2023-08-03 20:28:31
The cancellation of the Kazakhstan Grand Prix that should have been held in mid-July brought the MotoGP paddock holidays up a couple of weeks, causing a gap in mid-summer and splitting the season into two halves, despite the fact that they have only been played eight of the twenty scheduled events. In Great Britain begins a frenetic period in which twelve races will be held in seventeen weekends.
The first stop will be at the historic Silverstone circuit, where the championship lands dyed in Ducati red. The fight for the title is up to the pilots of the Italian factory, with three of them standing out. The current world champion, Pecco Bagnaia, is the one with the most ballots to reissue his crown. He went on vacation winning in Assen and leads the standings with 35 and 36 points respectively compared to Jorge Martín and Marco Bezzecchi, his brand mates.
The Madrid driver took advantage of the break to undergo surgery and solve some discomfort that he had been suffering from last season in his left leg. Time played in his favor and he arrived at the English event fully recovered and ready to do battle with the theoretical leader of Ducati’s ranks. “I’m going to focus on myself, without thinking about the other riders, just that I can achieve good results,” commented the San Sebastián de los Reyes rider at the official press conference. When asked if he felt ready to fight for the title, the man from Madrid explained: «In this second part there are circuits that fit my riding and Silverstone is one of them, but there is still a long way to go, we still haven’t played half of the races ».
To date, only the other two European MotoGPs, KTM and Aprilia, have troubled the Ducati, although the only bike capable of stealing a victory from them on a Sunday was Álex Rins’ Honda. The Catalan has been one of the protagonists of the return of MotoGP after making his signing by Yamaha official in 2024; although he will not be at Silverstone as he is still recovering from his double tibia and fibula injury that prevented him from playing the last two rounds before the break.
Rins will not be at Silverstone, where three Spanish riders who could not go on vacation on their motorcycle reappear. The most anticipated return will be that of Pol Espargaró, who was seriously injured on the first day of the season in Portimao and has not been able to compete since then. «I had never been so long without getting on a motorcycle. I have a mixture of emotions because I missed this adrenaline and this routine of traveling and competing that I have been living since I was 15 years old.
Marc Márquez, “realist”
Joan Mir also returns, who had missed the last three appointments due to a painful injury to his right hand, and his teammate Marc Márquez, who, although he was present in Germany and the Netherlands, decided not to go running on Sunday due to various ailments resulting from the falls. Then, the Cervera pilot declared that he needed to reset his body and mind, after he was going through his worst moment at a professional level.
Although he has still landed at Silverstone with ankle and right leg discomfort, the summer break “came at the right time.” “His body was destroyed. I had time to recharge my batteries and rest a bit. Trying to rebuild that confidence that we lost in the last few races”, he explained at the official press conference where, as almost always, most of the questions were for him.
«During the holidays I had a lot of time to think and change my approach for the second part of the season. The first we focused on trying to fight for the title and victories and it was not the right one. Now we will be more realistic, working to try to sow for the future”, she added. A few words with which he also again endorsed his commitment to respect his contract with Honda, which expires in 2024, despite all the rumors that there is always around the Spanish pilot about a possible early departure.
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