British MotoGP: Casey Stoner hails amazing but bumpy Silverstone

Casey Stoner heaped praise on the revamped Silverstone circuit despite joining a chorus of complaints about a bumpy surface after opening MotoGP free practice.

The 2007 world champion steered his factory Ducati GP10 to the second fastest time in opening free practice that saw a lap of 2.06.133 finish just 0.142s away from Jorge Lorenzo.

Stoner said he was satisfied with his pace having edged out Andrea Dovizioso in third place by just 0.214s and he spoke afterwards of his immediate admiration for the fast and challenging Silverstone track. 

Stoner said: “I’m quite satisfied position wise but the way the bike is reacting I’m not really happy and we’ve good quite a lot of work to do mainly over the bumps.  This circuit is fantastic, it is amazing, the layout of the circuit is lot of fun and it is really nice to ride.

“It’s different, it is technical and its’ fast, its slow and got a bit of everything but unfortunately with the bumps it is making near impossible to really just focus on the track.”

Elaborating on the issue of the bumpy surface, Stoner said it was making finding a good machine set-up a particularly complex challenge.

The 3.667-miles track has differing tarmac in some sections and also bumpy on the old parts because of its heavy use for four-wheeled activities.

The 24-year-old, who has yet to claim a rostrum finish in 2010, said: “You are that worried about picking the bike up over certain bumps or going into a corner not too hard because you lose the front on a bump and you are not able to ride the track to its full potential. That’s a little disappointing.

“I think they’ve had too much experience with cars and with cars the bumps aren’t such a big issue but with bikes there are huge issues and it is making things very difficult on fast track to be so bumpy.

“I’ve tried going inside, outside and I found one corner that I can go inside them but unless you are on the kerbs you are better off on the kerbs. This track, Mugello and a couple of others are starting to come very bumpy like Brazil used to be and Welkom.”

The bumpy surface though didn’t dampen Stoner’s likeness for the new track and he was a big fan of the fast Abbey and Farm Curve section near to where the new pits and paddock complex are being constructed.

Picking out his favourite part he said: The first new part when we turn right and into the left, that left corner is unbelievable and if it wasn’t followed by a tight hairpin it would be one of the best corners in the world because it is that much fun. 

“It has a really fast entry and you think you are going in too fast but then the corner opens up and you can get straight back on the gas and get on the left. It’s fourth gear and without the hairpin after it would be fourth gear flat and that’s a lot of fun.”

Stoner said one possible remedy for the bumps would be a complete resurface in time for next year’s race, with Silverstone having a contract to host the British MotoGP for the next five years.

Stoner said: “The track layout and safety seems great just the surface they need a kick up the arse about that because even the new parts of the track are so bumpy.”