#track

8th August 2022

Back with a bang!

With the long Summer break finally over, all riders have returned fresh and ready for battle. The championship was left with very little space between the top two riders, but what will happen now?

A fantastic historical venue to start the second part of the season: Silverstone – it surely won’t disappoint.

Qualifying:

The news of the weekend was that Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) would have to complete a long-lap penalty (due to irresponsible riding at the Dutch GP, taking Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) with him into the gravel).

Following on from his strong performance in Assen, Espargaro is still on a high and knowing that Fabio has to complete this penalty, could he maximize on this?

It seemed maybe this would be a tall-order to do, as during the qualifying session he had a massive high-side, being thrown from his Aprilia and hurting his ankles. He didn’t let this deter him too much as he then went on to take provisional pole, but it was taken away seconds later by first Jack Miller (Ducati) and then from nowhere Johann Zarco (Ducati). A further surprise saw Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) swoop in to take 2nd.

Zarco made a new all-time lap record – 1:57.767 for his pole position – could this be his moment?Could he finally win a Moto GP race? Vinales lined up beside him and taking the last spot on the front row was Miller.

Race:

Glorious sunshine dowsed the former RAF track for race-day, but it wasn’t just the weather that was heating up. Soon the race would be underway:

Zarco got a great start and kept his lead from Fabio, who instantly took two places. The two factory Ducati’s remained close behind. Vinales didn’t seem to have the same luck and went backwards to 6^th. He soon took 5^th place back though from Alex Rins (Suzuki).

The second lap – Quartararo was told he must take his penalty – he had 3 laps to complete it by. He pushed hard to try and create space between himself and the following Ducati’s but Miller in 3^rd took fastest lap, hampering any advances.

By lap 3 Rins managed to claim 4^th place (pretty impressive start considering he started 11^th on the grid). Where could the Suzuki-man get to?

Leaving it until his 4^th lap, El Diablo decided he must take his long-lap penalty – he does it flawlessly and re-joined the race in-front of Vinales, slotting into 5^th.

At the front – Zarco lead Miller and Rins, with the fastest lap going to Rins, he was clearly pushing hard. When suddenly Zarco threw his lead away, slipping into the gravel – the dream win, yet again falling away from him, turn 8, lap 5. Leaving Miller to lead from Rins and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati).

Rins wasn’t sitting around in 2^nd for very long though and the next lap saw him overtake Miller to become the new leader of the race. Making up ten places in just six laps. Slightly further back Jorge Martin (Ducati) passed Vinales for 5^th.

Rins seemed to be on top-form and with 14 laps to go had created a buffer (0.794 seconds) between himself and Bagnaia, who had passed his teammate for 2^nd place. If Miller wasn’t having a bad enough time with Bagnaia passing him, another fellow Ducati passed him also – Martin, to take 3^rd. Miller re-took it though when Martin made a mistake, forcing him to go wide.

Meanwhile the championship leader seemed like he might be in trouble as Vinales looked like he was setting up to pass him. But it was Vinales’ teammate that got overtook first by Joan Mir (Suzuki) just behind. It didn’t take long for Vinales to pass Fabio though and was soon through to take 5^th. The Aprilia power proving to much for the Yamaha.

Aiming to pass. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

Only ten laps to go and Bagnaia had eaten into Rin’s lead, already down to 0.274 seconds, could the Ducati make it two wins in a row? Who had conserved their tyres better?

Two laps later saw Bagnaia charge past Rins, leaving him to deal with Miller in 3^rd. But Bagnaia wasn’t the only Ducati on the move, Enea Bastianini in 10^th place took fastest lap. Always a late charger, what could Enea do?

Barely any time separating all top ten riders – Vinales decided to make yet another move forwards, this time claiming fourth from Martin, with seven laps to go.

The tyres played a massive part this late on in the race and it was unfortunately Alex Rins who struggled the most, after doing so well. The Suzuki went wide on a couple of corners, making it an easy pass for not only Miller but Vinales as well.

Meanwhile, Bastianini had moved up to 7^th place, passing Espargaro and Mir. Moments later Mir took to the gravel behind him, trying to keep up.

Audiences were on the edge of their seats, as they watched yet another pass by Martin, re-taking 4^th place from Vinales. Bastianini and Quartararo also tussled for 6^th.

The battle continued between Maverick and Jorge with Maverick coming out on top this time. Eventually Bastianini also won his fight with the current champ, leaving him to deal with Miguel Oliveira (KTM), who was gaining fast.

Fresh from claiming a new place from Martin, Vinales soon took a further position from Rins. Martin also took his opportunity to take yet another position from the Suzuki, forcing him to fifth spot – lap eighteen.

With all this action happening behind him, Bagnaia managed to create a small gap from Miller, Vinales and Martin.

Close racing. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

The racing wasn’t done yet though. With 2 laps until the end, “Top Gun” passed “Thriller” to take second place. The Aprilia was working wonderfully around Silverstone. What more could he do?

Falling into the clutches of Bastianini, Rins lost yet another place, as did Quartararo to Oliveira. But it was all eyes at the front as Vinales became the 5^th leader of the British Grand Prix. Bagnaia was not going down without a fight though and re-took the lead.

