driving style and don't push too hard, a medium on both the front and rear axles of the bike are enough to see you through to the end of the race around Misano. A soft on the front is out of the question, while a hard on the rear is overkill.
Suspension
Responsiveness is preferable to stability, but you'll still need a good amount of the latter. Oil quantity needs to be set high for stability at 7, but the other settings need to be on the low side. Front pre-load (2) and both front swingarm compression (3) and extension (3) have to be low to help turn-in.
The rear of the bike's suspension should be similar to the front, with the exception of the pre-load value. This needs to be high at 6. The rear of the bike tends to get away from the rider more than the front, so you need to configure it to be more stable.
Vehicle geometry
The vehicle geometry is required to be close to the default values to give good compromise. The steering plate position (3) and rear swingarm length (5) help turn-in and stability, respectively.
Transmission
Misano has a long back-straight and as such, you need a high top gear to avoid revving out. However, the other gears should be set to default, as this allows good acceleration out of the low and medium speed corners.
The slipper clutch is best at 4 to strike an optimum balance between responsiveness and stability.
Brake System
Like most tracks on the calendar, Misano is best attacked with powerful brakes. The heaviest anchors of 340 mm high mass on the front and 220 mm on the rear are what you need.
This isn't due to the long braking zones, but rather due to how closely they're packed together. This coupled with the high track temperatures we normally see means that the discs don't get much chance to cool.
ECU
The electronic aids are definitely your friends around Misano. Traction control has to be around 3, to help smooth your corner exits, with the anti-wheelie aid at 3 to keep the rear wheel planted.
Engine braking should be up at 4 to help shave speed off of your ride through the long corners and those with a curved braking zone. Power mapping is best at 3 for a flying lap. Although, you’ll need to turn this around during some points in the race.
All of these can be adjusted out on track using the HUD in the bottom-right of the screen.