Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) completed a hat-trick of victories this weekend, after a real thriller of a duel with Tarran MacKenzie (McAms-Yamaha).
Race Three was red flagged after Luke Mossey (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) crashed heavily at turn one and required medical attention. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.
After a short delay, the race was restarted and run over 26 laps.
For those of you of a certain age the memory of Barry Sheene and Kenny Roberts duking it out for glory around Silverstone, in 1979, is probably the best racing memory of Silverstone. There is no risk of exaggeration when I say that this afternoon’s battle between Haslam and MacKenzie is equally deserving of the status of a ‘classic’.
The two had been almost inseparable on the track, all weekend. Once more this weekend spectators and television viewers were treated to a truly thrilling on-track battle. This time, the echoes between the Sheene-Roberts duel are too loud to ignore. Having both fought their way to the front of the field, the pair (despite constantly challenging each other for the lead) pulled clear of the chasing pack. Knowing then that the victory would go to either the Kawasaki or the Yamaha rider, the gloves were cast off and the duo engaged in a no-holds barred battle royale. Every corner presenting an overtaking opportunity. Daredevil lines chosen by both men as the lead of the race changed hands countless times. It was true wheel-to-wheel, nose-to-tail racing, with neither rider giving an inch to the other – but not once did the riders make contact. Two racers at the top of their game absolutely going for it,
It was fierce, but also as clean as you like. On the penultimate lap, MacKenzie dived up the inside of his rival at Copse, running them both out to the edge of the track on the corner exit. With the youngster in front, he maneuvered to the inside of the track at Maggots and Becketts. If Haslam wanted a third win so badly, he’d have to brave it around the outside. Utilising every last millimetre of rubber still attached to his tyres, Haslam let his Kawasaki drift out almost to the edge of the track, before squaring off the corner and twisting hard on the throttle. Apex speed compromised, but the payoff was a straighter corner exit, giving him a crucial speed advantage down the Wellington straight. With the Yamaha no more than a front-wheel in the lead, Haslam braved it out under braking through Brooklands and squeezing out MacKenzie into Luffield. With no chance of making the apex first, the youngster was forced to yield on this occasion. A final drag race to the line was the perfect climax to the race – in the end, Haslam holding off his young challenger by just 0.075 seconds.
Whilst we were witnessing that incredible duel the small matter of the ‘Showdown Decider’ – which organisers had no doubt spent copious amounts of money hyping this up before the weekend – was being decided. Going into the final race the likes of Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW), Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW), Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki) and Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing BSB) were all competing for the final place.
For O’Halloran and Iddon it was a heartbreaking case of ‘so near, yet so far’. The Honda rider has endured an injury troubled season, so the fact that he arrived at Silverstone with a chance of making the showdown was more than a small miracle. It was a tall order for the 31-year old Australian this weekend, arriving at the circuit needing to close a 53-point gap to his closest Showdown contender. By the time the chequered flag fell this afternoon, it was a mere 6 points.
Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW) racing through the pain barrier this weekend.
If there was a ‘Man of Steel’ award for this championship, then the recipient would undoubtedly be Christian Iddon. the Tyco-BMW rider would win it hands down. Following a big moment if qualifying yesterday – the bars of his machine wrenched themselves from his grip whilst under braking – he competed the three races with a broken collarbone. In the end, it was just 3 points which denied him a place in the showdown. However with BMW updating their S1000RR model later this year, there is reason to already be excited about the rider’s chances in 2019.
In the end, it was Peter Hickman who secured the sixth and final showdown place, and the sheer relief from both rider and team cannot be understated. Technical problems with the bike – including a broken gear lever – saw the Lincolnshireman plummet down the field late in the race. This followed a disastrous moment during the original warm up laps, when he crawled off track and into the pits. It transpired that there was no fuel in the bike. In the end, Hickman made it to the finish in P14. 2 points scored, and that was enough to qualify for the showdown.
Disaster for Dixon and MacKenzie as they crashed out on the final lap. Photo credit: Jamie Morris Photography
Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) made it two wins in a row this weekend, as Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) secured his place in this year’s championship Showdown.
Following a small delay after a red flag in the Superstock1000 class, the middle instalment of the Silverstone triple-header began at 1.40pm.
It was the young Suzuki rider who seized the initiative. Hooking up the engine revs and killing the wheelspin as the clutch was released, he made the holeshot at Copse and for a time threatened to pull clear of the field. After crashing out of yesterday’s race, Ray promised to make amends today. Indeed, for 20 of the 30 laps, the 21-year old made good on that vow holding a solid position inside the top three.
Behind him, battle raged in almost identical fashion to yesterday. Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki), Haslam and Tarran MacKenzie (McAms-Yamaha) formed the main chasing pack to Ray. The quartet steadily distancing themselves from the rest of the competition. Having scored his first podium finish during Saturday’s race, the young MacKenzie was intent on tasting the winner’s champagne this afternoon. Once he’d established his rhythm on the bike, the Yamaha rider forced his way past the Suzuki on the tight switchback which links Becketts and the Wellington Straight. Despite regular attempts from his rivals at taking the lead from him, MacKenzie stood firm. At times, it is hard to believe this is his rookie year in the British Superbike championship. Composed under pressure, and able to lead from the front and absorb pressure – it is easy to see why he completely dominated the Supersport class back in 2016.
However it was not to last. On lap 13 Ray and Haslam finally found a way by at Copse. Just a few moments later Haslam attempted to force Ray out wide at Luffield, but mistimed his braking and the pair made heavy contact at the apex. Amazingly, neither rider hit the tarmac, though Ray was forced onto the grass. By the time he rejoined, he was swamped amongst the midfield runners.
Haslam, for his error, was ordered by race control to yield his track position to the rider behind. There then followed a brief period of chaos in the pitlane, as both race control and the JG-Speedfit Kawasaki team frantically tried to inform him of this – yet neither was able to get their message across. Unlike MotoGP, the superbikes do not have a dashboard message system. The confusion was understandable as there was no way Haslam (or any rider for that matter) could have seen the penalty board at its position on the pit wall, from where he was as he thundered through Woodcote. A solution was eventually found by hanging another penalty board at Brooklands corner.
