Safety first at British Grand Prix

To say the air was electric during the British GP would be an understatement. The Silverstone track had been resurfaced before the racing season started, and received a fair amount of criticism because of its newly bumpy surface. It was the talk of the paddock during earlier F1 and FIA WEC events. Rain was forecast for the British GP weekend and although qualification and most of the free practice had been run in dry conditions, the heavens opened during FP4 and the first signs of an ever-growing issue emerged.

Although the circuit’s new surface seemed to have improved grip in wet conditions, with average wet lap times being slightly faster than the average, the circuit was soon developing large areas of standing water which some riders described as up to an inch deep. This caused no less than four crashes during the fourth practice alone. Tito Rabat was sent into the gravel trap and unfortunately Franco Mobidelli suffered the same problem moments afterwards, crashing into the stricken Rabat and fracturing his leg in three places. Rabat was hurried off to a nearby hospital. (The surgery went well and he is in good condition.) The conditions improved for qualification, but the entire paddock was concerned about the next day. To prevent any drama, the race director altered the racing schedule to an inverse format, starting with the Moto GP race at around midday, then on to Moto 2 and Moto 3.

Come race day and the skies were grey and menacing, but racing was set to go ahead at 11.30 am. However, during a sighting lap it was clear that the green light would not be imminent. The safety car was out constantly inspecting the track while race managers, marshals and circuit staff tried to force a solution, hoping to give the fans the incredible spectacle that is a MotoGP race. But even when the rain eased off, the water wouldn’t go away. A final inspection and deadline was planned for 4 p.m. local time, but even before this could take place a few riders called a spontaneous meeting and held a vote. Almost unanimously, the riders voted against starting the British GP, leading to an immediate uproar from fans around the globe.

While the rider’s suits (with airbags) and tyres are state of the art, as we know, some of Silverstone’s fastest straights, with speeds over 300km/h, had standing water with a high risk of aquaplaning. If the fourth free practice was any guide to what might have happened out there, a much larger drama was avoided. What caused the water to linger and ultimately led to the cancellation of this year’s British GP is now a matter for investigation (which will take place in due course). One thing is certain: if it took 38 years of the Moto GP circus travelling the world in every conceivable condition, the decision not to race was certainly not taken lightly.