Last lap – Seemingly anything could happen:

The Ducati power of Bagnaia was just enough and it took him to the finish line, but behind him it was Oliveira that passed Rins, Bastianini who passed Martin and Esparagaro took Quartararo (but his maneuver didn’t stick).

Meaning it was back-to-back victories for Bagnaia, with Vinales taking second (his best finish so far for Aprilia) and Miller in third.

Top 10 Finishers:

1st	F. Bagnaia
2nd	M. Vinales
3rd	J. Miller
4th	E. Bastianini
5th	J. Martin
6th	M. Oliveira
7th	A. Rins
8th	F. Quartararo
9th	A. Espargaro
10th	M. Bezzechi

All smiles. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

With the top two in the championship collecting less points than thought going into the race, the championship has bubbled up yet again:

Top 4 Championship Standings:

1st	F. Quartararo	180 points
2nd	A. Espargaro	158 points
3rd	F. Bagnaia	131 points
4th	E. Bastianini	118 points

All the action during this superb race meant that it was the second closest ever top-ten finish (all within six seconds of eachother). No wonder fans were screaming and cheering and the atmosphere was electric.

What a great start to the second half of the 2022 season, with action right from the start to the very end. What can we expect from the next round?

Featured image: Courtesy of Moto GP website

11th January 202211th January 2022

A brief history of Silverstone

We’ve all been there: Race Weekend.

The thrill and excitement. The smell of the fuel. The sound of the engines. The anticipation for the race to start. The energy building. The lights going out. The speed of the racers. The elation when the racer you support wins or the deflation when they don’t. We as fans feel it all.

But, how did Silverstone get to where it is today?

Built in 1942 and used up until 1947 as RAF Silverstone, its sole purpose was for Wellington Bombers in WWII to take-off at the airfield that used to occupy the space. At the end of the war it was left abandoned.

RAF Silverstone. Prior to racetrack. Courtesy of: Sportskeeda

In 1948 the Royal Automobile Club were thinking of bringing back motor racing to England and chose the abandoned airfield located in Northamptonshire as the start of their journey. 30^th June 1948 a one-year lease had been secured and later that year in October the first international Grand Prix was held. Behind the scenes a lot of effort took place, 620 marshals were hired, 170 tonnes of straw bales were used and 10 miles of signal writing put into place. The event drew in an audience of 100,000 spectators. The RAC Grand Prix victory went to Luigi Villoresi.

We couldn’t speak about Silverstone’s rich history without Formula One. During an F1 race there is an average of 52 laps to complete at Silverstone and the circuit length is: 306.198km/ 190.263miles.

Silverstone circuit explained. Courtesy of: Pinterest

Notable F1 moments:

1950 – King George VI and our now Queen (Elizabeth II) visited and watched the racing. This was the one and only time that a reigning Monarch had done so. The race was won by Giuseppe Farina.

1960 – Graham Hill was cruising to victory ahead of Jack Brabham but with only 5 laps till the chequered flag, Hill spun off, leaving Brabham to take the win.

1971 – Jackie Stewart won that years race and along with it a new lap record.

1983 – Alain Prost hailed victorious, claiming his first win at Silverstone.

1998 – Michael Schumacher oddly won that years race whilst being stationary in the pits.

2008 – Local-boy Sir Lewis Hamilton took victory (and would go on to win 8 times).

Hamilton wins at Silverstone. Courtesy of: BT

2022 – F1 will return to Silverstone 1^st – 3^rd July.

F1 British Grand Prix 2021 | Silverstone – Link to tickets.

Notable track moments:

1964 – Trying to improve safety for the competitors and their mechanics, a new pit lane separate to the main track was put in place.

1975 – Brand new pit garages were erected and a chicane was added at Woodcote.

1987 – The s-bend was removed and replaced with a sharp left – right bend on approach and larger pit garages were also added.

1990’s – A massive renovation took place to the circuit, which remains today – extra seating was erected and changes were made to the layout of the track eg. run-off at Copse was increased and Stowe became tighter. Further alterations have since followed.

2000’s – A new pit and paddock complex was built between Copse and Abbey and a new “arena” complex was ready for the 2010 season.

2018/19 – In 2018 the track was resurfaced but drainage issues forced the Moto GP race to be cancelled. Ahead of the 2019 race, the track was resurfaced yet again.

It has become the home of iconic British Racing, with it’s incredible history stretching back all the way to those days in 1948. It is instantly recognisable and is one of the fastest tracks on the racing calendar.

But, it wasn’t all about cars. Britain had a taste for Motorbike racing also. During a motorbike race there is an average of 20 laps to complete at Silverstone and the circuit length is: 5.89km. With 8 left-hand corners, 10 right-hands and a 770m long straight.

Moto GP circuit is slightly different from F1 course. Courtesy of: Silverstone website

On the weekend of 13^th August 1977 the British Motorcycle Grand Prix debuted. It was to be legend Giacomo Agostini’s final race, he finished a respectful 9^th and American Pat Hennon on the Texaco Heron Team Suzuki took victory.

