The Misano World Circuit (officially known as Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli or Misano Circuit Sic 58, and before 2006 called Circuito Internazionale Santa Monica) is a

race track A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...

located next to the town of

Misano Adriatico Misano Adriatico ( rgn, Misên) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rimini in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southeast of Rimini. Misano Adriatico borders the following municipaliti ...

(

Province of Rimini The province of Rimini ( it, provincia di Rimini) is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The provincial capital is the eponymous city of Rimini. The province borders the independent Republic of San Marino. As of 2019, the prov ...

) in the

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

of Santa Monica-Cella. Originally designed in 1969 as a length of , it hosted its first event in 1972. In 1993, the track length was increased to . As of 2007, it began hosting the San Marino and Rimini Coast Grand Prix as part of the MotoGP World Championship. In 2012, the track was renamed to commemorate

Marco Simoncelli Marco Simoncelli (; 20 January 198723 October 2011), nicknamed Sic (), was an Italian professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the MotoGP World Championship for 10 years from 2002 to 2011. He started in the 125cc class before moving up to ...

, a local motorcycle racer who died in 2011.

History

The circuit was designed in 1969; it was built from 1970 and 1972, and inaugurated that year. Its initial length was and only had a small, open pit area. This version of the circuit hosted three editions of the

San Marino motorcycle Grand Prix The San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the World Motorcycle Racing season. The name of the race is a misnomer as the race has always taken place in Italy, but because there is already an Italian moto ...

, from the 1985 season to the 1987 season. In 1993 it was modified for the first time: the track length was increased to , with the possibility to race both the long and the old short loop; moreover, new facilities and new pit garages were built. It was at Misano during the

1993 Italian Grand Prix The 1993 Italian Grand Prix (formally the Pioneer 64° Gran Premio d'Italia) was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on 12 September 1993. It was the thirteenth race of the 1993 Formula One World Championship. The 53-lap race was won by Briti ...

that the defending 500 cc World Champion

Wayne Rainey Wayne Wesley Rainey (born October 23, 1960) is an American former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he won the 500cc World Championship three times and the Daytona 200 once. He was characterized by his s ...

's career ended after he fell and suffered a broken spine. Between 1996 and 2001 all facilities were improved further, adding more pits and stands. In 2005, a new access point to the circuit was built, Via

Daijiro Kato was a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, the 2001 250cc world champion, and the 2000 and 2002 Suzuka 8 Hours winner. He died as a result of injuries sustained after a crash during the 2003 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit ...

, in honor of the late Japanese rider, killed during the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, whose in-season race home was in the Portoverde

of Misano Adriatico. Valentino Rossi leads the group 2014 Misano

In order to host again the World motorcycle championship, the circuit was extensively modified in 2006. The circuit direction was changed to clockwise direction, the track length was brought to , track width has been widened to , facilities were improved, and all security measures have been applied. The first MotoGP race held on the circuit after the modifications was the 2007 San Marino and Rimini Coast Grand Prix, which was won by "home" marque Ducati. Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli

During the 2010

Moto2 Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of ...

event, Japanese rider Shoya Tomizawa was killed after losing control of his bike and being subsequently struck by both

Scott Redding Scott Christopher Redding (born 4 January 1993) is a British motorcycle racer. For 2022 he is contracted to ride in Superbike World Championship with BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team after the 2020 and 2021 seasons with Ducati factory WSBK team ridi ...

and

Alex de Angelis Alex de Angelis (born 26 February 1984) is a Sammarinese retired motorcycle road racer. Career 125cc World Championship Born in Rimini, de Angelis made his debut at world championship level in 1999 in the 125 cc class; his first full season was ...

. Coincidentally this incident occurred 17 years to the day of Wayne Rainey's career ending incident also at Misano. On 3 November 2011, the circuit owners announced that it would be named after

, an Italian

motorcycle racer Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Oth ...

who died during the

2011 Malaysian Grand Prix The 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix (formally the 2011 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 10 April 2011 at the Sepang International Circuit in Selangor, Malaysia. It was the second round of the 2011 Formula O ...

in Sepang a week prior. Simoncelli was born in nearby

Cattolica Cattolica (; rgn, Catòlga) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Rimini, Italy, with 16,233 inhabitants as of 2007. History Archaeological excavations show that the area was already settled in Roman times. Cattolica rose as a resting pl ...

and had lived from childhood in

Coriano Coriano ( rgn, Curién) is a ''comune'' in the province of Rimini. This town is known for being the city of the Motorcycle World Champion, in 250cc class, Marco Simoncelli. History Coriano's origins are ancient: it was an Umbrian, Etruscan an ...

. On 8 June 2012 the track's new name was confirmed at the San Marino round of the

Superbike World Championship Superbike World Championship (also known as WorldSBK, SBK, World Superbike, WSB, or WSBK) is a silhouette-class road racing series based on heavily modified production motorcycles, also known as superbike racing. The championship was founded i ...

Events

; Current * April: CIV Superbike Championship * May:

European Truck Racing Championship The FIA European Truck Racing Championship is a motorsport truck road racing series for semi-tractors which is sanctioned to the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; en, Interna ...

''Misano Grand Prix Truck'' * June:

Italian GT Championship The Italian GT Championship (''Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo'') is an Italian sports car series founded in 2003 and organized by the Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI) and the Commissione Sportiva Automobilistica Italiana (CSAI). It replaced a ...