Once the positions had been ceded, Haslam immediately fought back for the lead. Dixon and MacKenzie had been joined at the front by Josh Brookes (McAms-Yamaha). Such was the commitment of the pocket-rocket, none of the named three could offer any resistance when Haslam roared back through. Unfortunately, neither Dixon or MacKenzie made it to the chequered flag as on the final lap, both riders lost the front end of their machines becoming the latest riders to fall on the drop into Brooklands. Both riders will be extremely keen to make amends in the final race of the weekend, later this afternoon.
Brookes and Glenn Irwin (BeWiser Ducati) rounded out the podium places. It was a solid (if quiet) race for the Ulsterman, but its precious podium credits secured for the Showdown opener next week at Oulton Park. Behind them in P4 and P5 came Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing BSB) and Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW) respectively. The latter keeping his hopes of a place in the championship showdown alive, whilst competing with a broken collarbone. If there was a ‘Man of Steel’ award for this series, Iddon would be the hands-down winner.
Despite Ray only just finishing in the points (P14), it was enough to secure his place in the showdown. This means there is just one place left on the table, and any of Iddon, O’Halloran, Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki) and Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) can still qualify. Two races down, one to go – the would be showdown contenders will race off in ‘The Decider’.
Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) took another step towards securing his maiden British Superbike crown, but was pushed to the limit under gloomy skies at Silverstone.
From lights out to chequered flag the battle on track raged. It was always expected to be a fast and furious round on the short 1.6 mile ‘national circuit’ configuration, with no less than seven riders still trying to secure a place in this year’s championship showdown. In the practice and qualifying sessions leading up to this afternoon’s race four different manufacturers – Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Ducati – had topped the timesheets.
There was drama even before the race began. Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW) was declared fit to race only moments before the riders made their sighting lap to the grid. This was despite injuring his collarbone in qualifying this morning. Such is the desire to compete when a place in the title showdown is up for grabs. There was also a new engine for Josh Brookes (McAms-Yamaha) after his previous R1 motor expired during the dying moments of qualifying earlier in the day.
At 4.15pm, with engines at full revs, the lights went out on the gantry and the race began.
It was a terrific start for polesitter Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki), who perfectly launched off the line, and having gained a lead of several bike lengths to his pursuers by the time he reached the famous Maggots and Becketts complex. Behind him it was Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki) who led the chase.
However despite his brilliant start, disaster struck for Ray on lap 5 of 30 when under braking into Brooklands, lost the front end of the bike. Despite the bike clearly showing no damage, the BSB racing rules state that should a rider “become detached from his motorcycle” he cannot rejoin the race. A cruel blow to the showdown hopeful, but given he is still inside the top six places in the standings, it is by no means the fatal blow to his championship aspirations. He will race again tomorrow, and will look to make amends.
Although his place in the showdown has long since been assured, Haslam was not content to sit mid-pack and settle for points. The runaway series leader kept out of trouble in the opening laps, before settling into his rhythm – picking off riders quickly and relentlessly – as he stalked the early race leaders. Keeping within close range of the McAms-Yamaha duo of Josh Brookes and Tarran MacKenzie through the latter half of the race, the ‘pocket rocket’ chose his moment to attack with precision. His pass on MacKenzie will live long in the memory of everyone who witnessed it:
Holding his nerve and never fully closing off the throttle, Haslam hugged his Kawasaki machine around the outside of his rival at Brooklands corner. It was certainly in the ‘high risk – high reward’ department. One false move on the dirty off-line track and his bike would go crashing onto the tarmac, potentially collecting MacKenzie’s Yamaha in the process. This may well have been the case for a less experienced racer. As it was Haslam found the grip’s edge and, counter steering his way (almost speedway-style) through the corner he held the bike upright. The reward was the inside line at Luffield – the tightest right hander on the circuit. Straighten the bike up, jam down through the gearbox and stop the bike on the apex. An incredibly difficult maneuver to pull off for even the most experienced racers. Haslam, frankly, made it look like child’s’ play.
With MacKenzie cleared, there was only Glenn Irwin (BeWiser Ducati) left in Haslam’s way. but a poor start from the Ulsterman saw him initially swamped by his rivals and forced back down the field. His response was immediate and, utilising the full straightline power of the v-twin Panigale R, had quickly caught back up to Ray and was in prime position to inherit the lead when the unfortunate Suzuki rider ran off the circuit. However, even with this advantage on the straights, he was ultimately no match for Haslam’s pace through the corners. Whether it be in World or British Superbikes, the Kawasaki ZX-RR is the most stable in the bends. Amongst many things this makes the bike very kind on its tyres – something which is crucial in the latter stages of a 30-lap race. As such, on the penultimate lap, Haslam pulled alongside Irwin as the two title contenders thundered into Copse corner and the superior grip from the Kawasaki did the rest.
MacKenzie secured his maiden podium finish this afternoon. The 22-year old has learned quickly this season, despite some bad luck in the first half of the season with technical problems hindering his competitiveness. Today, spectators and TV viewers were given a timely reminder of his full ability. Not daunted by being partnered at McAms-Yamaha this year by former BSB champion Josh Brookes, ‘Taz’ more than held his own in the scraps with Irwin, Haslam and latterly with his teammate. His overtake of Brookes on the final lap, forcing past the veteran Australian at Luffield cleanly was no easy feat. He may well party tonight celebrating his first rostrum. The first of undoubtedly many more to come.
It was a brilliant ride from Haslam, who claimed his tenth victory of the season and extends his lead in the championship to an incredible 114 points over Dixon. Even when the showdown points and podium credits have been taken into account, the ‘pocket rocket’ will have a commanding advantage over the rest of his rivals.
