MotoGP San Marino: A sneak-peak into the Yellow Sea

After the cancellation of the British Grand Prix due to the dangerous track conditions, the ultimate two-wheeler racing will be back this weekend.

Where do you ask? At the Yellow sea - i.e., Valentino Rossi's backyard in Tavullia.

This weekend the MotoGP is heading to Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Italy. The place where grandstands will be packed entirely by fans with yellow flags and smoke bursts to support their home hero.

So what can we expect? Well, the fire is already lit even before the wheel spun in the weekend's race when Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) denied championship leader and reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) a handshake during the pre-race press conference. The relationship between the two is already sore, and the "handshake denial" incident put more dent to it.

Was wrong for Rossi to ignore Marquez?

What else?. It's going to be a feast to watch when the two fight it on track or even if they come close together on the circuit. Anything can happen. Histories, controversies and what not. Expect this to be a mouth-watering Grand Prix at Misano.

But the long-running question remains the same. Can Yamaha's and Rossi's winless streak end this weekend? Can Vale's home race help achieve Yamaha's and Rossi's first victory since the 2017 Assen Grand Prix? It can, but won't be easy. Especially when the Red Rockets from Bologna Factory are in red-hot form and the reigning world champion Marc Marquez in a sweet zone with a 59-point lead in the championship over Valentino Rossi, which is more than two race wins.

The track has been historically solid for Yamaha, but the likes of Ducati and Honda have closed the gap or even have created their gap to Yamaha. In fact, Andrea Dovizioso topped both Friday practice sessions and his teammate Jorge Lorenzo upping the ante in FP2 by taking P2. They are the team to beat. Marquez finished 5th, whereas Rossi left it late to finish in P8 on Friday. Rossi's Movistar Yamaha teammate Vinales finished P4.

Dovizioso started the weekend in good shape, will he achieve his third win of the year?

With rain predicted on Saturday, it was necessary for the top guns to be in the top 10 to qualify directly to Q2.

Even though the odds of Rossi beating Marquez for the championship is very low, considering the points gap with seven races remaining in the calendar, the expectation from the home crowd will stay the same. They want their favorite to win, at least in Misano. Let's hope for a cracking race. Until then, Good Bye.