TCR Italian Series The Italian Superturismo Championship (Campionato Italiano Superturismo) is Italy's national motorsport series for touring cars. It was established in 1987 and its drivers' title has been held by such notable drivers as Le Mans winner Emanuele P ...

, Italian F4 Championship, Campionato Italiano Auto Storiche * July:

GT World Challenge Europe GT World Challenge Europe (known as the Blancpain GT Series between 2014 and 2019) is a sports car racing series organised by SRO Motorsports Group. It features grand tourer racing cars modified from production road cars complying with the FIA's GT ...

GT4 European Series The GT4 European Series is a sports car racing, sports car championship created and organised by SRO Motorsports Group. It is a pro/am championship which followed a formula similar to the FIA GT3 European Championship, which was itself derived fr ...

GT2 European Series The GT2 European Series (formerly the GT Sports Club and Blancpain GT Sports Club), organized by SRO Motorsports Group, is an auto racing series for the SRO GT2 class of grand tourer cars, designed for amateur pay drivers in the FIA Bronze catego ...

, Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe, CIV Superbike Championship * September: Grand Prix motorcycle racing ''

San Marino and Rimini Riviera motorcycle Grand Prix The San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the World Motorcycle Racing season. The name of the race is a misnomer as the race has always taken place in Italy, but because there is already an Italian motor ...

'',

MotoE World Cup The FIM Enel MotoE World Championship (formerly known as the MotoE World Cup) is a class of motorcycle racing that uses only electric motorcycles. The series is sanctioned by the FIM and the inaugural season in 2019 was due to support MotoG ...

, FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship, Porsche Sports Cup Germany * November:

BOSS GP The BOSS GP Series is a motor racing series in Europe. The category originated in 1995 as the BOSS Formula series and evolved into the EuroBOSS Series. BOSS is an acronym that stands for ''Big Open Single Seaters''. History The BOSS series ...

, Pirelli Grande Finale ; Former *

Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM, German Touring Car Masters) is a grand touring car series sanctioned by ITR e.V. who have been affiliated to the DMSB- FIA since 1984. The series is based in Germany, with rounds elsewhere in Europe. The s ...

(2018–2019) * Euroseries 3000 (1999–2000, 2005–2006, 2008) *

European Formula Two Championship The European Formula Two Championship was a Formula Two motor racing series that was held between 1967–84. The races were held across Europe, and were contested both by drivers aiming to compete in Formula One in the future as well as curren ...

(1973, 1975–1984) *

European Touring Car Championship The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004. In 2005 it was superseded by the World ...

(1986, 2000) * FIA European Formula 3 Championship (1980–1981, 1983) *

FIA Formula 3 European Championship The FIA Formula 3 European Championship was a European Formula Three(F3) auto racing competition, organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). After one season of the FIA Formula 3 International Trophy, the FIA revived t ...

(2018) *

FIA Sportscar Championship The FIA Sportscar Championship was a sports car racing series created by John Mangoletsi and was eventually taken control of by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It was a series similar to the FIA GT Championship, concentrating ...

(1998) *

FIM Endurance World Championship The Endurance World Championship ( FIM EWC) is the premier worldwide endurance championship in motorcycle road racing. The championship season consists of a series of endurance races (with a duration of six, eight, twelve or twenty-four hours) h ...

(1977–1978, 1980) *

Formula Regional European Championship The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) is a FIA-certified regional European Formula 3 racing series. On 12 October 2018 it was announced that the Italian autosport regulator Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) and karting prom ...

(2020) *

Formula Renault Eurocup Formula Renault Eurocup was a Formula Renault motor racing championship. Eurocup raced only on European circuits. It served as a support series to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series as part of the World Series by Renault from 2005 to 2015. Renault ...

(2006) * Grand Prix motorcycle racing ** ''

Emilia Romagna and Rimini's Coast motorcycle Grand Prix The Emilia Romagna motorcycle Grand Prix was a motorcycling event that was introduced during the 2020 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and retained for the 2021 season as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Official names and sponsors *2020: ...

'' (2020–2021) ** ''

Italian motorcycle Grand Prix The Italian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. From 1949 to 1990 the event was known by the it, Gran Premio Delle Nazioni (''Nations Grand Prix''). It was one of the original ...

'' (1980, 1982, 1984, 1989–1991, 1993) *

GTR Euroseries The GTR Euroseries was a short-lived auto racing series which ran in 1998. It was created as an alternative to the international FIA GT Championship, while combining elements of the former BPR Global GT Series. The GTR Euroseries was created by Pa ...

(1998) *

Sidecar World Championship FIM Sidecar World Championship is the international sidecar racing championship. It is the only remaining original FIM road racing championship class that started in 1949. It was formerly named Superside when the sidecars moved from being part o ...

(1990–1991, 1999–2003) *

Super Tourenwagen Cup The Super Tourenwagen Cup, or German Supertouring Championship, was a touring car racing series held between 1994 and 1999 in Germany. The championship was established when BMW and Audi both left the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) in 19 ...

(1999) *

TCR Europe Touring Car Series The TCR Europe Touring Car Series is an annual touring car racing event that is held at various locations across Europe. The series is run in accordance with the TCR Touring Car regulations with production-based cars that are front-wheel drive and ...

(2016) * W Series (2019) *

World Sportscar Championship The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992. The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance, and road racing events in Europe and ...

(1978)

Lap records

The official race lap records at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli are listed as:

References

External links

Official Homepage in English
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