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August 31st will find the MotoGP grid at Silverstone for the Hertz British Grand Prix . This is stop 12 for the season. After this, we will only have 6 more races before the race year is closed out.


Introduction:

With more than 60 years of history Silverstone has become one of the most prestigious venues dedicated to motorsport. Completely revamped in recent years, a multimillion pound investment saw the completion in 2010 of a first phase of works to greatly improve the venue, making it one of the fastest tracks on the MotoGP calendar and earning high praise from the World Championship riders who enjoyed the new layout. The ‘Silverstone Wing’, a state-of-the-art, multi-million pound complex, became a new landmark at the circuit from 2011, thus adding to already breathtaking facilities at Silverstone.







CIRCUIT INFO:

Length: 5.900 m / 3.666 miles
Width: 17m
Left corners: 8
Right corners: 10
Longest straight: 770 m / 0.478 miles
Constructed: 1948
Modified: 2011
Laps: 20
Distance: 118.0 km - 73.3 miles


MotoGP.Com preview:
With Pedrosa having won the Czech Grand Prix, Honda has now established a new record for the longest sequence of successive wins by one manufacturer since the MotoGP class was introduced at the start of 2002; although Marquez may have narrowly missed out on becoming the first ever rider to win the opening 11 races of a season, his team still holds a 100% win record for 2014 so far.

Last year at Silverstone, the Northamptonshire circuit witnessed one of the most memorable duels in living memory as Marquez went head-to-head with Jorge Lorenzo, a battle which saw the Yamaha rider beat his rival by less than one tenth of of a second. The two-time World Champion rider will now be looking to follow in the footsteps of Pedrosa by claiming his first victory of the campaign, while in the process searching for an 80th podium finish in the top tier of Grand Prix racing; only Valentino Rossi, Mick Doohan, Dani Pedrosa and Giacomo Agostini have more…

As for Rossi, the Italian is set to officially become the most experienced rider to have ever contested the 500cc or MotoGP class. He will start his 246th Grand Prix this weekend, surpassing the 245 starts of Alex Barros; ironically, this will happen exactly 17 years to the day since Rossi clinched his first world title in the 125cc class at Brno in 1997. He debuted in the premier class in 2000 and since then has amassed a remarkable 80 Grand Prix victories, 154 podium placings, 49 pole positions, 68 fastest race laps and seven world titles. Although he has never won at Silverstone, ‘The Doctor’ triumphed at Donington Park on no less than seven occasions between 1997 and 2005, including his first 500cc win in 2000.

From a British point of view, there is a lot to shout about as five home riders will line up for the race. This time it will be Cal Crutchlow, Bradley Smith, Scott Redding, Michael Laverty and Leon Camier, whereas in 1996 – the last time as many riders contested their home British Grand Prix – the names in question were those of James Haydon, Chris Walker, Eugene McManus, Jeremy McWilliams and Terry Rymer. And could Silverstone perhaps witness a local name on pole position? Only the late, great Barry Sheene has ever done that, in the 500cc Grand Prix of 1977.

Opening free practice for the 2014 Hertz British Grand Prix will start at 9:55am local time (GMT +1) on Friday, with Sunday’s race starting at 1pm local time.


SCHEDULE

29 August 2014

Moto3 FP1: 09:00 - 09:40

MotoGP FP1: 09:55 - 10:40

Moto2 FP1: 10:55 - 11:40

Moto3 FP2: 13:10 - 13:50

MotoGP FP2: 14:05 - 14:50

30 August 2014

Moto3 FP3: 09:00 - 09:40

MotoGP FP3: 09:55 - 10:40

Moto2 FP3: 10:55 - 11:40

Moto3 QP: 12:35 - 13:15

MotoGP FP4: 13:30 - 14:00

MotoGP Q1: 14:10 - 14:25

MotoGP Q2: 14:35 - 14:50

Moto2 QP: 15:05 - 15:50

Moto2 FP2: 15:05 - 15:50

31 August 2014

Moto2 WUP: 09:00 - 09:20

MotoGP WUP: 09:30 - 09:50

Moto3 WUP: 10:00 - 10:20

Moto2 RAC: 11:20

MotoGP RACE: 13:00

Moto3 RAC: 14:30


POINTS SO FAR THIS SEASON
1. M. Marquez 263
2. D. Pedrosa 186
3. V. Rossi 173
4. J. Lorenzo 137
5. A. Dovizioso 118
6. A. Espargaró 85
7. P. Espargaró 78
8. A. Iannone 73
9. S. Bradl 65
10. B. Smith 65


