By The Karr report…
Want to know just how windy it was at Silverstone? Just look at the guy trying to hold on to that red flag at the race start, much like a cat caught stealing a slice of pizza.
Our regular racing order was jumbled around a tad, giving the Moto2 guys first try at the track on Sunday. The Premier Class would go second, and the Juniors had to wait until last to get their race in.
Why, you ask?
Because British GP. Because Formula One.
Moto3:
Moodley’s back! But he arrived at Silverstone dragging a Double Long Lap Penalty along earned way back when he instigated the crash that ruled him out for a while.
We welcome the BSB regular stand-in, local boy Max Cook, to the grid.
Max’s BSB-buffness would count against him in the Junior class. Just have at it, and have some fun seun.
Esteban made another guest appearance, this time for Fernández, who suffered a hernia in his leg. Eina.
Almansa had to complete one Long Lap Penalty for being too slow on the line during Qualifying, while Yamanaka had to do two.
Rueda, who initially took pole, was sent to the back of the grid for going slow on the line and impeding other riders on their flying laps in Q2, after having set his own best lap time.
This meant that Carpe was promoted to pole, his first in Moto3, though we don’t think that’s how he envisioned earning it. Piqueras would now start from second, and Almansa, penalty and all, would start from third.
Moodley also benefited from this, as the entire grid moved up one spot.
On the opening lap, Foggia’s motorcycle developed stage fright, and refused to race, forcing him to coast onto the grass, where he levered himself out of the seat and left his daft bike in the hands of the marshals.
While leading on Lap Four, Kelso tumbled off the track at Turn Seventeen, following a bout of motorcycle-hiccups.
Though he was quick to remount, he had some trouble getting his bike to go again, angrily gesticulating at the marshals who were running to his aid too slowly in his opinion.
On Lap Five, Lunetta dove down the inside of Muñoz; there was contact, and Muñoz’s bike dropped him off on-track, in order to show off its figure-skating moves. The bike did a near-perfect mid-air pirouette, after farting out a streak of flaming liquid and doing two bunny-hops. We score it an eight-point-five out of ten, subtracting points for not nailing the landing.
Luckily, the race wasn’t Red-Flagged, but Lunetta did end up having to visit the Long Lap Loop once for ‘Causing a Crash’.
Meanwhile, an epic thirteen, fourteen, many-bike battle was being waged for the top honours.
One of those in the skirmish for the podium, Piqueras, found himself sliding off the track on the final lap, after some contact with a wobbly Furusato.
It was a lonely walk down pitlane for Piqueras.
From back of the grid, to winning the race: Rueda showed everyone what he was capable of, and in the process became only the third rider to win a race from the last grid slot.
Quiles claimed second, his maiden Moto3 podium, while Lunetta – long lap and all – finished third.
We rank that final-lap scrap between Rueda and Quiles a solid ten-out-of-ten. What a fight!
Moodley completed the race in twenty-second.
After one of the liveliest, most enthusiastic post-race interviews we’ve ever seen, we had one request: More Quiles in Parc Fermé, please!
Moto2:
The First race of Sunday, and possibly the best one of the day to boot.
Before we get to the racing, there is an Injury List.
- Escrig, Le Mans injury, replaced by Dani Munoz;
- Binder, his left arm still very much out of play;
- Veijer, Le Mans wrist fracture;
- Huertas, Le Mans collarbone broken;
- Aji, shoulder dislocation on Friday, again, will be seen by doctors to see why this keeps happening.
Sasaki had to start three positions lower than he managed to qualify, for his prior transgressions.
What. A. Race.
Though there were very few crashers – three in total – the amount of barging and bashing suggest that there could easily have been many more.
Ortolá was first to crash, on Lap Four. But his crashing was all but forgotten when we witnessed a bombshell dropping very shortly after.
When González tried to thrust it on the inside of Baltus into Turn Six, he thrust a little too hard, and lost his footing. This resulted in him being unseated, his now-horisontal motorcycle shunting Baltus off the track – though the Belgian managed to remain upright.
