Silverstone’s new surface staged yet another weekend of high-octane action as a stunningly successful GoPro British Grand Prix MotoGP™ event saw incredible racing, huge crowds and lap records smashed in every class.
Tarmac used precision technology and expertise to develop a completely new track surface in June this year ahead of the sell-out Formula One race in July, where Lewis Hamilton set a new track record. The Bank Holiday weekend marked another high point with 114,607 fans visiting the historic Northamptonshire track for the premier motorcycle racing event.
It was immediately clear riders were happy with the bespoke track surface laid by new contractor Tarmac and lap times were fast from the first free practice session on Friday morning.
Reigning MotoGP™ champion Marc Marquez said: “As soon as I went out I felt like it was another track! I enjoyed riding it a lot more and I think so did everyone else. Last year we complained, but this year we have to say congratulations to the circuit because they did a great job.”
Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi said: “”It’s a great pleasure to ride here in Silverstone because they make a very good job.
“The new asphalt has good grip, but the biggest difference is a lot less bumps, so you can push more and ride the bike more at the limit. You can also use the perfect line because in the past Silverstone was very, very bumpy.
“We need to ‘use’ the track this year because maybe in the future come some more bumps, but this year – I don’t want to say perfect – but it’s close to perfect.”
Silverstone Managing Director Stuart Pringle said: “The success of this weekend’s MotoGP™ racing, the incredible lap times, the atmosphere, and the great racing are testament to the incredible hard work by the Silverstone team. Seeing a race finish where the winner is separated from second place by just 0.013 seconds is something special.
“The work we have done on the new track surface has allowed us to rebuild trust with the fans. We know they endured the most miserable of days last year, but we have demonstrated today, Silverstone is back to being a world-class track. ”
Paul Fleetham, managing director of Tarmac’s Construction business said: “It took over 7,000 working hours on site to get the new surface ready using cutting-edge digital construction technology and expertise drawn from across our business.
“The weekend’s incredible spectacle of speed and engineering underlined the success of the resurfacing project, and it’s great that we can now join with the riders and fans in celebrating another important milestone in Silverstone’s long and distinguished history.”
