MotoGP washout prompts apology
SILVERSTONE circuit organisers apologised to MotoGP fans after the British round of the championship was cancelled because of heavy rain yesterday. ‘I am so sorry,’ said managing director Stuart Pringle, promising to contact all ticket holders. ‘In the end the riders felt that the conditions were not going to be right today to race at all and they made the decision not to race.’ Organisers had repeatedly postponed the start, having brought it forward to allow plenty of room for manoeuvre, before accepting there was no possibility of beating the bad weather. They had ruled out any option of holding the race today. MotoGP race director Mike Webb said a recent resurfacing of the track had contributed to the problem. ‘We’ve had a number of years here in very wet conditions with the old surface and been able to run races,’ he said. ‘This year, with the new surface, it’s the first time we’ve encountered quite so much standing water in critical places on the track.’ It was the first time a MotoGP has been called off in 38 years.