MOTOGP headed to Silverstone this weekend. But the wet conditions down in Northamptonshire meant that - after a lengthy delay - the race was cancelled just after 4pm before it could start. 1 The standing water pours off the safety car who inspect the track conditions Credit: Getty - Contributor Tito Rabat crashes in qualifying ahead of the British Moto GP Why was the British MotoGP cancelled? The British GP was meant to place on Sunday, August 26. The race was scheduled to begin at 1pm, but following safety checks and a track inspection the race was cancelled. A statement on MotoGP's website read: "After a meeting between IRTA officials and the MotoGP riders, a decision has been made to cancel the GoPro British Grand Prix due to track conditions being deemed too unsafe." What TV channel was the British MotoGP on The MotoGP race weekend will be live from Silverstone on BT Sport 2. Friday's coverage began at 8.45am, with Saturday starting at 9am and race day coverage beginning at 8.45am on Sunday with the warm-ups. Each day's TV coverage on BT Sport will take in MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3. You can also live stream the full weekend on BTSport.com and on the BT Sport app with the enhanced video available on both platforms.<doc-sep>In an attempt to get rid of long-standing bumps and give the circuit layout a consistent asphalt, Silverstone was resurfaced in its entirety for the first time since 1996 at the start of this year. However, as MotoGP running kicked off on Friday, multiple riders complained about the bumps were no better, and when rain started falling during FP4 on Saturday, several riders crashed at Stowe, including Tito Rabat, who broke his leg as he was struck by Franco Morbidelli's bike. Webb confirmed that the Sunday race was cancelled because the new asphalt was too dangerous in rainy conditions, as it was not draining properly and causing standing water to amass in multiple places. "Yes, it is a direct result of the track surface," said the New Zealander. "We had a number of years of experience here in very wet conditions recently with the old surface and we've been able to run races. "This year with the new surface is the first time we've encountered quite so much standing water in critical places of the track. "It is pretty straightforward, we have been forced to cancel today's event due to the track condition. "Primarily it is due to water accumulated on the surface and I think you have seen the results of when we've been running here in heavy rain, that the circuit in some places is not safe because of the way the water does not drain from the surface. "We did everything we possibly could to run an event today, obviously the very last thing any of us wants to do is to cancel an event. However, safety remains a priority." Due to heavy rain forecasted for Sunday afternoon, the race was rescheduled for 1130 local time, but conditions were already wet at that point and they did not improve until the race was eventually cancelled just before 1600. "We attempted to start the race this morning, it was obvious the track conditions weren't safe," added Webb. "After that and consultation with the riders we made a start delay to discuss the situation further. "When it was obvious that the track condition was not improving, even when the rain abated a little the track surface was still too wet. "We discussed various options, including running tomorrow, that was discussed with the teams and with the circuit, the promoter the organisers. "It was concluded that that was not a possibility and so the other possibility that the circuit requested, that we agreed with, was to delay today as much as possible until such time the conditions were safe. "We've reached the point where even though the rain is getting less, the circuit is still not in the condition that we could safely run race so we've taken a very difficult, regrettable decision to cancel." Webb praised the Silverstone staff for trying to fix the problem with drainage, with track workers trying to mitigate the issue overnight. "I must say from the circuit point of view, the staff, have done an unbelievable effort over the whole weekend, not just today," he said. "An enormous effort to try and make the track safe. "Until the last minute they were still working but unfortunately we couldn't battle nature."<doc-sep>Intermittent downpours disrupted Saturday's qualifying sessions, after earlier track flooding led to several riders crashing in practice Sunday's British GP at Silverstone was cancelled as "a direct result" of a new track surface laid in February, MotoGP race director Mike Webb has claimed. The race, scheduled for 11:30 BST, was called off just after 16:00 because of heavy rain and standing water. "We've had a number of years' experience here in very wet conditions recently with the old surface and have been able to run races," Webb said. Silverstone's management says a full investigation will be launched. The circuit's managing director, Stuart Pringle, added: external-link "All the work we have done here to make Silverstone a better place for motorcycle racing has been done with the best of intentions. "We will be making further investigations into this matter immediately after the Bank Holiday to understand whether our newly resurfaced track played a part in today's inability to stage races. "We will be reviewing all the data we have on the track and gathering more, and together with the contractor, Aggregate Industries, a full investigation will be carried out." The start time of Sunday's race had been brought forward by 90 minutes to 11:30 because of a forecast of heavy rain, but after several hours of delays the decision was finally taken to cancel. MotoGP also confirmed that there was "no option" to hold the race on Monday. Webb added: "This year, with the new surface, is the first time we've encountered quite so much standing water in critical places on the track. So yes, it's a direct result of the track surface. "The staff have done an unbelievable