Hertz British Grand Prix 2014
Posted on Aug 26, 2014 by Nick Harris
ROUND TWELVE 2014 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - SUNDAY 31 AUGUST
Local boy Bradley Smith has finished on the 125 and Moto2 podiums at his home race and is now in his second MotoGP season riding the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha. It’s been an up and down season for the three times 125cc grand prix winner but with a new 2015 contract and some very encouraging qualifying and testing performances he is really looking to push on from his ninth place in the Championship.
Bradley Smith:
“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.”
Scott Redding returns to Silverstone on Sunday a year after winning the Moto2™ race round the 3.666 miles Northamptonshire circuit. The Gloucestershire rider returns to ride in the 20 lap MotoGP race at the Hertz British Grand Prix after an impressive debut in the premier class on the GO&FUN Gresini Open Class Honda. It’s a massive occasion for all the British riders making their one and only home appearance in round 12 of the 18 round championship. Redding has done an excellent job and is the leading Honda in the Open Class and is 12th in the championship two places in front of Isle of Man based Midlander Cal Crutchlow.
It’s been a tough year for Crutchlow at Ducati with breakdowns, injuries and crashes halting his progress. His MotoGP success at Silverstone has also been beset by injuries which he has bravely fought to overcome and his best result was sixth two years ago.
Former British Superbike Champion Leon Camier makes just his third MotoGP appearance after replacing the injured Nicky Hayden at Drive M7 Aspar Honda. The Kent rider has done a superb job and scored his first championship point with a hard fought 15th place at the previous Brno round.
Ulsterman Michael Laverty picked up his first points of the season the week before at Indianapolis and together with team-mate Australian Broc Parkes make it a special day for the Cumbrian based Paul Bird Motorsport team.
World Supersport Champion Sam Lowes is having a tough time in his Moto2 debut season and there will be no better place than Silverstone to get it back on track. The Lincolnshire based Speed – Up rider may not have scored any championship points since the Italian Grand Prix but has shown the pace in qualifying and the early part of races to be challenging for podium finishes. He has crashed too much and will be desperate to put it right in the 19 lap race on Sunday.
Londoner Gino Rea deserves a good home result after soldiering on in the most competitive of championships. Riding the AGT Rea Racing Suter he will be praying for some rain to help him improve on his five championship points haul.
Wiltshire’s Danny Kent and Scotsman John McPhee will be chasing podium finishes in the explosive Moto3™ Championship. Kent secured his first podium of the season with a brilliant third place at the previous round in Brno. Sixteen riders were fighting for a podium finish and Kent, riding the Red Bull Ajo Husqvarna, showed the form and fight that brought him two grands prix wins in 2012. McPhee is desperate for points for very different reasons. The talented 20 year SaxoPrint-RTG Honda rider has been brought down in the early stages of the last two races. He’s desperate for his luck to change and where better than his home grand prix.
Stop Press
Ulsterman Jeremy McWilliams is poised to make a grand prix comeback riding the Brough Superior Carbon 2 machine in the Moto2 race at Silverstone. Dakota Mamola makes his grand prix debut in the Moto2 race replacing former 125cc World Champion Nico Terol in the Mapfre Aspar Moto2 team. He is the son of 13 times grand prix winner and runner-up four times in the World 500cc Championship Randy Mamola.
Lorenzo chases fourth Silverstone win
Jorge Lorenzo chases his fourth Silverstone victory to bring Movistar Yamaha their first win of the season at the Hertz British Grand Prix on Sunday. The Spaniard has won three out of the four present day grands prix at the 3.666 miles Silverstone circuit and has finished on the podium at the last three races. His Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi has finished on the podium seven times this season and lies third in the championship behind the Repsol Honda duo of Marc Marquez and Brno winner Dani Pedrosa. World Champion Marquez lost his 100% record at the previous round in Brno but was fastest the next day in testing. He has only won once at Silverstone in the 125cc class and last year was involved in a fantastic battle with Lorenzo despite dislocating his shoulder in the morning warm-up. While he struggled with grip problems in the Brno race his team-mate Pedrosa, who is also the lap record holder at Silverstone, won to continue the Honda domination winning the opening 11 races of the 18 round championship.
Behind the factory foursome it promises to be a fierce 20 lap battle with the Ducati’s of Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone bound to be near the front at the start. Both qualified on the front row at Brno and finished fifth and sixth respectively in the race. Aleix Espargaro is another good qualifier on the NGM Forward Racing Open class Yamaha and is involved in a tremendous battle with his younger brother Pol for sixth place in the championship. Moto2 World Champion Pol has made an impressive MotoGP debut on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha despite crashing out in Brno.
