Cycle News

VOL. 55 ISSUE 36 SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 P123 already caused problems since the longest lap of the year was fully resurfaced at the start of this year. Silverstone manage- ment decided to ignore it; Dorna's representatives failed to find out. Everybody thought it would be all right on the night. It was not. This GP started out embar- rassing. The much-vaunted new asphalt was an instant disappointment. The consis- tent surface did improve on the patchwork it replaced. But it was consistently bumpy. If anything even bumpier than before, in whole new places, that couldn't be blamed on the dreaded F1 syndrome. Worse followed. In Saturday's FP4 there was a very localized deluge on the furthest part of the track. The first such, after the long dry summer? Surely not. The result was shocking. The track's drainage wasn't inad- equate. It was absent. Six riders aquaplaned off at the end of the fast Hangar straight. One of them was badly hurt—Tito Rabat, with a shock- ing triple leg fracture after he'd fallen, just got to his feet, and was hit by another bike. Now cancellation became a real possibility. If only they'd pulled the plug then, then 55,000 spectators would have been saved a dismal and expen- sive day in the damp and cold. If Dorna's track homologation system had been up to snuff, it wouldn't even have got that far. On Sunday, as forecast, the rains came. Not particularly heavy, but persistent. And when the time came for the MotoGP race, switched with Moto3 to run first to avoid the expected weather—the track was unride- able. Even on the sighting laps, riders were wheel-spinning and aquaplaning. The water pooled in the depressions, and formed great sheets "like a mirror" at several places. There followed a farrago of postponements and reschedul- ing and slithery safety-car laps. The fans' patience was tested to breaking point. Silverstone is still prevaricating about plans for refunds. We shall see. Finally at four p.m the axe fell. But it was not wielded by the authorities, still hoping for the best. In fact the expected "weather window" did arrive, but too late. It was the riders who called an impromptu meeting (not all of them were even aware of it, with Dovizioso the most prominent absentee), and de- clared they would not race. At least they'd managed a firm decision. Was it the right one? Hard to say not; even if the tail did wag the dog. Now it was time to start apportioning blame. Certainly Silverstone owners the British Racing Drivers Club, Managing Director Stuart Pringle and resurfacing contractors Ag- gregate Industries had jointly ac- complished a signal blemish on British motor sport. But Dorna's rider safety delegate Loris Capirossi and FIM safety officer Franco Uncini should share the blame, for it is their responsibility to ensure that tracks are fit for use, and there had been several missed signals at problematic previous race meetings at the resurfaced Silverstone. But the track must bear the brunt of it. How could a premier British racing venue commission a resurfacing so bad that one of its premier events is unable to go ahead? Just because it rained. As usual. Contractors Aggregate In- dustries has a long history and an impressive portfolio. Their website boasts of "unsurpassed technical knowledge"—how can they have missed by so far? They laid a track with water-pooling hollows and shuddering bumps. Perhaps it was a matter of the track's penny-pinching budget, perhaps just hubris, or perhaps extremes of unusual weather. It's still a disgrace. Earlier this year, F1 champ Lewis Hamilton was unequivo- cal. "The people they hired did the worst job ever. It's bumpier than the Nordschleife [Nürbur- gring], which is 100 years old." At least the F1 guys had a race. Maybe that's all that mat- ters to Silverstone. CN

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