After races at Indianapolis and Brno, the Ducati Team now find themselves on the other side of the English Channel for the third and final event in a busy month of August: at the Silverstone circuit, the venue for Sunday’s British Grand Prix, round 12 of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship.
In recent years Andrea Dovizioso has obtained some good results at Silverstone, stepping on the podium as runner-up in 2010 and 2011, but last year he had to retire. His team-mate Cal Crutchlow on the other hand has not really had much MotoGP fortune in his home race, finishing sixth in 2012, while in 2013 he could only manage seventh after qualifying on the front row of the grid.
The Ducati Team riders have arrived in the UK after taking part in a two-day test at Misano at the start of this week, in preparation for the TIM GP di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, which takes place there in mid-September. Crutchlow only tested on day 1 and then returned to the UK for checks on his left shoulder, which was damaged in his crash at Brno. The British rider however will be lining up as usual for his home GP.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04)
“The Silverstone track is really nice, but it’s also rather strange and very difficult. In 2014 we seem to have improved at virtually every track, especially those where we struggled last year, so I’m feeling pretty confident about this weekend. We’ll have to see what the weather will be like, because in England when it rains the conditions are not exactly ideal for racing on bikes!”
Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team #35)
“I like Silverstone, it’s got a bit of everything – stop/start corners, fast straights, fast corners – and it’s a track that most riders like. I’ve had some good races there over my career, although not in MotoGP, and I look forward to going there again this year. It’s difficult for the crowd to get the sense of how fast we’re going and the lean angles because they are well back from the track but the crowd always turn out in force and it’s great to be a Brit at your home race.”
The Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone, which is situated between Oxford and Northampton and is a couple of hours from central London, started life as an RAF military base, and is the longest circuit on the calendar, as well as being one of the fastest. With over sixty years’ of history behind it, it is one of the most prestigious venues in the world, and organizes races from every category of two and four wheel motorsport. Considerable financial investment has allowed a series of improvements to be made from 2010 onwards, coinciding with the return of MotoGP to the Northamptonshire circuit.
Fastest lap: 2013 Pedrosa (Honda), 2’01.941 (174.1 km/h)
Qualifying: 2013 Marquez (Honda), 2’00.691 (175.9 km/h)
Track length: 5.900 km
Race length: 20 laps (118.0 km)
Corners: 18 (8 left, 10 right)
Race start: 1 pm (GMT +1)
Andrea Dovizioso
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP14
Race number: 04
Age: 28 (born on 23 March 1986 in Forlimpopoli, Italy)
Residence: Forlì (Italy)
Races: 215 (117 x MotoGP, 49 x 250cc, 49 x 125cc)
First GP: 2001 Italian GP (125cc)
Wins: 10 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First win: 2004 South African GP (125cc)
Poles: 14 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)
First pole: 2003 French GP (125cc)
World titles: 1 (1 x 125cc)
Cal Crutchlow
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP14
Race number: 35
Age: 28 (born on 29 October 1985 in Coventry, UK)
Residence: Isle of Man
Races: 62 (62 x MotoGP)
First GP: 2011 Qatar
Poles: 2
First pole: 2013 Assen TT