Lorenzo in 2013:




DIFFICULTY FOR THE BRAKING SYSTEM: LIGHT
The Silverstone track is considered one of the fastest of the MotoGP calendar and one of the least demanding for brakes. The circuit is characterized by long straight stretches and by not very demanding braking, which allow the braking systems to cool properly. Quite often the rain and the use of steel discs in place of carbon ones.

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British MotoGP™ riders preview the British Grand Prix
With the final third of the season approaching, Silverstone is making its final preparations ahead of this year’s Hertz British Grand Prix, the next round of the 2014 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship.


Britain’s MotoGP™ riders Bradley Smith, Cal Crutchlow, Scott Redding, Michael Laverty and Leon Camier – who is confirmed to step in for the injured Nicky Hayden – are all relishing the opportunity to return to their home circuit and race in front of the passionate Silverstone crowd.

The British Grand Prix, taking place over the weekend of 29-31 August, is the UK’s flagship motorcycle racing event, and with five British riders lining up on the famous Silverstone start grid the weekend guarantees fantastic action, an incredible atmosphere and thrilling racing.

As well as the five Brits flying the Union Jack flag in the premier class, there is also a wealth of young British riders who will be pushing to impress the home fans in the Moto2™ and Moto3™ classes, which provide incredible wheel-to-wheel on track battles.

It’s also the perfect opportunity to see the masterful Marc Márquez in action as he attempts to win the British Grand Prix for the first time. However, Jorge Lorenzo will be desperate for a repeat of last year’s Silverstone win, while Dani Pedrosa and the legendary Valentino Rossi will also be pushing for glory on Silverstone’s legendary high-speed circuit.

The home crowd will have plenty to cheer about at Silverstone with all five riders looking forward to their home race. Speaking about this year’s British Grand Prix, Bradley Smith, Cal Crutchlow and Scott Redding commented:

Bradley Smith, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team: “Silverstone for me is always a special occasion, as the circuit is not far from my hometown of Oxford, so I have a great deal of local support. Having grown up visiting the circuit to watch the various events that Silverstone holds, and now being able to race a MotoGP bike on it is something that I will always cherish. The track is so unique, with fast and flowing turns and I personally find it so much fun to ride. I hope to put in a strong result, and I can’t wait to compete in front of my home crowd.”

Cal Crutchlow, Ducati Team: “So the time of the season has come, where I get to compete in front of my home fans at the Silverstone MotoGP. I really like this circuit and am hoping to have a good result at the race this year. I have had some of my most euphoric results here too! Win, lose or not race the crowd has always been fantastic to me and I look forward to that again. Competing in front of my home crowd is always special and the support and energy they give me definitely pushes me even harder. I will once again give my all and I hope to give the British fans something to cheer about.”

Scott Redding, GO&FUN Honda Gresini Team: “Your home race is always special and I obviously have happy memories of winning the Moto2 British Grand Prix at Silverstone last year. This year will be a bit different, because it will be my first home race in the premier MotoGP class and I’m really looking forward to it. The support the British riders get from the home crowd is incredible and, for me, one of the best parts of the whole weekend is getting to meet the British fans in person. Silverstone is a power track, which is not ideal for us, but we’ll see how it goes. The aim, as always, is to finish as the top open class Honda.”

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Basically, enjoy this track while we can.

BBC.CO.UK

MotoGP: Silverstone bosses hope to retain British race
Silverstone bosses have not given up hope of retaining the British MotoGP.

The circuit's five-year deal to host the race ends next week, with the yet-to-be-built Circuit of Wales set to take over from 2015.

"You never know what's going to happen in the long term. We've been in this position many times before," Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips told BBC Look East.

"There is a lot more to play out - let's just say that."

