The anticipation is building up as the IndianOil Grand Prix of India, the first-ever MotoGP race to be held in India, gears up for its practice session, with top MotoGP riders giving a green light to the Buddh International Circuit (BIC). This newcomer on the MotoGP calendar has captured the riders’ curiosity. In a race where the entire grid is a ‘rookie’, the Bharat GP is anyone’s race to lose.
Riders from various teams shared their initial impressions of the track, with each having their unique take on the BIC.
Speaking to the media at Yamaha’s round-table discussion, Franco Morbidelli, said “The track is wonderful. Especially because of the altitude difference, tricky corners, and banking corners. It’s a good mix of corners. On the first look, it looks like an exciting track to me.”
On the other hand, Morbi seemed excited for the Turn 10 as he believes that it would be the most favourable corner for the Yamaha bikes. Speaking of the turns that might possibly be tricky for the riders, he said that the Turn 2 and Turn 4 would be challenging as the run-off area is limited and they’ll be arriving at high speeds at the latter.
Ducati’s reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia praised the track's layout, describing it as "interesting" and distinct from other circuits. On the other hand, Jorge Martin of Pramac, the winner at Misano in the last round, explored the track thoroughly, riding a bicycle. He agreed to ‘Pecco’ and said that the track is different from what they're accustomed to.
Six-time premier class champion Marc Marquez said “It’s one of the circuits that, from the layout, looks ‘really nice.’ But if the grip is good too, it will be even better for the riders.”
While many believe that Brad Binder, the current record holder for the highest speed in MotoGP, will be aiming to break his own record at the longest straight on the BIC. The South African, on the other hand, pointed out “More important than the top speed is stopping for the next corner, that’s where my focus lies.”
In other news, Yamaha factory riders Quartararo and Morbidelli met over 1,000 Yamaha employees at the company's Surajpur facility.
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