The 2017 Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini was a complete washout, all three classes racing in torrential conditions, which the racetrack itself did a decent enough job of coping with. The Moto2 race was especially sketchy, though, with only eleven riders finishing on the lead lap, and only sixteen riders seeing the chequered flag at all.
It seemed last year that the Moto2 class had the perfect concoction of perhaps the worst track conditions of the day, tyres which were wide enough to have some aquaplaning where the water was deep enough, and also have less grip than a Michelin wet, for example, which the premier class enjoyed.
Perhaps, then, it was no surprise that there were so few finishers, especially as the Misano circuit is somewhat famed for its poor wet weather grip – remember back to 2014 when there were over sixty crashes on Friday alone across all three classes. It was perhaps also not a surprise to see that Tom Luthi and Dominique Aegerter, two wet weather specialists (though not at all limited to that), were the two fighting for the win. It was Aegerter who won out on track, but a retrospective disqualification for a breach of technical regulations handed the win to Luthi. Hafiz Syahrin joined the two Swiss riders on the podium, although it was Francesco Bagnaia who inherited third place after the results were finalised with Aegerter’s DSQ.
A result along the same lines would not go amiss this weekend for Bagnaia, who comes into his second home race of the season as the Moto2 World Championship leader, and in search of a first triumph at a home Grand Prix. After the demise of the British GP two weeks ago, Bagnaia remains the most recent winner in the class, that victory coming in Austria one month ago in an epic battle with championship rival Miguel Oliveira.
Despite that, Oliveira is perhaps the favourite for this weekend, the slippery San Marinese asphalt in theory offering a good opportunity for the Portuguese and his KTM chassis. There have still only been two wins for the #44 so far this season, coming in Mugello and Brno. As the championship heads towards the business end of the season, Oliveira needs to find some pace and some consistency with it. He is there points-wise, but right now it seems that Bagnaia and Kalex have the advantage in outright performance – especially in qualifying, 23rd in Silverstone for Oliveira being the latest in a stream of poor qualifying results. Still, that said, the opportunity is there for Miguel this weekend, it’s just down to him to take it.
With Silverstone being cancelled, it is still three podiums in the last three races for Luca Marini, who suffered a bit more in Britain, but will nonetheless arrive in Misano full of confidence, particularly as this is a circuit he knows so well with it being a regular destination of the VR46 Riders Academy. Unfortunately for Marini, his San Marino Grand Prix lasted only fifteen corners last season, as he crashed out two corners from the end of the first lap. He will be hoping for something different this weekend and, wet or dry, the expectation is to see the number 10 fighting for the victory.
Mattia Pasini was another crasher last year, as he fell down at Rio – turn four – along with Lorenzo Baldassarri on lap three. It was especially a shame for Pasini, who had been in good form to that point of the season, and was looking for a second home GP win of the season whilst sporting a Marco Simoncelli replica helmet design. After the heartbreak of the Italian Grand Prix earlier in the season, where he fell on lap six, a crash which spawned a long baron patch for the number 54, he will be aiming to return to the podium this weekend, which would be just his second of the season after his Argentinian triumph.
As for Baldassarri, a drop in form since Mugello has been significant in his season. Since the Italian Grand Prix at the beginning of June, Baldassarri has gone: 7-DNF-DNF-4-DNF. It is this inconsistency that has cost him a shot at the title, because he has the speed. Typically, when Baldassarri makes it to the flag he finds that he can fight for the podium, or even the win, regardless of his qualifying. However, as in previous seasons, he has been held back by his affinity for gravel rash, which he must shake if he is to end the season strongly and enter 2019 in a good way. With that said, though, Baldassarri did take his first GP win in Misano, back in 2016 when he fought with Alex Rins until the final lap and finally came out on top. This and his pure speed make it impossible to discount Baldassarri for this weekend, but he needs to keep the tyres in contact with the racetrack, and that might be his biggest challenge.
News since Silverstone has confirmed that Sam Lowes will be rekindling his relationship with Gresini Racing in 2019, a team in which he enjoyed a love that was very much requited. Of course he missed out on what seemed like a golden opportunity to take a first Silverstone win and more importantly a debut home Grand Prix win two weeks ago, but with the weight of his future lifted from his shoulders, Lowes could be a force to be reckoned with in Misano. However, it has never been a kind circuit for Lowes in Grand Prix racing, with crashes in the last three seasons and a mechanically-induced 18th place back in 2014.
The track also harbours difficult memories for Fabio Quartararo, who broke his ankle at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli back in 2015. In many ways it was that injury that derailed his career for the next two seasons. However, a couple of good races this season have indeed been enough for him to get the second ride in the SIC Petronas Yamaha team for next year. Like Lowes, he will be hoping that his future’s security will allow him to ride more freely and compete for the podium once again.
Like both Lowes and Quartararo, Romano Fenati has had his 2019 berth confirmed. It happened during the delays in Silverstone, which was quite smart by the management of the Forward Racing Team, which Fenati is joining for next season to pilot one of their MV Agusta chassis’. For the remainder of the season, though, and especially this weekend, Fenati will be hoping to finally turn his usually impressive free practice form into a strong race performance for the Marinelli Snipers team, and as the Moto3 winner from last year, there is potential for a great weekend for the #13.
It seems a long time since the Moto3 World Championship last raced. The cancellation of the British Grand Prix a fortnight ago means the last racing laps the World Championship riders experienced were one month ago in Austria, where Marco Bezzecchi won his second race of the season and extended his championship lead to twelve points.
Bezzecchi now comes into his home Grand Prix after dodging something of a bullet in Silverstone, where he only managed to qualify eleventh due to a crash in his final flying lap, whereas his championship rival Jorge Martin took pole position. This put Bezzecchi in a difficult position for the race, so to come away from the British Grand Prix without losing ground to Martin in the championship was a big result for the Italian. It will be interesting to see how Bezzecchi reacts to arriving in his home GP as a championship leader and as an affirmative championship contender. The Italian Grand Prix, back at round six, went well for Bezzecchi, where he finished second behind Martin. The Pruestel GP rider will be intent on reversing those positions this weekend, and for him the bike should work well, with the KTM’s stiff chassis and strong engine potentially proving invaluable on Misano’s stop-start layout.