Just when Baltus aimed his wide arc back towards the track, González’s demon-possessed bike yelled ‘Surprise, mofo!’ and body-slammed into him again. Still, somehow, Baltus did not fall over. Instead, he chose a straight path through the gravel, directly towards the fence.
Crashes aside, we were treated to more overtakes than we could count. Riders were dive bombing, shunting, barging, and plunging their way past one another constantly.
More, please!
All this bashing came to a head in the final lap, when a series of above mentioned moves between the leading riders resulted in a spat of déjà vu for Canet – leading into the final lap, yet not winning the race. Again.
Not without a tiny helping of right-time-right-place-luck, Agius snatched up the victory, his first-ever in Moto2.
Moreira ended up second, and used this opportunity to wish his father a happy birthday. How cute!
Third across the line was Alonso, but only by the thickness of a tortoise’s bicep. This maiden podium made Alonso the first-ever Columbian on a Moto2 podium.
How cool is that?
MotoGP:
Following a nasty highside on Friday, Ogura was declared unfit to compete at Silverstone, doctors suspecting he’d fractured his right tibia.
Morbidelli celebrated his two-hundredth Grand Prix start this weekend. Good job Frankie!
Saturday Sprint Race:
Quartararo had to be pried from his trackside viewing of the Monaco Formula One Qualifying so he could participate in the Sprint Race. We must all endeavour to one day be half as chilled as El Diablo.
On just the second lap, Binder abandoned his KTM at Turn Six, in order to catch up on his cardio. This was no time for a jog Bradford!
Rins shot straight through the gravel at Turn Fifteen, slowing as he reached the air fence, then turned and rejoined the racing. It looked suspiciously like a package drop. Was he trying out for Sixty60?
Could anyone please explain to us why Bagnaia was racing on idle for half of the race, at least? He took a proper beating.
The Sprint Race was won by Márquez – not Marc, for once but Álex, ending Marc’s perfect 2025 streak of Sprint victories. The Elder Márquez had to settle for second this time around, but didn’t seem very phased by this. Meanwhile, a very happy Di Giannantonio claimed the third spot.
(‘Checkered flag waved by Álex Rins’ – first, he tries his hand at deliveries, then he managed to break time and space by both racing and waving the flag simultaneously? Very suspicious indeed, Álex Rins. If that’s even your real name.)
Main Race: When is technology too intrusive?
We might’ve been a little premature in nominating the Moto2 race for Race of the Day… Wooo-eee. Where do we even begin?
At the start, we suppose.
Richard Hammond was caught roaming around the grid, and when asked whether he had ever considered having a go on a MotoGP bike, the Hamster’s ‘NO’ could not have come much faster, or more definite.
We understand, sir Richard, we understand.
The rendition of the British anthem left us… speechless.
With temporarily tinnitus in both ears, too.
Happy twenty-first birthday, Pedro Acosta! You’re a big boy now
As the riders ducked under their screens and the red lights came on, an ominous shadow crossed over the grid ominously. We recall thinking that this could be a bad omen.
Then, moments later, Márquez (Junior), having bolted off the line, had his Ducati lose all footing before he could even properly lean into the first corner, which sent him and his machine clattering into the air fence while trailing sparks all the way. How does gravel make sparks like that?
Near the end of Lap One, Espargaró crashed upon entering Turn Sixteen, bowling Morbidelli off the track in the process.
Both riders walked away physically unscathed, but their eyes spoke of a yearning for some old-fashioned fisticuffs.
On Lap Two, the surviving Márquez tipped it into Maggots and Becketts, but his motorcycle had no intention of actually turning. Marc found himself sliding off on his right side, head-butting the white boxy direction-indicator-barrier thingies out of the way as he went.
But Marc was barely down when the Red Flag began waving – and neither Márquez was the cause.
It turned out that, after Aleix had blasted into him, Morbidelli’s bike had laid down on the track, smoking and crying oily tears onto the tarmac.
