With the back-to-back races of the Czech Republic and Austria already consigned to the history books, the British circuit of Silverstone is the venue for the 12th round of the season – an emotional circuit for team SUZUKI ECSTAR, as it was the place where they achieved the first victory of their new MotoGP era, back in 2016.
Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins can’t wait to get rid of the difficulties encountered in the previous two races, where the circuits were not so suitable for the bike’s characteristics, and both are eager to take advantage of the most recent improvements found in the recent GPs and tests, made in the areas of electronics and setup. Last year’s race in Silverstone was a positive one for Rins, who started to show consistent improvements in performance, leading him to better and better results towards the end of the season. On the other hand, Iannone is now focused on turning around the DNF he got here in 2017, due to a crash in the late stages of the race.
The fast circuit snakes around a former airfield, which automatically evokes the sensations of speed and adrenaline, and it’s one of the longest tracks on the calendar. It has been recently re-surfaced with new asphalt, which will make the early laps unpredictable for the riders and will require extra work to better understand how the new grip will affect the GSX-RR’s performance.
Davide Brivio – Team Manager
“We are going to Silverstone, which is normally quite a good circuit for us. We have to focus on building up a positive weekend from the very beginning, starting with the right steps from FP1, and then targeting a positive qualifying and a consistent race. Both Alex and Andrea have the possibility to make a good race here. Of course we will also keep an eye on the weather, which now seems a little uncertain, especially for Sunday. Our goal now is to try to improve our results and get some really positive ones before the end of the season.”
Andrea Iannone
“On paper Silverstone circuit is very suitable for our bike, therefore I think we have all the potential to do a good job and get the strong results that we deserve. We will approach the race weekend with a positive mood, and I hope we will leave the UK with a smile after a nice performance.”
Alex Rins
“Honestly I’m very excited to go to Silverstone because I like its layout and I have some good memories from there. The layout can be quite suitable for our bike, and our improved performances in the last races give me good hope. We have to keep on working in a positive way from the very beginning of the weekend, making our path towards qualifying and getting ready for the race. The new asphalt may give us slightly different feedback on the grip and durability.”
Circuit Info:
With more than 60 years of history, Silverstone has become one of the most prestigious venues dedicated to motorsport. Completely revamped in recent years, the multi-million pound investment saw the completion of the first phase of works which greatly improved the venue in 2010. It has been made into one of the fastest tracks on the MotoGP calendar, and earns high praise from the World Championship riders who enjoy the new layout.
The track is 5.9 km (3.67 miles) in length, with a good balance between left and right hand corners: 8 left and 10 right-handers. Sunday’s race will be run over a total of 20 laps, for a total distance of 118.0 km (73.4 miles).
2017 Stats
ANDREA IANNONE
Qualifying: 15th – 2’01.567 (Q1)
Race: DNF
ALEX RINS
Qualifying: 13th – 2’01.285 (Q1)
Race: 9th – +15.661
Story issued by: Team SUZUKI ECSTAR