On the other side of the coin, you have Jorge Martin, who missed a golden opportunity to win in Silverstone with Bezzecchi potentially facing a tough race. Martin has now been without a win since Sachsenring. Of course, there is a reasonable explanation thanks to his broken radius from Brno, but three race weekends without a 1st place trophy to take home will have Martin frothing at the mouth to come out on top this weekend, especially in Bezzecchi’s back yard.
It has been a difficult couple of races for Fabio Di Giannantonio since he won in Brno. Twelfth in Austria and a weekend almost void of front running pace in Silverstone has put the Roman on the back foot ahead of his second home race of the season. However, he has run good races in his two previous San Marino Grands Prix, finishing tenth in his debut appearance in the Moto3 class in Misano two years ago, and in 2017 he came home third in the pouring rain. It is the ideal time for Di Giannantonio to rediscover his form, especially as he seems to have lost an opportunity to ride the Gresini Moto2 bike next year, with Sam Lowes being signed to pilot their Kalex. Diggia needs a seat, and with the infamously short memories of paddock personnel, he needs to show he deserves one.
Nicolo Bulega has also been strong in Misano in the past, taking fourth place in 2016, and 5th last year – albeit over one minute over runaway winner Romano Fenati. After signs of a renaissance just before the summer break, things have gone away from Bulega again. He has been suggesting that he is slow in the straights, something which has been a trait of his whole GP career. It makes sense, because of his size, and should be manageable, because he has reasonable pace most weekends, but his inability to make a start costs him a lot especially when he doesn’t qualify on the front two rows – which happens quite often. It is expected that Bulega will go to the Sky VR46 Moto2 team next year, which on the surface would be a surprise, but the reality is that Bulega cannot stay in Moto3 another season – like Di Giannantonio he is too tall – and Sky might be his only option.
Misano has also been a good track for Enea Bastianini, winning in 2015 and taking second behind Brad Binder in 2016. Last year, however, Bastianini suffered two crashes and finished a lap down in the monsoon conditions. At a forty-one-point deficit to Bezzecchi in the championship and with only one win to his name in 2018, Bastianini needs to return to the top step this weekend to bring himself back into the title frame.
Like Bastianini, Aron Canet is in need of a return to the top step, a location the Spaniard has not visited this season. That said, he is still only 40 points off the championship lead, so a couple of good results and suddenly the #44 is right back in the fight. Another incentive for Canet to return to winning ways is his search for a Moto2 berth for next season. With Xavi Vierge confirmed at the Marc VDS team for next season, Canet must look outside of his current Estrella Galicia/Monlau Competition ‘family’ for a Moto2 ride, and the performances of Sergio Garcia in the Moto3 Junior World Championship could mean that continuing in Moto3 could also necessitate a change of scenery for Canet. It’s getting to crunch time for Canet, and he needs to show up if he wants to make the cut.
There are also a couple of wildcards this weekend in the lightweight class, with Yari Montella and Kevin Zannoni making appearances. Montella races for the Sic58 Squadra Corse in the Junior World Championship, whilst Zannoni rides a TM in the same championship and wildcarded in Misano last season to some success in the free practice sessions, although he was one of a number of fallers in the race.
It is now or never for Marc Maquez’ championship rivals, as MotoGP resumes this weekend at the spectacular Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Misano seldom produces a dull race. Indeed, since the circuit returned to the MotoGP calendar in 2007, it has played host to numerous classic moments such as: The arrival of Marco Simoncelli as a serious premier class contender in 2010. Pedrosa practically shoving Marquez out of his way en route to victory in 2016. Heartbreak for Danilo Petrucci (Pramac Ducati) as he came so near to a famous victory last season in horrendous conditions.
This year will be no exception, as the first serious hammer blows in this year’s championship will be played out on Sunday to the best part of 100,000 spectators. There may well also be an element of desperation from the title protagonists, following the washout at Silverstone a fortnight ago.
The abandonment of the British Grand Prix has made life this season considerably easier for Marquez and the Repsol Honda team. No race being run means that a potential 25 points for his closest rivals were removed from the table. Where there had been a maximum of 200 points, now there is only 175 remaining this season. Having already established a lead of 59 points at the top of the standings, the road to becoming a 5 time premier class champion (and match the achievements of the great Mick Doohan) is now even more clear.
Firm favourite Marquez is, but to say he has got the championship effectively won already would be grossly inaccurate. Grand Prix racing, more than any other sport, has a habit of biting back. With this in mind, the factory Ducati team will be pushing hard to claw back the deficit. With Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso now a seemingly constant presence both on the front row and on the podium each week, one slip up from Marquez and the championship is blown wide open for the flyaway races.
Hunting in pairs: Can Lorenzo and Dovizioso close down Marquez’ lead? / AFP PHOTO / JOSE JORDAN
However, it is not only Ducati who are still in the championship fight this season. Despite not having taken a race victory since the Dutch TT in 2017, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) is the closest challenger in the standings to Marquez with 142 points. Incredible testament to the sheer consistency of the 38-year old Italian. The 9 times world champion has defied the bike, despite criticism of the machine from his teammate Maverick Vinales, the crew chiefs, journalists and just about everyone close to the team. Whilst Vinales has looked despondent with the bike at times this season – in fairness, most riders would be the same – Rossi has worked tirelessly. Sacrificing single lap performance for the sake of getting the setup right for the races. He has always done this, but in 2018 has had to take it to the extreme – being a regular in Q1.
Movistar Yamaha appear to have made a step forward with the M1, following two private tests last month at Misano and Aragon. Understanding the Magnetti Marelli ECU has been a constant thorn in the side for the Japanese manufacturer. Despite having a bike which is regarded as the most mechanically sound machine to race, they have struggled to synchronise the new electronics, which has compromised the performance of the bikes at every turn – both literally and metaphorically. At Rossi’s true home round, the team will be desperate more than ever for a return to winning ways.
