The hydroplaning issue that led to the injury of Tito Rabat in practice yesterday returned as rain pelted the circuit on Sunday. After taking a sighting lap, the MotoGP riders concurred that pooled water on areas of the track with poor drainage made racing unsafe. The rain never let up sufficiently to allow any of the GP races to go forward, and the entire event was cancelled.
The next round of the MotoGP championship will be held at Misano on September 9.
See more of MD’s great photography:
When I’m riding on the street in the rain I slow down for puddles to remain upright. Chance of hydroplaning? Slow down. We are talking professional riders on rain tires with way better skills and judgment than than average Joe on the street. GP riders lose traction in the dry and fall down, so the answer is to ADAPT to the conditions, puddles and all.
Many of us have been riding for 50 years or more, held dangerous jobs etc., and we are still alive mostly due to common sense. In racing the same rules apply. Sure, everyone wants to win, but to cancel a race due to a wet track seems stupid…unless we’re talking Snowflakes.
Anyone using “common sense” who saw what happened to Tito Rabat in FP4 would have a hard time using the argument of adapting to the conditions. If the track was just wet then yes but it was patently dangerous. Did you see the footage of the safety car during the time they were waiting to start the race?
These guys are racers, not street riders, there’s massive motivation to take risks to beat the next guy, its their job. The most powerful motivator on the street is making it to the destination alive whilst having a good time so I don’t think that’s a great comparison
It was a good call from all involved, a hard one and not popular but I for one want to see all the racers go home healthy and ready to race another round, I’m not sure this would have happened if the race continued.
Totally agree Zedzded
Comparing street riding to racing, let alone MotoGP, is just farcical.
Geat lead photo.
Good to see Rabat standing:
https://www.gpone.com/en/2018/08/27/motogp/rabat-to-see-dr-mir-on-thursday-in-barcelona.html
I was not there in England to see the track conditions but have to think the weather must have been awful.
I attended a couple of motogp races when they were at Indy and one in particular (the first running I believe) was in some of the most horrible weather I can imagine. Storms had blown in as a result of a hurricane a week before in the gulf and it blasted Indy on race day. The 125’s (remember those?) ran first as usual but with the weather getting worse they cancelled the 250’s (remember those?) and went straight to the big bikes.
It was more than apparent the powers to be we’re going to put on the best show they could. As the race wore on the storm intensified and I stood in amazement at how much trash could blow across the track in 60mph winds. I remember a fella standing close by who was wearing one of those $3 plastic rain ponchos and the wind ripped it from his body and sent it sailing across the track as bikes passed by on the straight away. And still the race continued. Not until some air fencing became uprooted and blew around did they cut the race short, I believe on lap 21.
It was amazing and frightful to watch. I couldn’t believe they let the race run as long as they did and I felt relieved when they called it as I am not one of those who enjoys watching crashes.
So based on my very limited experience watching motogp in person, I will give credit to those who decided to cancel the race.
I don’t know that it was raining that hard at Silverstone. That wasn’t the problem, in any event. Even a light rain was pooling water that wouldn’t drain off.
Yeah, I was at that race at Indy, but recall they have the big street sweepers that they bring out to clear the water off the track. Maybe Dorna needs to buy a couple of those and transport them to each event??
I had quite forgotten about those until you mentioned it. Looked like a jet engine on the back of a truck with the exhaust angled down and to the side to push water off the track.
Agreed – with their budget you’d think Dorna would have that type of equipment. Pretty pathetic to see the safety cars circling the track in an attempt to disperse the water. Must have been pretty bad water as the one being driven at pace kept losing the back end.
There are big analyses from the Euro reporters – see Motomatters and Motorsport mag sites. Sounds like the repaving went full Tango Uniform.
Drill a couple of holes in the track and then fix it later. Cut a thin water drain into it.
The Ohlins branded rubber ducks in the photo are pretty odd swag. But I want one.
It’s England. It rains a lot. They had no contingency for something like this? I guess 99% of the time they run the race rain or shine but it sucks either way. Marquez is the only one who benefits.
The high tech BMW M5 used to examine the track, loaded with all kinds of electronic aids, and by the way equipped with 4 wheels, was going sideways…
Is it Dorns’a position that they had no legal responsibility to confirm how this track is with rain water on it, prior to this race? Was this not just normal rainfall inches per time frame? Sorry, that don’t pass the smell test at all. Imagine the people who went there expecting a race. What a hassle.