Silverstone has staged Formula 1's British Grand Prix for the past 27 years, but almost lost the rights to Donington in 2010, before the move fell through.

The Circuit of Wales is to be built in Blaenau Gwent at a cost of £315m, but it will not be ready for 2015, the first year of its five-year contract with MotoGP.

"Next year is still in doubt as to whether it will come here or go to Donington," said Phillips.

"We're trying to keep it here while we wait to see what happens in the long term."

Construction of the Circuit of Wales has been delayed by issues over common land and calls for the Welsh and UK governments to commit up to £50m towards the scheme.

"It's a competitive market and having new circuits is probably quite healthy," Phillips continued.

"What I don't like is if there is public finance support for it. If there is government funding, it is an unfair playing field.

"Circuit of Wales doesn't exist at the moment and they need to raise the money to be able to build it.

"Probably the next six to 12 months are going to be quite telling. If the race cannot be run in Wales in 2016 then it could all be up for grabs again."


Circuit of Wales:

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Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez has backed an age limit change that will allow highly rated French teenager Fabio Quartararo to start the Moto3 world championship campaign in 2015.

Quartararo does not turn 16 until April 20, which would have meant him missing the first two races of the season if Dorna sticks to the same schedule next season.

The age limit for entry into Moto3 is set at 16, and Belgian rider Livio Loi missed the start of his first world championship campaign in 2013 because he was too young.

Quartararo though will not face the same obstacle.

A new rule change approved in Brno last weekend gives special permission for the winner of the Spanish-based FIM CEV Moto3 championship to move to the world championship, even if they don’t meet the age criteria.

Quartararo has dominated the CEV series with five wins in seven races and he has yet to finish lower than second.

Quartararo is regarded as the hottest talent outside of the MotoGP paddock, but the move to allow him to start 2015 Moto3 campaign as a 15-year-old has angered some.

Quartararo is part of Emilio Alzamora’s influential stable, and the Spanish talent spotter is losing Moto3 duo Alex Marquez and Alex Rins, who are both heading to Moto2.

Quartararo is the obvious replacement, and the age limit move means the high profile Estrella Gallicia 0,0 squad now doesn't have to worry about missing races until he reaches 16.

Repsol Honda rider Marquez, who is also represented by Alzamora, said he had no issue with the change because Quartararo has demonstrated speed and talent that warrants a place in the world championship paddock.

Marquez, who has won 10 out of 11 races in MotoGP this season, said: “I know that they have changed the rule for Quartararo but he has enough to come into the world championship. For me, if some rider has the level it is OK. Sometimes riders have enough level and they are not here and some that have more money can be here and they don’t have the right level. For me if the rider that comes is strong like Fabio then it is OK

(Read more at MCN.com)

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It's a rainy day in the U.K. but some teams are already getting setup

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Rewind 1 year to Silverstone 2013. The last few laps of MM vs JL was one of the best of the year. This is a good recap with all its highs and lows:

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Here's a good preview from Ultimate Motorcycling:
http://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2014...rquez-revenge/

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Whomever said Rossi, et al are getting "too old" to race should talk to one Mr. Jeremy McWilliams.

He is set to make a one-off GP appearance in Moto2 at Silverstone. And he's 50.
It's never too late...


"The reason that I'm doing this is that I got the test on the bike and they asked me nicely if I'd be prepared to help them and get the bike up to speed in a very short space of time and if I was willing to race it. The rider that they had dropped out so it kind of left them in a sticky situation so I agreed to go and test the bike at Mallory Park and I was pleasantly surprised with how we got on.

"I can't say by any means that we're there yet but we've got a good starting point and if we can move forward with that for the test next week and then onto the race at Silverstone we might have something that we'd be able to race with. They've done a lot of racing with this bike in the States so it's not as if it's completely brand new.

"They've been doing some test and development work over there with a rider that I know and he gave some confidence because he's been able to ride and race the bikes in the States and had some degree of success on it. I got onto the bike and I really liked it so it's just gone from there. It's been a whirlwind because we really had to make a decision in a short space of time and I based that decision on having another test next week with the team."