Pol Espargaro is set to return for the Red Bull KTM team this weekend. The Spanish rider was forced to sit out the Austrian and British rounds after sustaining multiple injuries – including a fracture of his collarbone – at the Czech Grand Prix, back in August.
Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Ducati) will miss this weekend as he continues his recovery following a horror crash at Silverstone, which left him with multiple fractures to his right leg. Replacing him this weekend, and making his MotoGP debut, is Christophe Ponsson. The French rider has been a regular front runner this season in the CEV Superbike Championship (which supports the Moto3 and Moto2 junior series).
The San Marino grand prix is also the final chance this year for the Gresini Aprilia to put on a good show in front of their home crowd. To say this season has been a struggle, would be a serious understatement. Aleix Espargaro has at least provided brief moments of cheer for the team, with some serious single lap pace regularly demonstrated during qualifying. With upgrades promised to both Espargaro and teammate Scott Redding for this weekend, both bikes finishing the race in the points would be a welcome sight indeed.
After five months, and eight pulsating rounds, the British Superbike Championship is all set for a thrilling triple-header this weekend at Silverstone. Billed as the ‘Showdown Decider’ by race organisers, it is the final chance for the ‘would-be-champions’ to secure their place in the top six, and earn the right to challenge for the premier crown of domestic motorsport.
However for this year, the Silverstone round will have an almost alien feel to the competitors. Following a deluge on a biblical scale at the circuit two weeks ago, the British Grand Prix was abandoned without any races run due to concerns over track safety – particularly the surface of the newly laid asphalt around the Stowe, Club and Village sections. For those of you wanting a complete run down on the exact details regarding the track surface and safety issues, I thoroughly recommend you take a look at Mat Oxley’s ‘mutterings’ column from Motorsport Magazine:
It must be acknowledged that Silverstone have publicly rejected the speculation about the state of sections of the asphalt on the Grand Prix Circuit being too dangerous; however they do accept the riders’ feedback and are “conducting an investigation and have already engaged an independent track consultant for that purpose”. Furthermore, the circuit has said that they will be reimbursing all ticket holders for the abandoned race day.
With these concerns very much at the forefront of everyone’s minds, BSB organisers (MotorSport Vision Racing) and Silverstone Circuit needed to quickly agree to a solution that would enable the triple-header weekend to proceed – rain or shine. That solution being to hold the races on the short 1.64 mile ‘National’ layout used for numerous club meetings and for higher profile events such as the British Touring Car Championship. Predicted dry weather lap times are expected to be somewhere between 50-55 seconds.
The 1.6 mile National Circuit promises extremely close wheel-to-wheel racing this weekend.
The majority of the British contenders will have some level of familiarity with the layout from their junior racing days. As such, it is not inconceivable to predict that this weekend may well be dominated by the younger riders – most notably Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki) and Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) who both have produced strong results this season at the other short circuits on the calendar. Dixon claimed victory in race one at Knockhill in June (and a podium in race two), whilst Ray claimed a strong second place finish on the Brands Hatch indy circuit back in April.
Having said that, it would currently take a very brave punter to back anyone other than runaway series leader, Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki). The ‘pocket rocket’ has looked imperious throughout most of the season, with his double victory at the legendary Cadwell Park circuit last time out to cement his authority at the top of the championship standings. Haslam arrives at Silverstone with a 100-point lead – his place in the showdown was confirmed back at Thruxton. Even should he fail to register any points this weekend, he will still lead the championship when the showdown begins at Oulton Park.
Following podium finishes in both races last time out at Cadwell Park, Dixon has also secured his place in the showdown. Although unable to improve on his current 2nd place in the championship, the 22-year old has been an almost constant presence on the rostrums this season. It is this consistency that will be reflected when all points and podium credits are adjusted for the showdown. A victory or two this weekend for the RAF Kawasaki man will ensure that the gap between himself and Haslam will be significantly smaller, heading into the showdown.
Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) has dominated the season so far.
The remaining four places for the showdown are likely to not be decided until Sunday evening. Seven riders are still able to make it: Glenn Irwin (Be-Wiser Ducati), Josh Brookes (McAms-Yamaha), Bradley Ray (Buildbase-Suzuki), Peter Hickman (Smiths-BMW Racing), Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki), Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW) and Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) also has a mathematical chance of making the cut.
The battle for the final showdown place looks set to be an intense three-way affair between Hickman, Buchan and Iddon. Hickman currently holds the advantage in the standings, and after a difficult August (beset by illness), the Lincolnshireman is adamant that the pressure is firmly on his rivals to overhaul him.
The proverbial gauntlet thrown down, Buchan has already picked it up. The Kawasaki man has been in this position before, fighting for the Superstock 1000 title last year. The 25-year old believes that experience will give him the edge this weekend, signing off his team’s press statement earlier this week with a line more expected of a prizefighting boxer: “I perform in these circumstances. You either sink or swim, and I’m a swimmer!” – Challenge firmly accepted.
Below is the breakdown of the showdown places. Only the top six riders in the championship standings can compete for the title.
The Showdown
Already In
Leon Haslam – 330 points
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With a maximum of 75 points for the taking this weekend, and with each rider well within that of their closest rivals, it would be wrong to expect anything other than three frantic races across the weekend.
Sunday in Silverstone was something of an unprecedented situation for MotoGP, at least since the word “MotoGP” became a reality. Not since Misano 1990 had every single rider in every single class walked away with precisely the same points with which they entered the weekend; and not since Austria 1980 had every World Championship race been cancelled in a motorcycle Grand Prix weekend. That weekend was due to snow. In fact,this weekend we saw the first cancelled races since Indianapolis 2008, when the 250 GP was cancelled because of a hurricane.
