Some of the top riders gracing the MotoGP paddock have commented on the fact that the Silverstone track is particularly bumpy this year. Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, Ducati’s Cal Crutchlow, and Monster Yamaha’s Bradley Smith have all said that they have had to contend with a rather ‘bumpy’ track today, during the free practice sessions.
Some riders believe the bumpiness is down to the fact that the track gets used all year round. Turn one appears to be the worst culprit for the riders, with some stating that the track is 'ripping up’ in places.
“The bumps are out there for everyone, but we need to find the right set up to be smoother. It is different with the bumps, but everyone is in the same boat. In some corners especially from turn one it was a little bit scary because of the wind and the bumps - it was a little bit crazy, but the rest of the track was OK,” said Marquez at the track.
“The wind was a problem but the more I pushed the less I could feel the wind pressure, but turn 11 and 12 were really impressive especially over the bumps. But, yes the bumps are a little bit bigger [compared to last year].
Crutchlow understands that everyone is in the same position, and even though part of the circuit was resurfaced for the MotoGP championship, they can still feel the bumps underneath the bikes when out on track.
“They should stop F1 cars wrecking it for us, as a couple of years ago it was really good. They resurfaced turn one last year for us, and already it appears a bit like a motocross track, and it is already starting to rip up, but it is the same for everyone,” said Crutchlow, at the track.
“The biggest issue is making the front of the bike copy the bumps instead of bouncing around on top of them, I think that is the biggest issue for everyone, really, but it is bumpy,” said Smith at the circuit.
“I have adapted my riding style, but the biggest problem this year is bumps, there are bumps everywhere on this track. F1 or cars have really chewed it up this year, especially at turn one.”