German Stefan Bradl is a Moto2 Silverstone winner and is on equal points with Bradley Smith in the championship as they fight it out for ninth place. Leon Camier will continue to replace Nicky Hayden at Drive M7 Aspar Honda. The 2006 World Champion hopes to return at Misano following surgery on his injured wrist while Alex De Angelis replaces Colin Edwards for the remainder of the season at NGM Forward Racing Yamaha.
Silverstone Shorts
The first Motorcycle Grand Prix was held at Silverstone in 1977 on the 2.927 mile circuit. The 28 lap 81.956 mile race was won by American Pat Hennen in 45m 31.96 s at an average speed of 108.007 mph. World Champion Barry Sheene had qualified on pole but retired with mechanical problems. British riders Steve Parrish and John Williams led going into the last lap but both crashed when it started to rain. No British rider has won the premier class race at the British Grand Prix.
The Silverstone circuit, that staged the very first World Formula One race in 1950, hosted the British Motorcycle Grand Prix from 1977 until 1986 when it switched to Donington Park. It returned to the 3.666 mile Silverstone circuit in 2010 where it has been ever since. Jorge Lorenzo won that first race in 41m 34.083s at an average speed of 105.870 mph. The Spanish Yamaha rider has won three times at Silverstone with Casey Stoner the only other winner in the premier class.
A round of the World Championship has been staged in Britain since the first year of the championship in 1949. The very first round of the World Championship was staged on the legendary 37.730 mile mountain circuit at the Isle of Man TT races. Harold Daniel won that first 500cc race in three hours 02.18.6s in the seven lap 264.110 mile race. The mountain circuit was deemed too dangerous in 1976 with many of the top riders boycotting the races and the World Championship switched to Silverstone a year later.
American Freddie Spencer finished fourth in the 1985 250cc race to clinch the World title. He also won the 500cc race and a week later won the 500cc race in Sweden to clinch the World Championship. He is the only rider to have won both 250 and 500cc World titles in the same season. From pole position Spencer won the 28 lap 500cc race at Silverstone in the pouring rain. He averaged 99.695 mph after 81.956 grueling miles, which was almost ten seconds slower than his pole setting time in the dry.
Ian McConnachie became the first British rider to win a solo grand prix at Silverstone with victory in the 1986 80cc race. Last year Scott Redding became just the second British solo winner at Silverstone with victory in the Moto2 race. Redding is still the youngest ever grand prix winner with his victory in the 125cc race at the 2009 British Grand Prix at Donington Park.
Just 0.01s separated Angel Nieto and Ricardo Tormo when they crossed the line in the 1982 125cc race at Silverstone. Three years earlier just 0.03s separated Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene in an epic 500cc race. They constantly swapped the lead in the 28 lap, 81.956 mile battle with Roberts averaging 114.514 mph for the race that is still talked about today. Roberts had won the preview year and was also victorious in 1983. Another American Randy Mamola won the 500cc race in 1980 and 1984. South African World Champion Kork Ballington won three 250cc races in 1977, 79 and 80. Spaniard Angel Nieto won six 125 races at Silverstone between 1978 and1984.
Facts and Figures
Circuit Length: 5.902 kms/3.666 miles
Width: 17m
Pole Position: Left
Longest Straight: 770m/0.478 miles
Left Corners: Eight
Right Corners: Ten
Pole Position Record: Marc Marquez/Honda 2’00.691 (2013)
Lap Record: Dani Pedrosa/Honda 2'01.941 (2013)
Television Times
BT Sport Schedule (unless stated this will be on BT Sport 2)
Tuesday 26th August
8.00pm – MotoGP Tonight (BT Sport 1) Special show with World Champion Marc Marquez
Friday 29th August
8.30am – British Grand Prix – FP1 - LIVE
12.00pm – British Grand Prix – FP2 - LIVE
Saturday 30th August
8.30am – British Grand Prix – Free Practice/ Qualifying - LIVE
Sunday 31st August
10.30am – British Grand Prix - Moto3/Moto2/MotoGP Races - LIVE
Tuesday 2nd September
8.00pm - MotoGP Tonight: (BT Sport 1)
ITV4 Schedule
Monday 10th September
8.00pm – MotoGP Highlights Programme