The situation in Silverstone was similar in at least one way to all of these events. Indianapolis 2008 was cancelled because of impending rain, and the races in Silverstone were rescheduled in an attempt to avoid the worst of the day’s precipitation. In addition Austria ’80 saw all races cancelled, and Misano 1990 was cancelled due to rain. But none of these perhaps had the controversy behind them as this weekend’s British Grand Prix did (well, maybe Misano ’90, but in a different way). All of the previous situations were brought about purely because weather conditions prevented racing: you can’t race in the snow, you can’t race in a hurricane and you can’t race in monsoon-like rain, but Silverstone 2018 was such a disaster because of the track surface.
A wet Silverstone tarmac. Conditions that lead to the MotoGP British GP being cancelled. Image courtesy of Yamaha Motor Racing
So, what made Silverstone such a disaster this year? Well, the problem was identified in July, at Formula One’s British Grand Prix. Atypically, it was not F1’s fault, maybe they made it worse, but not significantly – the problem was already there. After the first practice of the F1 weekend back in July, drivers were almost unanimous in opining that the new Silverstone circuit was more bumpy than before, Lewis Hamilton even spoke to Cal Crutchlow about the situation, saying that Silverstone was “the bumpiest he had ever driven”. This sparked worry for MotoGP.
The circuit had resurfaced its entire 3.6 mile track over the winter with the precise goals of improving grip consistency (previously there had been four different surfaces around the track) and erasing bumps. The second point there was of most immediate concern for the riders; Silverstone was not in a state akin to Barcelona or Jerez in terms of grip, but the bumps made riding there quite dangerous, because bumps make everything very unpredictable and difficult to manage, and when in a group it can be hard to pick out where the bumps are, which makes it easy to crash. You can say “the riders should be able to ride through them, they are the best in the world,” but if you cannot see where the danger is, how are you supposed to avoid it? That is the danger of bumps, and in Silverstone they were particularly bad.
The new surface aimed to rectify that, and as far as Franco Uncini (the MotoGP Safety Officer – he homologates the circuits) was concerned, in February it was fine, and it was in March, too. Cal Crutchlow concurred with the 1982 500cc World Champion when he rode a Honda RC213V-S there for a media day, with the opinion that the surface was generally fine, bar a couple of spots that were more bumpy. Uncini had made the same deductions before Crutchlow, which as encouraging because there was agreement. The circuit was not 100% perfect, but it was damn close.
Rubber Ducks at the 2018 MotoGP British GP. Silverstone 2018. Image courtesy of Suzuki Racing
Then, however, something happened. Between March and July, when the F1 race was held, because when the car racers showed up, they came out with comments like Hamilton’s to Crutchlow. Something in that time period happened to make the track more bumpy, more so even than it was before the new surface was laid. There are some possibilities, like the unusually hot summer Britain has enjoyed, but realistically it is difficult to know precisely what made the track deteriorate so much with so little top-level track action.
These bumps became a problem from the beginning of the weekend – even in the dry. Valentino Rossi said that you have to “not care” to negotiate the bumps, whereas Andrea Dovizioso opined that riding around the bumps was the best way. Ultimately, the bike determined the strategy – the Yamaha could handle the bumps well, whereas the likes of the Honda and Ducati couldn’t deal with them so efficiently – especially the Honda.
But that didn’t matter come Saturday afternoon and FP4. When the rain came down at the end of the session, it became a disaster between turn seven, Stowe, and turn ten, Club. In these areas, especially in turns seven and eight – particularly the braking areas for these corners – it was impossible to ride. The problem was that the water was pooling in the bumps, so aquaplaning became both inevitable and extreme. In turn seven at least seven riders ran off track or crashed in the space of one minute or so. Alex Rins was first in, and then tried to direct traffic from the gravel trap to minimise risk for the other riders. Jorge Lorenzo, Aleix Espargaro and Marc Marquez all also ran on, and Tito Rabat crashed. Franco Morbidelli also fell a few seconds after Tito, and when the Spaniard stood up, he was hit by Morbidelli’s 160kg bike, travelling at 100+mph. The result was a broken fibula, tibia and femur for the 2014 Moto2 World Champion. Thankfully, he had a successful operation on Saturday night and on Sunday took his first steps since the accident.
The accident for Tito was a direct result of the weather, as neither he, nor any of the other riders who went into the gravel at turn seven in that period, was able to stop the bike. Bradley Smith said he started braking “500 metres before the corner” and still couldn’t stop the bike, because it just aquaplaned. When the bike aquaplanes, the tyre is not touching the asphalt, of course, so you cannot slow down. Rins said that the water in that section was deep enough to submerge a whole finger. You can have the best tyres in the world, but if you have 10cm of water, it is impossible to control.
Andrea Iannone riding through the rain and puddles on the track. Image courtesy of Suzuki Racing
Following this, and considering the incoming day-long deluge facing the whole of the UK for Sunday, Race Direction decided, together with the teams and the riders, that rescheduling the races was the best plan for Sunday. MotoGP was moved to 11:30 am, and Moto3 and 2 would follow the premier class race.
This didn’t work. Already in Moto3 warm up on Sunday morning, the rain had arrived, and by the end of the Moto2 warm up, the track had become shiny, as the standing water was starting to gather.
11:30 arrived, and things were terrible. Alvaro Bautista ran into the gravel at turn eight because he was trying to warm his carbon brakes, and it just locked. Then, Maverick Vinales was seen coming out of pit lane, spinning the rear tyre immediately. Alex Rins reckoned that he was spinning the tyre with 15% throttle in third gear on his way to the grid for the initial start time. They were on the limit just for the sighting lap, and so it was no surprise that the start was delayed – just to ride a MotoGP bike in those conditions would have been nearly impossible, let alone race one.
Maverick Viñales on the aborted MotoGP Grid at the British GP. Image courtesy of Yamaha Motor Racing
From there, there were many inspections, and many meetings, before at 4pm the Safety Commission decided that the races should be cancelled, because the track would not be in a good enough order to race whilst there was still enough light to race.
