It’s easy to forget sometimes, but there are a number of classic MotoGP circuits that we haven’t raced at in two whole years. Thanks to the outbreak of COVID-19 last year, the sport was restricted to European tracks, and not even the full roster was available there. If we race at any of the Asian circuits in 2022 – Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia – it will have been three whole years since MotoGP bikes raced in those locations. Even tracks such as Qatar were absent last year, meaning riders had to adjust to a track they hadn’t had to think about in 24 months.
So it is with a mix of unbridled joy and trepidation that the MotoGP paddock returns to Silverstone for the 2021 British grand prix. This is a circuit that has an incredible record as one of the sport’s spiritual homes, with Britain representing a huge portion of both the fanbase and the riders themselves since the inception of world championship racing. The location of the British round of the championship has changed several times, but we’ve been racing at Silverstone since 2010, and it has produced some of the true classic races of the modern era.
It’s also a track with some historical issues, namely in regards to the weather. The 2018 British grand prix was a washout, with rain pouring down from the beginning of the day, and while initially it was deemed fine to hold a wet weather race, safety cars quickly dispersed that theory in one of the more comical moments of the season. The track failed to naturally disperse any of the water that was building up, instead causing it to form in massive puddles that left even the safety cars drifting around corners with no control whatsoever. After several meetings with the riders, the last of which concluded with a vote, the track was deemed unsafe and the race was cancelled.
While the issues with standing water appear to have been resolved, there was talk for some time afterwards about a change of location for the British grand prix. The newly formed Circuit of Wales was actually supposed to take over as host of the annual event from 2016 onwards, but a slew of financial issues have meant that the track has never been completed to a degree that satisfies the FIM, so Silverstone has simply stayed on for the years afterwards. Regardless of the state of the track, however, fans continue to show up in droves every season to celebrate motorcycle racing in one of the truly iconic nations of the sport, and this year will be no different.
Last time we raced here, we were treated to one of the most spectacular duels in the history of the MotoGP class. After a turn one incident involving Fabio Quartararo and Andrea Dovizioso ruled both riders out of the race, Marc Marquez took the lead and pushed ahead in an attempt to break the pack and secure a comfortable 25 points. This was a strategy that had worked a number of times already that season alone – such was the difference between Marc and the competition at the height of his powers – but on this occasion, he was followed by a wiry Suzuki rider with a knack for usurping legends. Alex Rins and Marquez ended up having a dogfight over the last few laps that ended in a gutsy move up the inside on the final corner, with Rins defeating Marc by just 0.013 seconds.
Being the reigning victor at this circuit will bring hope to Rins in a season where he has looked desperately short of it. Rins currently sits thirteenth in the championship, with no podiums to his name and just a single top five finish from eleven starts. The Spaniard is struggling, and while part of the problem likely stems from the lack of a rear height adjuster for the first half of the season, one might also assume that his problems stem from the other side of the garage. It’s never easy being teammates with a world champion, and Rins will especially be feeling this given that he was supposed to be the lead rider in this partnership.
How do you return from a slump like this? Patience, for starters. Rins has crashed out of a number of races this year while in contention for a podium position, so he clearly has the pace and the ability to compete, but he needs to steady the ship and maintain his calm in these situations should they arise again. Joan Mir had a spectacular turnaround in form over the Austrian double-header, proving that the rear height issue really was the only thing holding him back from his championship-winning form of last year, and Rins will likely be frustrated that his form hasn’t bounced back in a similar fashion. The Spaniard simply needs to stay calm, focus on himself, and trust that the wins will start coming soon.
The bookies favourite for the win this year will likely be Quartararo. The Frenchman heads into this round with 47 points in his back pocket after a very impressive defensive display in Austria, and arrives here in Silverstone knowing that it is a track that has long been favoured by Yamaha riders. The flowing nature of the track means it’s difficult for horsepower kings Ducati and Honda to abuse their top speeds, and with the improved acceleration from the Yamahas this season it all points to Quartararo’s bike being the best suited to win on Sunday. In addition to all that, he’s taken a whopping seven podiums from eleven starts this season, including four wins, and has looked more consistent than any other rider. Will this be the weekend where he begins to seal the deal on his first world title?
Well, it might not be that simple. Despite this being his third season in the premier class, Quartararo has never completed a race lap of Silverstone on a MotoGP bike. Thanks to the 2020 round being cancelled and his lap one crash in 2019, Quartararo has experienced just a single corner’s worth of the British track under race conditions, and this lack of experience could hurt him. If he does intend to win here on Sunday, he will need to get some serious preparations done during free practice sessions on the weekend, and focus on his race trim more than he usually would. This is not to say he should be discounted as a favourite to win, but a warning that it might not come as easily as he would hope.
His challengers, as always, will come in many and varied forms. Despite the track not historically favouring the Ducati factory, Dovizioso did win here in 2017, and that will bring some hope to the current slew of talent on board Bologna bullets. Bagnaia and Zarco are both still in with a shot at the championship, and handing a shock defeat to Quartararo at a track he should be favoured in would be a great way to kick their respective challenges back into gear. Similarly, Mir should never be discounted from challenging for the win, though like Quartararo he will suffer somewhat from a lack of experience at this particular circuit. The reigning champion will likely be buoyed by his teammate’s success here in 2019 in the same way that Yamaha’s past victories here will boost Quartararo’s hopes.
One man who can probably be counted out is Marc Marquez. Despite coming fractionally close to winning here the last time MotoGP visited, the eight-times champion is clearly still suffering from the condition of his arm. Seeing him at the front of the race in Austria was a breath of fresh air, and had the conditions not changed in the way they did he likely would have contested for his second podium of the season, but this doesn’t mean we can expect a return to the norm for Marc. Not only is his physical state still not perfect, but the bike underneath him is not as competitive as it used to be, and the team around him is in shambles. It saddens me to say it, but it would appear we are still some time away from seeing a return of the Marc Marquez of old, if it ever happens at all.
Whatever happens this weekend, Quartararo will head out of Silverstone with the championship lead, and given the unpredictable nature of this season that will be a huge relief to him. Whether he extends that lead or not will come down to the Frenchman himself, and which of his rivals are able to take the fight to him. Let’s just hope the weather doesn’t interfere, and leave us with another safety car race and a swathe of disappointed British fans.
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