India MotoGP: Riders praise BIC layout, but run-off areas still a concern

At long last (and not without hiccups), the travelling circus that is the MotoGP paddock has arrived at our very own Buddh International Circuit (BIC). Though track action is yet to kick off, the riders have had a chance to explore the circuit on foot and bicycle. We caught up with some of the top riders to get their first impressions of the track.

• India GP on September 22-24
• 1km+ long back straight receives mixed opinions
• Turns 2, 4 and 12 areas of concern

The Buddh International Circuit was built for F1, so naturally a few tweaks had to be made to the track to make it better suited to motorcycle racing. After an initial visit by FIM officials earlier this year, changes were made to certain areas of the circuit to improve safety and optimise the run-off areas for motorcycles. However, heading into the race, plenty of riders were still unsure about the safety of the track, after analysing video footage.

But now that they’ve checked out the track in person, first impressions across the board are largely positive, with most riders expecting this to be a fun layout. There remain some concerns about run-off areas at certain parts of the track, though.

“The track is wonderful – altitude difference [elevation changes], tricky corners, banking corners. It looks like an exciting track. The only thing is that some run-off areas are very close,” said Yamaha rider Franco Morbidelli. When probed about what he feels are the areas of concern, he cited Turn 2, 4 and 12 as those that stand out.

Reigning world champion and current championship lead Francesco Bagnaia echoed the same sentiments, saying, “I feel that the layout of the track is interesting and a bit different compared to a lot of tracks that we are going to. So, I think it could be great. It would be interesting to try riding tomorrow, considering the run-off areas in some parts of the track look a bit too short.”

Mixed reactions to BIC’s long straight

Some key talking points among the riders have been the elevation changes across the track, the banked parabola of Turn 10, and the 1km+ long back straight. The latter is a cause for concern for some riders, while others are looking forward to it.

“Long straight!” were the first words to come out of Fabio Quartararo’s mouth when asked about the circuit layout and you can see why. “But yeah looks pretty fun, especially sectors 3 and 4. Some walls are a little bit close, but we will see tomorrow morning. But the track looks really fun,” the Yamaha rider added.

Event organisers have been anticipating bikes to reach speeds of “up to 370kph” at the BIC, potentially even breaking Brad Binder’s MotoGP speed record of 366.1kph, set at Mugello earlier this year. However, the KTM rider believes that will take some doing.

“It’s quite downhill, which is cool, but then there’s a big kick on the end. So when it goes uphill, it might kill the chances a little bit,” he explained. “But anyway, I think it’s a really long straight. But more important than the top speed is stopping for the next corner, and that’s where my focus lies.”

The key to getting it right at India MotoGP

Riders also shared some insights into how they prepare for an all-new venue like this. RNF Aprilia rider and Red Bull athlete Miguel Oliveira believes this also levels the playing field a tad bit: “We all start from scratch; we have no data here. So we all will be looking to adapt as quickly as possible.”

“We do have some simulations on the data and we can more or less come up with a base gearbox to start and we’ll build up from there,” he added.

Morbidelli, meanwhile, believes that the key to performing well here will be making a big step up from Friday to Saturday. “We have a pretty standard strategy for facing this new track. We do like we always did – simulations and so on. The riders’ feedback and the riders’ information after FP1 and FP2 will be very important,” he explained. “So it will be very important to make a big step between Friday and Saturday.”

The very first MotoGP India round is underway from September 22-24. Watch this space for all the latest updates.

Also see:

MotoGP India guide: Tickets, track updates explained

Inline-four engine not a limiting factor for Yamaha, says Morbidelli