There had been the option to race earlier that was presented to the teams, but they needed warm up (these are 270+hp motorcycles, you need to prepare) and they, as well as the circuit, needed time to prepare the track after the warm up. There are procedures which need to be done for safety in a race meeting, and as a result it was not possible to run any earlier than 11:30.
Then there was the possibility to race on Monday – after all, it’s August bank holiday, everyone is free, right? Wrong. MotoGP relies on a vast number of temporary services, such as security guards, and temporary, rented equipment, such as generators, that have been rented for Thursday through Sunday, not through Monday. On top of that, the people who work in the paddock who pay to get there would have to cancel and re-book flights should they be necessary, which is potentially beyond their realistic means – this includes freelance journalists, photographers and such like. Additionally, and arguably more importantly, the teams cannot afford to stay one more day, especially the private teams who are tight on budget as it is, and furthermore the TV companies do not have the time slots available to them to be able to air races on Monday. It happened in Qatar in 2009, but it happened in Qatar in 2009 because the Losail International Circuit could afford to make it happen, Silverstone couldn’t.
But how did we arrive in this situation in the first place. It has already been explained that the track was resurfaced over the winter, and that it initially was good, and later became not-so-good with the bumps. But the bumps were just one part of the problem.
With a new surface there is one guarantee: for the first year or two, the porousness of the surface will be poor. Think Sepang’s new surface, which takes basically half a day to dry out from just a small shower. It happened to F1 in Korea back in 2010 – the surface had been down for a matter of weeks, so a downpour before the race halted proceedings by an hour and more. The issue was more extreme, though, this weekend in Silverstone, because instead of having poor porousness, it had none. A light shower would be okay, as we saw in Moto2 FP2, that was manageable for the riders; but a deluge like we saw on Saturday, or the prolonged downpour of Sunday was too much for the track to drain, and even drainage ditches and cuts in the track could not help the situation. After so long, the water just started to build up, until you basically ended up with something resembling a lake – and this was after two hours.
The day-long drenching the new Silverstone surface took today was well beyond its drainage capabilities, and mixed with the pooling in the bumps, as well as the polished parts of the track (from cars bottoming out at the end of straights when under maximum loading, causing the abrasiveness of the stones in the asphalt to disappear) it became an impossible situation for the riders, and an equally hard one to call for the Race Direction.
Alex Rins, like the fans waiting for information from MotoGP Racing Control. The 2018 British GP. Iage courtesy of Suzuki Racing
It is at this point that it is important to point out that in 2011 there was an almost identical situation, with rain all day, and all three races went ahead, and just last year in BSB there was a race in biblical conditions, but everyone went out, it was deemed safe enough to ride, although there were only seven finishers. Today was normal rain, nothing spectacular, just normal rain, over a long period of time, which is common in Britain, and it was deemed unsafe.
So, was it Race Direction’s bad decision, did they listen too much to the riders? Well, no. Firstly, it is my opinion that the decision to continue the race last year in British Superbike when so many riders were crashing was a bad one, because it was clearly unsafe (although in the same moment, BSB goes to tracks like Cadwell Park and Oulton Park, which are dangerous tracks, so the standard is maybe lower). Secondly, in 2011 the surface could deal with the water, so aquaplaning was less.
The fact that the new surface could not deal with the water on Saturday, or Sunday, shows that the surface was the issue, and therefore two groups of people are at fault. One is Aggregate UK, who provided and laid the surface over the winter; a surface which was produced and designed in the UK, yet could not absorb any water whatsoever. Second, you have to put some blame at the door of Silverstone, because they employed the services of Aggregate UK. Ultimately, Aggregate UK did a terrible job, they laid a surface which has no drainage and is in fact worse than the one they replaced, and Silverstone have a right to feel cheated by them, as do the fans, teams, riders and the Championship.
In a press conference after the decision to cancel the races, Franco Uncini said that there have been demands for a new surface to be laid at Silverstone for next year, and before that there will be an investigation into why exactly the circuit could not absorb any water. How exactly Silverstone manages to afford another full resurfacing job just a few months after the last one remains to be seen, and it remains to be seen if it is even possible. Once the new surface has been laid, there are intentions to test the track in the wet although there have been admissions from Mike Webb (Race Director) that after the experience of artificially wetting the Losail track earlier this year, it is difficult to see how that could happen.
Ultimately, it was a combination poor asphalt being poorly laid, a remarkable British summer which left the track unprepared for the wet (Saturday and Sunday were probably the worst two days this new surface has seen, weather-wise) and a day with no break in the weather which conspired to create this British MotoGP disaster, and at the moment it is unsure how it can move on from this.
One thing, though, is for sure. Silverstone want to continue to host the British Motorcycle Grand Prix, and MotoGP are keen to continue to have a British Grand Prix. Over the next months we should see whether the British Grand Prix will continue in the near future, and whether it will continue at Silverstone.
Following on from his win in that stunning Austrian Moto2 battle with Miguel Oliveira, Francesco Bagnaia took pole position in Silverstone for the 2018 British Grand Prix. It was a complicated session, as were all the qualifying sessions today, with the track starting off dry for the majority of the lap, but very wet in the far end of the circuit, between Stowe and Club (turn 7 to 10). Throughout the session, the track was getting drier, and Bagnaia timed his final lap perfectly to be almost the last rider over the line, meaning he enjoyed almost perfect track conditions, relatively speaking.
Francesco Bagnaia. Image courtesy of Honda Pro Racing
Bagnaia stole pole in the final moments, after the flag had dropped, and he stole it from Remy Gardner. The Australian got lost on his way to the track earlier in the week, with dad – and 1987 500cc World Champion – Wayne having to go and find the Tech 3 rider. Despite missing out on pole position in the end, it was still a career-best qualifying position for Remy, whose previous record was ninth. Both the Mistral 610 chassis and Gardner have shown themselves to be capable in wet conditions, and with a typically British aquatic onslaught scheduled to batter the Northamptonshire circuit all day long tomorrow, such skills could prove vital for the #87, and he will be aiming for his first World Championship podium, especially if it does rain.
