For the second time in five weeks, Augusto Fernandez and Sam Lowes will do battle at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, as the 2021 Moto2 World Championship enters its final phase this weekend.

• Elf Marc VDS Racing Team riders Fernandez and Lowes are locked in an exciting battle for fourth position in the overall rankings with just nine points splitting the pair with three races remaining this season.
• Free Practice commences on Friday morning at 1055am local time, while the 25-lap race is scheduled to get underway at 1220pm on Sunday afternoon.

/// AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ

• A seventh successive top six finish last time out in a physically and mentally draining race at the bumpy Circuit of the Americas in Austin continued the impressively consistent run of form for the 24-year-old Spaniard.
• Fernandez claimed his first front row start for the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team during last month’s visit to Misano and one of his three victories in Moto2 came at the 4.22km track in 2019.

“I really want to be fighting for the podium this weekend”

“I had a very good weekend in Misano a few weeks ago and that means I’m really looking forward to going back. I was on the front row last time and while the race didn’t go quite as we expected it was still a positive weekend. The target of this weekend will be to have a much stronger race because I don’t think the sixth position in Misano 1 really showed our true potential and the great job we did throughout the weekend. I really want to be fighting for the podium this weekend.”

/// SAM LOWES

• An unfortunate technical issue forced Lowes to retire in Austin, but the disappointment of his Texas DNF makes the Briton doubly determined to bounce back with a strong performance on Italy’s Adriatic Coast this weekend.
• Lowes qualified second and fought for the podium throughout during last month’s opening Misano encounter, and he is eager to return to the top three in San Marino after taking a podium there in 2020.

“I’m fully motivated to finish the season in the best way possible”

“I’m really looking forward to a quick return to Misano. I’ve said it before, but Italy is like a second home for me, and I really like this track. I had a good race there last month and managed to finish fourth and obviously the target for this weekend will be to do better than that and get back on the podium. Austin was a disappointment with the unfortunate technical issue but with three races to go I’m fully motivated to finish the season in the best way possible and I can’t wait to get started on Friday.”