Since they didn’t even complete two full laps, it was declared that all riders would be allowed to take the restart, should they be ready in time. Morbidelli was seen being pushed through the pitlane by a few helpful marshals, while Espargaró opted for the healthier option: a refreshing jog.
Last to arrive back at the pits was Álex Márquez, on the back of a scooter. He all but levitated off the seat as they slowed down behind his garage, and flew up the steps faster than we’d deem safe, in order to get into some less-scuffed leathers in time.
The Quick Restart would commence with pitlane opening at 13:20 local time, and just about everyone ended up taking the restart. Race distance was cut by just one lap, to nineteen total, with the original grid.
This time, nobody faltered on the opening lap, but we were treated to one insane, nail biting, and utterly unpredictable race.
No seriously!
Quartararo bolted. By the end of the first lap, he was over a second ahead of the pack. By Lap Two, it was two seconds. It took him a little longer to get to a three-second lead, reaching that milestone on the fourth lap, only to stretch it to over five seconds on the next.
El Diablo seemed unstoppable… But we’ll get back to that in a bit.
During the third lap, the two factory Ducatis took a little sight-seeing detour through the sweeping Turn Nine.
One lap later, Bagnaia’s Ducati abandoned him when they reached Turn Seven. In a fit of Italian self-anger, Pecco walked the two steps to the gravel, then fell to his knees while crying out to the skies above.
Mild tantrum, anyone?
Later, we caught up with him in his box, his face a spitting image of Walter, the always-angry puppet, Jeff Dunham fans would know all too well.
The moment he noticed he was on camera, however, he stomped off, head shaking, and was never seen again.
Quartararo bolted.
By the end of the first lap, he was over a second ahead of the pack. By Lap Two, it was two seconds. It took him a little longer to get to a three-second lead, reaching that milestone on the fourth lap, only to stretch it to over five seconds on the next.
El Diablo seemed unstoppable.
But we’ll get back to that in a bit.
During the third lap, the two factory Ducatis took a little sight-seeing detour through the sweeping Turn Nine.
One lap later, Bagnaia’s Ducati abandoned him when they reached Turn Seven. In a fit of Italian self-anger, Pecco walked the two steps to the gravel, then fell to his knees while crying out to the skies above.
Mild tantrum, anyone?
Remember Quartararo’s epic charge?
Come Lap Twelve, the unfathomable happened – one moment, Quartararo was going hammer-down through the turns, the next, he faltered: It was soon confirmed that his Yamaha’s rear ride-height device had failed, leaving him on a hapless machine with its tail effectively between its legs, unable to continue.
Quartararo limped back to the pits, the poster image of crestfallen, parked his bike against the wall, and fell to the tarmac in a heap of utter despair.
At some point, he managed to get as far as the wall where the actual garage was, where he sat, helmet on , visor down, and tears streaming out from under the lid in great waterfalls. He was inconsolable.
We were relieved to see him later, inside his box, looking much less torn-up, having let all his emotions out.
Were we the only ones who wanted to run to Silverstone, just to give him a massive hug? (We’re not crying, you’re crying… okay we’re crying. You’re crying, too.)
The race continued. Nobody tried to play skittles with the trackside box-bollards again.
Bezzecchi became the eleventh consecutive different winner at Silverstone, with a lead of over four seconds across the finish line. Having looked like he was late for a date from the get-go, Zarco snatched up second. And third was taken by Márquez (Marc, that is) across the line.
It was another difficult race for Binder, who passed the checkered flag in fourteenth, but was demoted to fifteenth for exceeding track limits on the final lap.
His cooky celebratory dance trackside saw Bezzecchi tumble onto his behind post-race. The ‘Crash’ graphic on the replay was a nice touch. Whoever’s in charge of these graphics this season, deserves more than their being paid. Seriously.
Rivola had a message for Martin: ‘…our bike can win…’
Though it was little consolation, Quartararo was declared the Rider of the Race.
Well-deserved, we say.
~ Karr