I really don’t care about the money, just curious.
Do video subscribers have legal standing to demand Dorna refund the cost of this one race? $150/about 14 races = over $10 per race.
Anyone ever demanded such refund? Outcome?
Good question. Suspect you’d not have much luck, but maybe if you were very persistent with customer service. I believe it’s 19 races (now 18) this year though. I suppose in a sense you we just dropped back to the status quo.
Was any reason given as to why they simply didn’t reschedule it for tomorrow, or whenever the next dry day is, knowing that the following round is a full two weeks away in relatively nearby Italy?
A Monday race was proposed and pushed for by several teams. I read that option was declined “due in part to the lack of available marshalls. (It’s a UK holiday apparently.) I can’t believe that as volunteer Marshalls from Spain and Italy would have swum across the English Channel to fix this problem if necessary. Surely, that can’t be the main reason, but who knows.
Mike Webb from Race Direction also implied that there may have been some “commercial reasons” as to why the Monday race couldn’t take place, parts of the discussion he says he wasn’t included in and therefore couldn’t offer any specifics on.
I also understand that some teams have testing scheduled during the week and weren’t keen on losing a travel day.
It seems to me that any team using “not wanting to miss out on testing” as a reason to justify cancelling a GP race has pretty peculiar priorities.
Lot of moving parts in a circus this big, including some I’m sure you and I wouldn’t think of (just spitballing…possible legal issues on various fronts, insurance issues, rider contracts, disputes over costs, previously scheduled stuff like air carrier services for freight, etc., etc.) I wasn’t surprised at all that they didn’t reschedule.
Freddie once said, when cancellation was mentioned that “riders of our caliber are supposed to be adaptable.”
To a point. Suggest you read Mat Oxley’s article on this.
I found a video stream and was shocked that it was sunny. I hadn’t paid much attention but enough to know it wasn’t supposed to be sunny. Miracle I figured. Then I figured out it was a replay of two weeks ago. Jokes on me.
They should run it in the rain. It’s a “World” championship, show you got what it takes to race in the rain is part of the world on this (wet) space rock. So pick a line around the puddles, no big deal.
So what if the track doesn’t drain perfectly, none of the tracks I ever raced in the rain did!
Pacific Raceways/Seattle had mudslides between turns 5 and 6, we just stood the bikes up and motored on. The Canadians I raced with at Westwood practiced in the rain! Dry days for those guys was a gift!
Well, they practiced in the rain with several crashes and a serious, perhaps career ending injury. This is BIG BUSINESS and I suspect the decision to cancel the race was done after much deliberation. I, for one, am glad race directors put rider safety ahead of $$$$$.
Their brakes do not operate properly in the cold wet, and apparently the teams no longer bring conventional steel brakes with them.
Where did you hear that the teams no longer bring steel brakes with them? If they run rain tires, they always run steel discs. That hasn’t changed.
With covers
I think the best moment was when the journalist at the press conference pointed out that it has rained since the track was resurfaced and you are telling us that since then, nobody has gone out to the track to assess what it looked like in the wet. The response was apparently not and that you just inspect in the dry and trust it is ok in the wet. Gimme a break, are you saying that no one in the organisation knew that the track would not drain or just hoped everything would be ok because money depended on it. Either way it is bad, very stupid bad. Would not be surprised if next year without an assurance that the track has been fixed many will be watching the weather report before buying into this event.
Yep, not to mention several rainy races since the resurface and all were bitching. Like I say, there’s lots of coverage on this on the Euro sites so check it out. I’m awaiting Cameron’s take too, for that matter.
This is just my reaction, based only on the limited info available. My translation: Spanish-owned MotoGP’s Spanish golden boy, MM, has higher risk to lose than gain by today’s race, especially with Jorge’s recent success. Hence, MotoGP cancelled the race.
MM saying “Safety is first” is one of the biggest crocks ever spoken or typed. He should run for office when he hangs up his leathers. This from the guy who two weeks ago touched elbows with JL, in the neighborhood of 180mph, knowing that Jorge is so far down in the standings that the difference between MM finishing 1 or 2 is virtually nothing? IOW, MM risked going down, more than once, for no good reason except to compete and confirm to the world he has a titanium pair, and now he says “Safety is first?” Pure unadulterated bull feces, sorry, not even close.
