CIV Misano Race 1: Bianchi, Salvetti and Perez Selfa set the stage for Racing Night

All the results from the opening day of CIV races at Misano before the Racing Night: celebrations for Bianchi, Salvetti, and Perez Selfa.

While waiting for the (double) "Night Race" in Supersport and Superbike, in strict chronological order, the first heats of the other three CIV (Italian Speed Championship) categories drew attention at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. While the ever-dominant Filippo Bianchi prevailed in Sportbike, the Moto4 Italy Cup delivered Davide Salvetti’s maiden triumph. No surprises in Moto3, with Vicente Perez Selfa in total control.

He really seems unstoppable this year, Filippo Bianchi. On the track where he scored his first-ever victory in the tricolor series, the Tuscan rider notched his fifth win in seven CIV Sportbike heats contested so far, strengthening his lead in the championship. Starting from pole position, the Team MMP Velocità rider still had to sweat bullets to fend off a superb Edoardo Ercolani (Gradara Corse Aprilia), who shadowed the #7 Aprilia RS 660 for a long stretch. With a blistering pace including the fastest lap in 1'42"671, Bianchi pulled clear with three laps to go, leaving his rival 2 seconds adrift. This latest success stretches his championship lead over closest pursuer Samuel Di Sora (6th after a fightback with BBR Corse Aprilia) to +74, with 150 points still up for grabs. With Ercolani second, the battle for third rewarded Federico Iacoi with his first CIV Sportbike podium. The Black Flag Motorsport Kawasaki rider edged out Giacomo Zannoni (KRS Prodina Kawasaki) and Mattia Martella, who faded at the end in his debut with the Team MMP Velocità Aprilia RS 660 inherited from the long-sidelined Alfonso Coppola. Unai Calatayud (KRS Prodina Kawasaki) finished seventh, followed in order by Paolo Grassia (who moved from Chiodo Moto Racing to Team Xgear) and the Roc'N'Dea Yamaha duo of Emanuele Cazzaniga and Alessandro Davide Aguilar.

A quartet of young talents battling for a Bucci Moto Factory one-two. That was the leitmotif of Moto4 Italy Cup Race 1, the premier feeder class in Italian motorcycle racing, with Stefano Salvetti making the difference. The former MotoEstate rider claimed his first career victory, edging teammate Davide Dotta in a heated derby by just 0.086 seconds. After taking pole position, the Swiss rider was desperate for his own first hurrah in the series, but found a tough and unyielding opponent in his teammate and had to settle for second place. A potential Bucci Moto triple was snatched away at the very end, with Lorenzo Fino pipped for third by a surprising Aznarez Bryan Gutierrez, never this high before with Lucky Racing in his first full CIV season. Twelve seconds behind the leading group, special mention for a brilliant fifth-place Julia Jantarska. The only woman on the grid under the SM Corse - Gea Motorsport banner, the Pole beat the We Race PosCorse duo of Bartolomeo Roberto and Luca Rizzi in a sprint, with Rizzi no better than seventh. Some good news for Davide Dotta, now the new championship leader by a single point. Without Edoardo Savino (absent at Misano due to a clash with MotoJunior at Magny-Cours), Bucci Moto also placed Simone Vianello in the Top 10, eighth ahead of Tommaso Simone (SM Corse - Gea Motorsport) and Carlo Mastrosimone (L30 Racing).

Pole position, victory, and a first attempt to break away in the standings. A perfect Saturday for Vicente Perez Selfa, once again bringing the 2WheelsPoliTo by GP Project to the top step of the CIV Moto3 podium. Boasting race pace clearly superior to the competition since practice, the Spaniard cruised to his sixth win of the season and the 23rd of his career, extending his championship lead to +25 points over Valentino Sponga. The We Race PosCorse rider, who crossed the line a full 17 seconds down, salvaged what he could by securing second place ahead of Luca Da Dalt (MR Racing Team), with Enrico Dal Bosco (SM Corse - Gea Motorsport) in fourth. In a Race 1 that saw Mirko Gennai retire on lap four due to a technical problem with the new PoliMi Motorcycle Factory prototype while battling for the podium, Matteo Masili (MR Racing Team) finished fifth ahead of Tommaso Ubaldini (GP Project) and Carmelo Belluzzo, standing in at SGM Tecnic for Victor Cubels, who is competing this week in MotoJunior at Magny-Cours.