Notable Moto GP moments:

1978 – Another American won, this time it was Kenny Roberts (Yamaha) who took the win, in-front of two Brits – Steve Manship and Barry Sheene.

1979 – 1981 – Americans dominated the podium: Kenny Roberts took a second victory (1979) and a third (1980). Kenny Roberts and Randy Mamola took 2^nd and 3^rd behind Jack Middleburg (Suzuki) (1981).

1986 – Australian Wayne Gardner (Honda) took the top-spot. Some may recognise the name – 2021 Moto 2 Champion Remy Gardner’s Father.

Wayne and Remi Gardner. Courtesy of Herald Sun

1987 – Eddie Lawson won from Wayne Gardner and Randy Mamola. The racing then left Silverstone in favour of another British track: Donington. But returned in 2010 with modern-day Moto GP.

2010 – Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) took the flag from Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) and Ben Spies (Yamaha).

2011 – Another Australian lifted the trophy this time it was Casey Stoner’s (Honda) turn. With Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) and Colin Edwards (Yamaha) third.

2013 – All Spanish podium consisted of: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), Marc Marquez (Honda) and Dani Pedrosa (Honda).

2015 – All Italian podium: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati).

2016 – Maverick Vinales (Suzuki) took the win ahead of British-man Cal Crutchlow (Honda). The first time a Brit in Moto GP had stepped onto the podium since 1984. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) was third.

2018 – The race was cancelled due to torrential rain and the circuit having drainage issues.

2020 – Cancelled again this time due to Global Pandemic – Covid-19.

2021 – Current Moto GP Champion Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) took victory from Alex Rins (Suzuki) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia).

2022 – Moto GP will return to Silverstone 5^th – 7^th August.

British Grand Prix MotoGP | Silverstone – Link to tickets.

Silverstone also hosted for a brief while the World Superbikes Championship, from 2002 – 2007 and then again 2010 – 2013.

Notable World Superbike moments:

2002 – First time at Silverstone and American Colin Edwards (Honda) won race one with Australian Troy Bayliss (Ducati) winning race two.

2003 – Neil Hodgson was victorious for both race one and two.

2006 – Troy Bayliss won both race one and two.

2007 – Once again Troy Bayliss won race one but race two was cancelled. WSBK didn’t return again until 2010.

2010 – Celebrations were in order as Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) triumphantly won both races.

Winning looks good. Courtesy of CircuitProDigital

2011 – Carlos Checa (Ducati) decided to check-out and won both races that weekend.

2013 – Jonathan Rea (Honda) took first in race one and Loris Baz (Kawasaki) claimed the win for race two.

Donington became the new home for WSBK afterwards.

Silverstone Race Circuit also has hosted the British Superbike Championship from 1998 – present.

Notable British Superbike moments:

1998 – James Haydon (Suzuki) wins the first BSB race at Silverstone with familiar name Troy Bayliss (GSE Racing bike) winning the second race.

1999 – Troy Bayliss (Ducati) won both races for the weekend.

2000 – Two Brits dominated this time round – Neil Hodgson (Ducati) won the first race and Chris Walker (Samsung Crescent bike) won the second race.

2006 – 2007 – Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) spectacularly won all four races.

2012 – Alex Lowes (Honda) claimed both race victories.

2019 – Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha) took to the podium and took his maiden victory in the second race. Whilst Josh Elliott (OMG Racing UK.com) took the first race win.

Winning maiden victory for Tarran. Courtesy of: Eurosport 2

2022 – BSB will return to Silverstone 15^th – 17^th April.

British Superbike | Silverstone – Link to tickets.

As we immerse ourselves in the racing, witnessing wheel-to-wheel fighting and cheering on the competitors, we say the names given to parts of the circuit but never think twice about where these names originated from.

The story behind the name:

Abbey and Luffield – Luffield Abbey remains were discovered 200 metres from Stowe corner.

Becketts and Chapel Curve – Ruins of the chapel of Thomas Beckett are close to the circuit.

Stowe Corner – Named after the school which resides not too far away.

Maggotts – Maggotts Moor Field is also close to the track.

Copse – A small wood used to be adjacent to the corner.

Club Corner – In honour of the RAC Club.

Woodcote – Named for the Country Club, located in Woodcote Park in Surrey.

Hangar Straight – Two aircraft hangers originally lined the circuit where the straight sits.

Hamilton Straight – Named in 2010 in honour of the achievements of British racing driver Sir Lewis Hamilton.

Village – Commemorating Silverstone Village.

Ireland – Named for Innes Ireland (GP driver and President of the British Racing Drivers Club).

Wellington Straight – Vickes Wellington Bombers were based at RAF Silverstone.

Brooklands – Named for the world’s first purpose-built circuit at Weybridge, Surrey.

The Loop – Simply the shape of the corner.

The names may change over time and the circuit may yet again see change and growth. But one thing is for sure, racing unites fans and brings them together to enjoy the absolute ecstasy of the event. We all have our personal memories of a certain race at this legendary track, whether we were there in person soaking in the atmosphere or watching on TV – sitting on the edge of our seats. The magic of Silverstone will always live on.

Featured image: 2019 race win. Courtesy of: Ultimate Motorcycling Magazine