MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP TACKLE BRITISH GP WITH NEW LINE-UP

Silverstone (UK), 25th August 2021

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team is looking forward to be back on track at this weekend‘s Monster Energy British Grand Prix. Fittingly, Cal Crutchlow will be joining Fabio Quartararo in the pit box for the first time to take part in his home GP on a Factory Yamaha.

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team is going full steam ahead for this 2021 MotoGP World Championship Round 12 challenge. Both championship leader Fabio Quartararo and replacement rider Cal Crutchlow love the Silverstone Circuit and are keen to rise to the occasion, especially since the Monster Energy British Grand Prix shares the team‘s title sponsor.

Quartararo arrives in the UK holding first place in the championship standings, with a 47-point advantage over his closest rival. Though the extension of his lead after the two rounds in Austria offers the Yamaha man some breathing space, he shows no signs of slowing down.

The Frenchman is full of energy and is aiming for a British GP top-3 finish. Having never stood on the podium at Silverstone before, he would love nothing better than doing just that this weekend, the first time Monster Energy sponsors the event.

Cal Crutchlow is looking forward to stepping aboard the 2021 Factory YZR-M1 again. The Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team rider is following up his two GPs as part of PETRONAS Yamaha SRT (replacing the injured Franco Morbidelli) with a round with the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP squad.

The Brit knows the Silverstone circuit like the back of his hand and stood on the Premier Class rostrum there in 2016, having secured second place. This experience will come in useful as he sets out this weekend to help the team and Yamaha collect vital data, and support their bid for the Team and Constructor’s championship.

Silverstone was added to the MotoGP calendar in 2010 but has a racing history of over sixty years. Thanks to innovations and investments, the circuit became one of the fastest tracks on the calendar and earned high praise from the riders. There was no race held in the UK in 2020 due to the global pandemic. Those who wish to be reminded of the track‘s lay-out can do so by watching Lorenzo Daretti (Trastevere73) and Michael Amara (Vindex182)‘s friendly MotoGP eSport race.

Due to Silverstone being situated in a different time zone, the schedule for the British GP slightly differs from the usual Central European Grand Prix timetable. The FP1 and FP2 sessions will take place on Friday from 09:55 – 10:40 and 14:10 – 14:55 local track time (GMT+1). On Saturday FP3 will be held from 09:55 – 10:40, followed by FP4, Q1, and Q2 in the afternoon at 13:30 – 14:00, 14:10 – 14:25 and 14:35 – 14:50. On Sunday the Warm Up will be staged at 09:30 – 09:50, and the race is scheduled to start at 13:00.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

We didn‘t have the opportunity to race at Silverstone last year, so we’re happy we can go there this season. Moreover, this year the British round is even more special to our team as we share the same title sponsor with the event, so we are determined to score top results. We will be putting in a lot of hard work, and we are pleased that Cal will be able to join our team for this round. We’ll have extra data coming in from someone who knows Silverstone like no other. Our goal is to score the best results possible at every weekend, and we will put in 100%, like always, to do so.

FABIO QUARTARARO

I‘m starting the British GP with a very positive mood. We extended our championship lead after Spielberg, and Silverstone is a circuit that I really love. We made a big step there in 2019 in terms of performance. I think that this race will be a good one if the conditions are good. If it rains, we’ll have to see, but in any case, we will do our best. My goal is to fight for the victory, firstly because this is one my favourite tracks and secondly because it‘s an important GP for the team.

CAL CRUTCHLOW

I am happy to be riding for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP at the British Grand Prix. It was nice to get back to riding in Austria after a long time off, so I am now looking forward to racing for the Factory Team and working with my Test Team Crew Chief Silvano Galbusera and all of the team members, that I know well.