MotoGP Report
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will next be in action in the team’s home country of England as MotoGP makes its racing debut at Silverstone.
The newest circuit on the MotoGP calendar already has a proud motorcycle World Championship heritage, with many great battles taking place on track over the years, including the famous one between Suzuki’s Barry Sheene and Yamaha’s Kenny Roberts in 1979.
The Northamptonshire circuit set in the heart of England last staged a motorcycle Grand Prix in 1986 and a brand new layout will greet the modern day MotoGP machines when they arrive later this week, but world famous corners such as Luffield, Woodcote and Maggotts still feature in the circuit design along with a new ‘Complex’ section to add to the excitement.
The new design of the track makes it the longest circuit on the calendar and with a total of 18 corners – most of them flowing and fast – this should allow for very fast lap-times and competitive racing.
Capirossi and Bautista will take to the track on Friday afternoon for the first free practice session at the new venue, followed by another practice hour on Saturday morning. The afternoon will see the pair going for the best grid positions in the qualifying session, with Sunday’s 20-lap race getting underway at 13.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).
Loris Capirossi says: “I am really excited about going to Silverstone to race, because it is such a famous track and I have never raced there before. I like going to new circuits as it is always good to learn something new. It will be very fast and we expect it to be one of the quickest lap speeds of the season. We are going in a confident mood, because we think the bike will suit the circuit, so we will hopefully have a good weekend.”
Álvaro Bautista says: “I am feeling healthier and stronger now after a few days back in Spain and I am looking forward to being more competitive in England than I was in Italy. This is a very important race because it is the team’s home Grand Prix so we want to do well there. We went to the track last month and I was really impressed with the whole facility. There will be places to overtake and it will also be very fast so it should be fun. I just hope we can put on a good show for the home fans and have a good race.”