Alex Marquez was third fastest today, and looked for a period as though he would take pole position, such was the scrolling nature of the times in the end of the session. Two straight DNFs mean that points are essential for Marquez tomorrow, and of course a strong ride would do a lot for his undoubtedly damaged confidence.
Marcel Schrotter will start his 105th Moto2 race from fourth place tomorrow, as he continues his search for a first Moto2 podium.
On the contrary, Luca Marini is coming off the back of three consecutive podiums, as he starts from 5th on the grid, and is another rider who could relish the adverse conditions.
Petronas Yamaha-bound Fabio Quartararo will complete the second row tomorrow, and he will be hoping for dry conditions tomorrow, because on the slick tyres he has been very fast, and very consistent all weekend.
Mattia Pasini was on for pole position in the final stages of qualifying, but caught Iker Lecuona in sector three of his final lap, and so was consigned to just seventh place, with the aforementioned Lecuona and home hero Sam Lowes (another who looked a possible pole-setter) joining him on the third row.
It has been a strong weekend for Romano Fenati, and for the most part he has been the top rookie – he will line up tenth tomorrow. The injured Xavi Vierge as well as Lorenzo Baldassarri will join Fenati on row four.
Thirteenth on the gird tomorrow belongs to Andrea Locatelli, whilst Joan Mir could only manage fourteenth. It’s slightly fortunate that Mir got his Suzuki deal done when he did, because since then, his form has dipped bar that podium in Germany. Augusto Fernandez completes the 5th row.
Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder could only do as well as 16th fastest, and will be alongside Domi Aegerter and Bo Bendsneyder on the sixth row; whilst row seven holds Niki Tuuli, Joe Roberts and Tetsuta Nagashima, complete with his new ‘surfer doggo’ seat sticker, as a nod to the famous shot of him surfing his Honda Team Asia Kalex two weeks ago in the wet practice in Austria.
Jorge Navarro will be disappointed with his 22nd grid slot because he has looked quite strong this weekend. However, Miguel Oliveira will be even more disappointed, as he made yet another poor qualifying position, and whilst championship leader Bagnaia starts from pole, Oliveira only qualified 23rd. Stefano Manzi completes the eighth row.
Miguel Oliveira. Image courtesy of Honda Pro Racing.
Steven Odendaal on the second NTS chassis was 25th fastest, with Danny Kent and SIC-Petronas Moto2-bound Khairul Idham Pawi joining him on row nine; whilst wildcard Josh Owens impressively took 28th spot (only 2.880 seconds off pole), joining Jules Danilo and Federico Fuligni on the 10th row.
Alejandro Medina heads up row eleven, from Simone Corsi – whose qualifying was hampered by a crash – and Xavi Cardelus who is 33rd and last.
The Moto3 qualifying session was a complicated one for the British Grand Prix. It started in reasonable, dry conditions, but a sprinkling of rain in the mid-point of the session disrupted everyone’s rhythms.
In the end, though, it was Jorge Martin who took pole position. It was his seventh pole of the season, and it could prove an important one for the championship, considering the position of his main title rival. But once again, Martin fought against the pain of his broken radius – which this weekend is more intense than he expected – to top qualifying and put himself in prime position for tomorrow, where he will aim to close his deficit in the championship.
Just 0.001 seconds behind Martin was Jaume Masia. The seventeen-year-old is making a habit of being robbed by Martin in the closing stages, after his first Grand Prix podium was taken away from him by Martin in the final corner in Austria at the last race. Nonetheless, a personal best qualifying for the Spaniard, who is progressing well in what is his full rookie season.
Jorge Martin. Image courtesy of Honda Pro Racing
Completing the front row for tomorrow’s 2018 Moto3 British Grand Prix is Lorenzo Dalla Porta, the Italian just 0.021 second off pole in what turned out to be a stunningly close-fought qualifying, even more so when you consider the complexity and length of the British track. Coming into Silverstone in a strong vane of form, Dalla Porta will hope to take his second career podium, after taking his first back in Qatar this year.
Albert Arenas heads up row two, ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio who seems to be back on form after a poor Austrian round a couple of weeks ago. Tatsuki Suzuki rounds out row two.
Seventh on the grid tomorrow is Gabriel Rodrigo, who was on for pole before crashing at Abbey, after which he was sent to the medical centre. Enea Bastianini took eighth place, after a late change on the front gave him more confidence. The third row was rounded out by Nicolo Bulega, who has the opportunity to do a good race tomorrow, as the run to turn one is short, so he shouldn’t lose too much time off the start, where he is always very weak.
Marcos Ramirez completed the top ten, and will head row four tomorrow ahead of Marco Bezzecchi and Niccolo Antonelli. Bezzecchi had a good shot at pole, but he seemed to think himself out of it, by trying to stay with Jorge Martin the whole session, following the Spaniard everywhere. Ultimately, he crashed on his final lap, which left him eleventh. Antonelli, like Rodrigo, had to go to the medical centre following a crash late on in the session.
Aron Canet had a disappointing qualifying, ending up down in 13th. Philipp Oettl and Adam Norrodin join him on row five; whilst Kazuki Masaki, Jakub Kornfeil and Tony Arbolino make up row six.
John McPhee will start his home Grand Prix from just nineteenth place, although he has looked better than that when his bike has been correctly lined up, and not barrelling through the gravel. Ayumu Sasaki rounds out the top twenty, and row seven is completed by Dennis Foggia, who has looked good at times this weekend.
Alonso Lopez could only manage 22nd fastest, and will be joined by Vicente Perez and Nakarin Atiratphuvapat on row eight.
Row nine consists of Andrea Migno, Kaito Toba and Darryn Binder; whilst Tom Booth-Amos, Stefano Nepa and Jake Archer complete the grid.
