This weekend will see the BritishGP make its return to the calendar – after the pandemic caused its cancellation last year – for PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team’s Valentino Rossi, while Jake Dixon will make his MotoGP class debut at Silverstone.
Always popular with the British fans, Rossi will be hoping to put on a good show for them in his final season. The Italian has racked up some impressive stats over the years with six wins, 12 podium finishes and four pole positions at the BritishGP. After recording his best result of the season so far last time out, Valentino will be hoping this good form continues this weekend and that he can record another good result in front of the British fans.
Standing in for Franco Morbidelli, Dixon will get to make his MotoGP debut this weekend at his home GP, as the paddock returns to Silverstone for the first time since 2019. The British circuit was also the scene of his World Championship debut, when Jake took part in the 2017 Moto2 race there. Jumping aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 for the first time this week, the Brit will be looking forward to the experience that he will gain across the three days.
The BritishGP weekend will begin for Rossi and Dixon with Friday’s FP1 session at 9.55am local time (4.55pm MYT), while Sunday’s 20-lap MotoGP race will get underway at 1pm local time (8pm MYT).
Valentino Rossi
I really like Silverstone; it’s a great track and is one of my favourites. It’s long and has everything there: fast parts, medium ones and it’s very technical in places. Usually we are quite strong there, so hopefully this will be the case again this year, and I hope that we have good weather this weekend. I think the weather forecast is okay at the moment but you have to be ready for everything there – it can start dry and end wet, or only be wet in some places. I’m really looking forward to being back there this weekend.
Jake Dixon
This weekend will be difficult, jumping on the big bike for the first time at my home GP, but I’m really looking forward to it. It’s always exciting to be racing at home, but this year it’s going to be extra special. The home support is always amazing there, I love the track and I think it’s going to be a great experience. To have a big crowd there and the knowledge of the circuit is really going to help me this weekend, although I’m obviously not looking for any particular result. I’m just going to go out and enjoy it!