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Bradley Smith, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team: “Silverstone for me is always a special occasion, as the circuit is not far from my hometown of Oxford, so I have a great deal of local support. Having grown up visiting the circuit to watch the various events that Silverstone holds, and now being able to race a MotoGP bike on it is something that I will always cherish. The track is so unique, with fast and flowing turns and I personally find it so much fun to ride. I hope to put in a strong result, and I can’t wait to compete in front of my home crowd.”

Cal Crutchlow, Ducati Team: “So the time of the season has come, where I get to compete in front of my home fans at the Silverstone MotoGP. I really like this circuit and am hoping to have a good result at the race this year. I have had some of my most euphoric results here too! Win, lose or not race the crowd has always been fantastic to me and I look forward to that again. Competing in front of my home crowd is always special and the support and energy they give me definitely pushes me even harder. I will once again give my all and I hope to give the British fans something to cheer about.”

Scott Redding, GO&FUN Honda Gresini Team: “Your home race is always special and I obviously have happy memories of winning the Moto2 British Grand Prix at Silverstone last year. This year will be a bit different, because it will be my first home race in the premier MotoGP class and I’m really looking forward to it. The support the British riders get from the home crowd is incredible and, for me, one of the best parts of the whole weekend is getting to meet the British fans in person. Silverstone is a power track, which is not ideal for us, but we’ll see how it goes. The aim, as always, is to finish as the top open class Honda.”

Dani Pedrosa # 26: I feel I have good momentum at the moment after winning in Brno and then we had a positive test on the Monday. It was a gruelling few weeks with two races in a row and so this past week it's been good to recharge the batteries," he said.

"Last year in Silverstone I was out of the battle with Marc and Jorge [Lorenzo] so this year I want to be sure to be up there with them!" he added.

"This is a fast track with many changes of direction and you need to find a balance for the set up to suit both the slow and the fast corners. The weather in Britain can always be temperamental also, so we'll have to keep an eye on that!"

Leon Camier
“It’s a dream come true. There’s nothing better than racing in front of the home fans, at a home track. I like Silverstone as a circuit as well so this is another good thing for me. Hopefully I can understand a little bit more from the bike by then as well and, fingers crossed, I can have a good result. It’s always been a good track for me in the past. With WSBK I’ve been on the podium, I think nearly every year I’ve been there. So it’s been good. But it’s definitely not going to be easy.”

“Silverstone is fast, technical and with a lot of direction changes, which should suit me well. I know it will be another tough weekend though so it will be important to stay focused. If we get the right setting from the bike and I can adapt to the brakes and to the tyres quick enough, I think we can be quite strong.”

Marc Marquez Repsol Honda # 93
“Brno was a difficult weekend but the most important thing is that we took important points. Also, I feel less pressure now as I know everyone was expecting me to win all of them, and it’s the Championship that’s important, not winning every race! We had a good test on the Monday and then some time off after a hectic back-to-back schedule. Last year my race was affected by my crash in Warm Up so this year I hope to be fully fit so I can give it 100% in the race!”

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FoxSports:
The Hertz British Grand Prix at Silverstone will be the first event on the MotoGP calendar to welcome a winner other than Marc Marquez, as it was Repsol Honda Team partner Dani Pedrosa who claimed victory last time out at Brno. For a number of reasons, it looks set to be another historic weekend.

With Pedrosa having won the Czech Grand Prix, Honda has now established a new record for the longest sequence of successive wins by one manufacturer since the MotoGP class was introduced at the start of 2002; although Marquez may have narrowly missed out on becoming the first ever rider to win the opening 11 races of a season, his team still holds a 100 percent win record for 2014 so far.

Last year at Silverstone, the Northamptonshire circuit witnessed one of the most memorable duels in living memory as Marquez went head-to-head with Jorge Lorenzo, a battle which saw the Yamaha rider beat his rival by less than one tenth of of a second. The two-time World Champion rider will now be looking to follow in the footsteps of Pedrosa by claiming his first victory of the campaign, while in the process searching for an 80th podium finish in the top tier of Grand Prix racing; only Valentino Rossi, Mick Doohan, Dani Pedrosa and Giacomo Agostini have more.

