Alvaro and his teammate Loris Capirossi had a little track day at Silverstone yesterday, going around the new MotoGP track with scooters and BSB bikes in Rizla colours.
The two riders, teammates at MotoGP’s only UK-based team, were joined by BBC presenters Steve Parrish and Jennie Gow, Worx Crescent Suzuki British Superbike rider Tommy Hill as well as Prodigy frontman Keith Flint and Stereophonics bass player Richie Jones to experience the Silverstone circuit first hand.
Loris Capirossi:
“The layout is really interesting and not so easy, but it’s beautiful – if a bit bumpy in places. I think it’s really interesting to do the race at Silverstone. It is completely different compared to Donington – this is a really quick track and I think for MotoGP it’s great. It’s really, really wide, so not so easy to find the best line to go quick, which is good. For sure we have many places where we can overtake.”
Alvaro Bautista:
“It is very nice and very quick. I like it very much. Some very fast and some hard braking and slow corners. It will be very interesting to come here in June. There are a lot of fifth and sixth gear corners, so I am looking forward to it. Surely it will be a very close race, we are only 17 riders, but we are very close in laptimes, so I think it will be a hard-fought race and I hope I can fight with them.”
BBC commentator Steve Parrish, who got to ride around the new circuit on the RG500 he rode in the 1977 Silverstone British Grand Prix, had been consulted on the circuit’s layout and was pleased that the track matched his expectations.
“It’s excellent! I have to say I’m still learning it – it’s going to be one of those circuits that will take time to learn, which is great because that makes it more interesting. I love the old Woodcote. I just remember it – it’s like being here 25 years ago when I used to race here. It’s a proper man’s corner. And the left section (Farm Curve) before Village, again very, very interesting – terrific corner.
Bridgestone are going to have to do their sums because it’s going to be hard on tyres, which again is really good because it means that it’s about which rider can control their tyre wear as much as anything else. Straight away I can think of five different places I can pass – I don’t think any other circuit [offers] that many places to pass. The facilities are also impressive. Terrific run-off areas – very, very safe. And even riding around, you’re looking thinking ‘wow’ the spectators are going to have a great view. There are certain areas you can just imagine it – Pedrosa, Rossi, Stoner coming flying into the Luffield section, through Brooklands, Luffield and all round there. There are so many places to watch from. I think everyone’s going to have a ball here and really enjoy it.”
The new MotoGP face for BBC, Jennie Gow, also posted a picture on Twitter of Alvaro showing her the track on a Scooter, here.
And MCN posted a video summary of the day with a tiny bit of track footage with Alvaro and Loris at the very end here.
Press release and photo by Silverstone Circuits Limited.