effort over the whole weekend to try to make the track safe and until the last minute they were still working, but unfortunately we couldn't battle nature. "We obviously want to have a British Grand Prix. The climate of the area means we've got to expect rain and the surface has to be able to handle it." quote It has been a long, unusual, tiring day that we hope won't happen again Marc Marquez Honda Spain's Jorge Lorenzo was set to start on pole at the Northamptonshire track after beating fellow Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso, of Italy, by 0.015 seconds in qualifying. However, the race was then delayed for safety reasons as heavy rain fell 10 minutes before the revised start time after the riders had completed their sighting lap, before it was cancelled. "I am truly sorry this has happened," added Pringle. "If I had known fans would have to wait for six hours in these conditions with this outcome, I would have taken the decision to cancel the event at midday. "We were willing to cancel the meeting much earlier but I was assured by [MotoGP organisers] Dorna that the teams were willing to race if conditions improved. "I'm very conscious of the amount of money people have spent on this event. We will be contacting all customers next week to explain what we are doing about the cancellation of this event." The cancellation came after a fraught day on Saturday, with Tito Rabat suffering a broken leg during the fourth free practice session. Spain's Rabat, who had come off his Avintia Ducati in heavy rain, was walking away in the gravel at Stowe corner when he was hit by Italian Franco Morbidelli's bike. Rabat had surgery at the University Hospital of Coventry, with his team later confirming external-link "fractures of right femur, tibia and fibula have been fixed". "It has been a long, unusual, tiring day that we hope won't happen again," said championship leader Marc Marquez. "I think the race direction has to be thanked; they listened, and in the end, safety was everybody's main consideration. One of us riders is in hospital already. Sometimes we must keep a cool head and think."<doc-sep>The British MotoGP has been cancelled due to poor weather conditions and safety concerns at Silverstone with heavy rain causing a washout. After the MotoGP race start was delayed indefinitely at 11:30 local time – having been pushed forward 90 minutes in a revised schedule organised on Saturday – heavy rain arrived during the Moto2 and Moto3 warm-up sessions. Silverstone MotoGP Video of Silverstone MotoGP MotoGP riders went out for sighting laps of the British track to test conditions before reaching the grid, with Alvaro Bautista running off track due to standing water, and following a meeting between team managers and race officials the start was delayed. With forecasts expecting heavy rain to remain for the rest of Sunday, and with no option to race on Monday due to safety requirements, MotoGP officials cancelled the all three races after waiting five hours for conditions to improve. The races were officially cancelled shortly after a meeting between IRTA officials and MotoGP riders where it was deemed conditions were unsafe to race with the decision confirmed shortly after16:00 local time. The British MotoGP suffered early fears on Saturday when a heavy shower partly hit Silverstone midway through FP4 which saw multiple riders come off at Stowe. The incident saw Tito Rabat hit by Franco Morbidelli’s Marc VDS Honda bike and sustained multiple leg fractures and had to undergo an emergency operation. Fears of a lack of drainage on the Silverstone circuit, which was completely resurfaced last year, saw overnight work completed in a bid to improve drainage from the track with the standing water at Stowe corner blamed for the multiple crashes in FP4. But the heavy rain on Sunday has seen track conditions deemed unsafe with all racing cancelled. It marks the first time a MotoGP round has been fully cancelled, with all races not run, since since the Austria 1980 round which was canned due to snow.<doc-sep>
The MotoGP race director Mike Webb blamed the newly laid surface at Silverstone after the British Grand Prix was cancelled following repeated delays on Sunday after rain made conditions too dangerous for riders. Having initially attempted to bring the start time forward in anticipation of bad weather only to be frustrated by persistent rain, organisers conducted a track inspection at 3pm and were hopeful that the race could start even as late as 5pm. However, pools of standing water on the track, which was relaid in February, meant the race was called off, with no option of holding the race on Monday. Webb said: “We’ve had a number of years’ experience here in very wet conditions recently with the old surface and have been able to run races. This year, with the new surface, is the first time we’ve encountered quite so much standing water in critical places on the track. So, yes, it’s a direct result of the track surface. “The staff have done an unbelievable effort over the whole weekend to try and make the track safe and until the last minute they were still working, but unfortunately we couldn’t battle nature.” The Pramac Ducati rider Jack Miller and Johann Zarco of Tech3 were in favour of the race going ahead but were overruled by the overwhelming majority of riders present in a safety commission meeting. Miller said Tito Rabat’s crash in practice, in which he suffered a broken leg, had been a factor. “It’s a case of the guys don’t want to ride,” Miller told BT Sport. “They are not happy with how the asphalt was working in terms of the drainage and because of the accident yesterday involving Tito. “It’s a shame for me, cancelling it already. We were talking about waiting for the weather to clear up a little bit and stuff like that.” Alberto Puig, the Repsol Honda team manager, said: “It’s not an easy day for anyone, this is clear. Not a good day for the fans, the organisers, the teams, the riders. But you cannot go against nature, and this is the story.”