As for Rossi, the Italian is set to officially become the most experienced rider to have ever contested the 500cc or MotoGP class. He will start his 246th Grand Prix this weekend, surpassing the 245 starts of Alex Barros; ironically, this will happen exactly 17 years to the day since Rossi clinched his first world title in the 125cc class at Brno in 1997. He debuted in the premier class in 2000 and since then has amassed a remarkable 80 Grand Prix victories, 154 podium placings, 49 pole positions, 68 fastest race laps and seven world titles. Although he has never won at Silverstone, ‘The Doctor’ triumphed at Donington Park on no less than seven occasions between 1997 and 2005, including his first 500cc win in 2000.

From a British point of view, there is a lot to shout about as five home riders will line up for the race. This time it will be Cal Crutchlow, Bradley Smith, Scott Redding, Michael Laverty and Leon Camier, whereas in 1996 – the last time as many riders contested their home British Grand Prix – the names in question were those of James Haydon, Chris Walker, Eugene McManus, Jeremy McWilliams and Terry Rymer. And could Silverstone perhaps witness a local name on pole position? Only the late, great Barry Sheene has ever done that, in the 500cc Grand Prix of 1977.

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Colin Edwards retired after IMS as we all know but his (and Forward's) plan is to make one-off appearances. One of those was going to be Silverstone but it looks like that isn't going to happen know.

He will be trackside however. Alex de Angelis will ride as teammate to Aleix.

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Bradley Smith, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 # 38: “Silverstone for me is always a special occasion, as the circuit is not far from my hometown of Oxford, so I have a great deal of local support. Having grown up visiting the circuit to watch the various events that Silverstone holds, and now being able to race a MotoGP bike on it is something that I will always cherish. The track is so unique, with fast and flowing turns and I personally find it so much fun to ride. I hope to put in a strong result, and I can’t wait to compete in front of my home crowd.”

Cal Crutchlow, Ducati # 35: “So the time of the season has come, where I get to compete in front of my home fans at the Silverstone MotoGP. I really like this circuit and am hoping to have a good result at the race this year. I have had some of my most euphoric results here too! Win, lose or not race the crowd has always been fantastic to me and I look forward to that again. Competing in front of my home crowd is always special and the support and energy they give me definitely pushes me even harder. I will once again give my all and I hope to give the British fans something to cheer about.”

Scott Redding, GO&FUN Honda Gresini #45: “Your home race is always special and I obviously have happy memories of winning the Moto2 British Grand Prix at Silverstone last year. This year will be a bit different, because it will be my first home race in the premier MotoGP class and I’m really looking forward to it. The support the British riders get from the home crowd is incredible and, for me, one of the best parts of the whole weekend is getting to meet the British fans in person. Silverstone is a power track, which is not ideal for us, but we’ll see how it goes. The aim, as always, is to finish as the top open class Honda.”

Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda # 26: I feel I have good momentum at the moment after winning in Brno and then we had a positive test on the Monday. It was a gruelling few weeks with two races in a row and so this past week it's been good to recharge the batteries," he said.

"Last year in Silverstone I was out of the battle with Marc and Jorge [Lorenzo] so this year I want to be sure to be up there with them!" he added.

"This is a fast track with many changes of direction and you need to find a balance for the set up to suit both the slow and the fast corners. The weather in Britain can always be temperamental also, so we'll have to keep an eye on that!"

Leon Camier Drive M7 Aspar # 2 “It’s a dream come true. There’s nothing better than racing in front of the home fans, at a home track. I like Silverstone as a circuit as well so this is another good thing for me. Hopefully I can understand a little bit more from the bike by then as well and, fingers crossed, I can have a good result. It’s always been a good track for me in the past. With WSBK I’ve been on the podium, I think nearly every year I’ve been there. So it’s been good. But it’s definitely not going to be easy.”

“Silverstone is fast, technical and with a lot of direction changes, which should suit me well. I know it will be another tough weekend though so it will be important to stay focused. If we get the right setting from the bike and I can adapt to the brakes and to the tyres quick enough, I think we can be quite strong.”