I noticed that British Cal Crutchlow, probably generally well above average in the rain, is not at all happy about the cancellation.
Is MotoGP the only earth-bound organization to whom it’s news that it rains, a lot, in England? This cancellation “Stinks to high heaven.”
Are you seriusly suggesting that Dorna was eager to cancel a GP to boost Marquez’ chances of winning a title? You can’t really believe that. It’s just too ridiculous.
Yes, ridiculous is right, especially when you factor in the fact that Lorenzo……is also from Spain. Debunked.
Out of the entire paddock, there were only two riders in favor of starting the race: Zarco and Miller. Don’t think there is any conspiracy going on here.
Did you watch FP4?
Provologna,one possible explanation for your utterly ridiculous “translation” of today’s race is that you are a Rossi fan. Pinning this on Marquez is absurd.
It benefits MM, but it’s 100% Dorna’s call.
Crutchlow wanted to race. If someone thinks he lied, please explain.
I don’t give a hoot about Rossi on this subject. It’s crystal clear he’s not competitive v. MM, even though he’s in 2nd place last I looked. I fully accept that, I’m not delusional. It’s been about what, 8-10 years since Rossi won the crown? It looks like his time is over.
Don’t want to crash? Ride slower! That’s not a mystery.
Just answer this question: Which rider has the most to lose in a race in extreme weather?
You’re flat out wrong. Crutchlow was adamant that it wasn’t fit for racing. In fact, he said the same thing when rain threatened the Austrian race last time out.
Two riders did want to run- Redding and Miller. They reasoned that they had nothing to lose. They were both interviewed, admitted that it was very dangerous, but thought assessed the risk-verses-payback as worthwhile. They’re allowed to express themselves of course, but that’s not a consensus, is it?
If you watched 7 riders run on within 20 seconds of one another during qualifying on Saturday, when Rabat was totalled by a flying bike, and then consider that there were more than a dozen marshals in the same trap at that time, you tell me where that makes sense.
The re-laying of the circuit is where the blame starts and stops in this instance. Rain in the UK is not a rare occurrence!
The nature of the Rossi vs Marquez feud poisons everything once again. If MM wins the title by less than 25 points this year, the yellow sheep will have something to bleat about. Hopefully this comforts them in their bitterness.
Rossi obviously didn’t want to race, but didn’t say anything. He’d have campaigned to run the race otherwise. He let the team make an announcement which said that it was too dangerous.
There’s a significant proportion of MotoGP crowds that want to see riders, and especially MM, crashing. There have been several instances.
People who attend for that reason should go and watch WWE.
“the yellow sheep will have something to bleat about”….. that just gets funnier every time I read it. Thanks for the laugh.
Marquez could sit the race out if he wanted to and still see no threat to his title. Or he could coast along in 8th place and let the maniacs like Miller, Zarco and Bautista risk life and limb with whoever else was reckless enough to charge for the front.
I don’t buy that he has the most to lose. Quite the opposite. Of all riders on the grid, Marquez can easily afford to lose.
interesting point of view…
you are suggesting MM can not race well enough on a wet track.
MM was fastest in both FP2 and FP3 (both of which were ran on a wet track) as well as FP4 at the very last GP race….remember???
also, MM lost an opportunity to extend his point lead in the Championship race.
get some rest…you need it.
This is unworthy of response, except to say that–as we used to put it–“The smeller is the feller.” Pretty lame.
Of course I don’t know if the Brit weathermen had warned that this rain was going to be set in place for the next several days, but otherwise, with all the costs and prize monies and championship points and TV money involved, they could NOT hold over and run it Monday, especially as they only have to get to Italy in two weeks time?
IKR, you would think they had to travel by horse drawn wagons to get to Italy.
Yamaha has a test scheduled this week in Spain. Apparently they were already planning on adding addition drivers to make that test according to the portion of the live MotoGP stream I was watching this morning before giving up. A would assume that would have have figured heavily in there not being a Monday race. Especially since they are hoping to test the 2019 engine that didn’t make it to the Misano test last week.