Marc Marquez Repsol Honda # 93 “Brno was a difficult weekend but the most important thing is that we took important points. Also, I feel less pressure now as I know everyone was expecting me to win all of them, and it’s the Championship that’s important, not winning every race! We had a good test on the Monday and then some time off after a hectic back-to-back schedule. Last year my race was affected by my crash in Warm Up so this year I hope to be fully fit so I can give it 100% in the race!”

Valentino Rossi Movistar Yamaha # 46 “I really want to go to Silverstone because this is not an easy track for me. Last year, in the race, in the end I did not go bad but I think that this year I can get better. Silverstone is a great track, very fast, beautiful and for me it would be very important to be able to get a good result, especially after the last few races. We are working well, we are making small steps forward and we are getting closer to our goal. I feel good and that's why I have to be more competitive this year at Silverstone.”


Jorge Lorenzo Movistar Yamaha # 99 “After three consecutive podiums I feel good. In Brno we found some good solutions that surely will give us at least a tenth in the next races. I feel quite good and we are going up through the championship. We must congratulate the team for their work in the last races and especially during the last one at Brno. We're happy and confident for the next race. Silverstone is quite different to Brno. It's a long varied circuit with fast corners and strong braking points and last year we got the win there. It looks good but we need to be careful and work hard during the whole weekend and then wait also for the weather, which is always tricky there.”

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Time for the Bridgestone Report:

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Just another double-M photo

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2015 news:

"MotoGP champion Marc Marquez believes Cal Crutchlow can do a 'great job' with the Honda RC213V"

I think it's a good step for him,” said Marquez of the Crutchlow move. “He will have - I don't know if the same, or very close bike to my bike. Because normally in Cecchinello's team, Bradl's bike is completely the same as mine.

“It will be good for him. He is struggling with Ducati. But I think, for his riding style, with Honda he can do a great job.”


Crutchlow may not be the only Briton on a Factory class Honda in 2015 with Marquez's former Moto2 rival Scott Redding due to take over the Gresini satellite machine, providing team funding issues are resolved.

“I hope [Redding will get the RC213V] because he has good potential,” said Marquez. “I fought with him in the past and he was a really good rider. Also really aggressive. Pushing all the time. I like that in a rider.

“I would like that he will get a factory bike. Because when you are in the Open category, even though next year will be better, you know you cannot fight every race with the top guys. It will be important for him.”

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Milennium Bridge video:
http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story...-bridge-082714

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These are from Brno ... what will the Silverstone GG's look like?

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Bradley Smith, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 # 38: “Silverstone for me is always a special occasion, as the circuit is not far from my hometown of Oxford, so I have a great deal of local support. Having grown up visiting the circuit to watch the various events that Silverstone holds, and now being able to race a MotoGP bike on it is something that I will always cherish. The track is so unique, with fast and flowing turns and I personally find it so much fun to ride. I hope to put in a strong result, and I can’t wait to compete in front of my home crowd.”

Cal Crutchlow, Ducati # 35: “So the time of the season has come, where I get to compete in front of my home fans at the Silverstone MotoGP. I really like this circuit and am hoping to have a good result at the race this year. I have had some of my most euphoric results here too! Win, lose or not race the crowd has always been fantastic to me and I look forward to that again. Competing in front of my home crowd is always special and the support and energy they give me definitely pushes me even harder. I will once again give my all and I hope to give the British fans something to cheer about.”

Scott Redding, GO&FUN Honda Gresini #45: “Your home race is always special and I obviously have happy memories of winning the Moto2 British Grand Prix at Silverstone last year. This year will be a bit different, because it will be my first home race in the premier MotoGP class and I’m really looking forward to it. The support the British riders get from the home crowd is incredible and, for me, one of the best parts of the whole weekend is getting to meet the British fans in person. Silverstone is a power track, which is not ideal for us, but we’ll see how it goes. The aim, as always, is to finish as the top open class Honda.”

Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda # 26: I feel I have good momentum at the moment after winning in Brno and then we had a positive test on the Monday. It was a gruelling few weeks with two races in a row and so this past week it's been good to recharge the batteries," he said.

"Last year in Silverstone I was out of the battle with Marc and Jorge [Lorenzo] so this year I want to be sure to be up there with them!" he added.

"This is a fast track with many changes of direction and you need to find a balance for the set up to suit both the slow and the fast corners. The weather in Britain can always be temperamental also, so we'll have to keep an eye on that!"

Leon Camier Drive M7 Aspar # 2 “It’s a dream come true. There’s nothing better than racing in front of the home fans, at a home track. I like Silverstone as a circuit as well so this is another good thing for me. Hopefully I can understand a little bit more from the bike by then as well and, fingers crossed, I can have a good result. It’s always been a good track for me in the past. With WSBK I’ve been on the podium, I think nearly every year I’ve been there. So it’s been good. But it’s definitely not going to be easy.”

“Silverstone is fast, technical and with a lot of direction changes, which should suit me well. I know it will be another tough weekend though so it will be important to stay focused. If we get the right setting from the bike and I can adapt to the brakes and to the tyres quick enough, I think we can be quite strong.”

Marc Marquez Repsol Honda # 93 “Brno was a difficult weekend but the most important thing is that we took important points. Also, I feel less pressure now as I know everyone was expecting me to win all of them, and it’s the Championship that’s important, not winning every race! We had a good test on the Monday and then some time off after a hectic back-to-back schedule. Last year my race was affected by my crash in Warm Up so this year I hope to be fully fit so I can give it 100% in the race!”

Valentino Rossi Movistar Yamaha # 46 “I really want to go to Silverstone because this is not an easy track for me. Last year, in the race, in the end I did not go bad but I think that this year I can get better. Silverstone is a great track, very fast, beautiful and for me it would be very important to be able to get a good result, especially after the last few races. We are working well, we are making small steps forward and we are getting closer to our goal. I feel good and that's why I have to be more competitive this year at Silverstone.”


Jorge Lorenzo Movistar Yamaha # 99 “After three consecutive podiums I feel good. In Brno we found some good solutions that surely will give us at least a tenth in the next races. I feel quite good and we are going up through the championship. We must congratulate the team for their work in the last races and especially during the last one at Brno. We're happy and confident for the next race. Silverstone is quite different to Brno. It's a long varied circuit with fast corners and strong braking points and last year we got the win there. It looks good but we need to be careful and work hard during the whole weekend and then wait also for the weather, which is always tricky there.”

Pol Espargaro
"I cant wait to get going at Silverstone this week as the circuit is great fun to ride. It was a disappointing end to the last race in Brno, but I have moved on and here I will grit my teeth as I remain determined in closing in on the factory bikes. There are some great memories for me from this racetrack, with my favourite being winning the Moto2 race two years ago from pole position. There could be a bit of rain during this weekend, but now I have some experience under my belt with wet weather conditions so I will be ready for anything. We worked a lot on my riding style at the Brno test and I have learnt a lot more, with the key being to remain smooth especially at a circuit like Silverstone. I am looking forward to riding the YZR-M1 around the quick track and then seeing what we can do on Sunday."


Bradley Smith
"It goes without saying that I am very much looking forward to this weekend which is a big event for me and I am proud to be able to ride at this great circuit, in front of the passionate British crowd. The home race is always a special occasion for any rider and at a racetrack as historical and fast as Silverstone, Sunday will be one to remember as always. I’ve had some great results here in the past such as the 2nd position in 2011 for the Tech3 Racing Moto2 Team and with the Yamaha winning here last year I am confident of fighting to get a great finish to make the crowd cheer. We had a really good post GP test in Brno and found some useful information which will certainly aid us in the race. So, I am fired up and ready to do my best in front of my family, friends, sponsors and the fans!"

[954Stealth]

FP1


1. Marc Marquez
2. Andrea Iannone
3. Andrea Dovizioso
4. Alvaro Bautista
5. Aleix Espargaro
6. Stefan Bradl
7. Jorge Lorenzo
8. Valentino Rossi
9. Yonny Hernandez
10. Dani Pedrosa
11. Bradley Smith
12. Pol Espargaro
13. Cal Crutchlow
14. Scott Redding
15. Karel Abraham
16. Hiroshi Aoyama
17. Alex De Angelis
18. Danilo Petrucci
19. Leon Camier
20. Hector Barbera
21. Mike Di Meglio
22. Broc Parkes
23. Michael Laverty