BSB 2024 Grids

Really? Smoothing out one corner to make it more of a smooth curve and less of a kink is a big change? The data loss is only for one corner. It's still the same circuit as last year except for that and the removal of some of the worst bumps. It's fundamentally a circuit with too many slow corners, that doesn't flow, as JP has said, and that will hopefully be fixed for 2025 BSB. For 2024, the circuit and the data will fundamentally be the same.

Did you go to last year's test? Are you going to the race?

The data that the teams don't have is cold or wet weather, as it was neither last year. It was unseasonably warm, although it was very windy. This year the date is later, so it probably will be just as warm and dry, but perhaps less windy.

Graeme, don't forget that only one corner has been changed for now, and it's not much of a change. Also don't forget that last March at the 1st ever BSB test, the weather was very warm and windy. That was unseasonably so, but perhaps being a month later this year, it will be just as warm this year, but it could be cold, wet and calm, and no one has any data for that.

The McCams team didn't go to Navarra last year, but they are now defunct. FHO didn't go either, (which was a big surprise). PBM went, but it seems doubtful that they will be on grid this year.

Lots of teams have changed machinery and riders. That is really the big limiting factor to the data gathering from last year, not the circuit changes. Bridewell knows the circuit from last year and how to ride last year's Ducati around it, but not this year's Honda.

3 days of testing and a day of free practice are in place for this year, before going straight into the race weekend as you say.

The 2023 test wasn't really representative of the season as a whole. The eventual winner and 2nd place rider were not at the front. Ryde was, but finished the season 6th. Haslam impressed in Navarra, but not in the season.

Have you been to Navarra? Are you going this year? It's a outlier of a track compared with the UK circuits. It's licensed for F1 testing (not that they use it) and so it's a bit of a Silverstone because of that, and not a Cadwell Park.

It isn't likely to be indicative of the season as a whole, it will be a different layout next year, so I doubt that many teams will worry too much about it this year.

Interesting to know. I assume that Leon has filled you in on the details of the area from last year.

So far, it seems to be BSB, SS, BTC and BMW that are racing. How much of a spectacle it will be if there are not many on the grid is another matter.

The other question is how many spectators will there be? How many will make the trip from the UK? The Spanish love bikes, but the circuit is a bit in the middle of nowhere. The nearest town (Los Arcos) is a bit of a one horse town. The nearest city (Logrono) is 30 KM away and Pampola is 60, but they are not massive cities compared with the UK, although easy to get from on the motorway which the circuit is next to.

Financial support wise, I think the problem might be the issue of ticket sales. Are they actually allowed to sell tickets? If you look online, at last years events, they all seem to say free entry! That must hurt JP! Is there some Spanish rule that says they cannot charge?

MSV are only selling premium access tickets or hospitality packages at the moment and only in the UK. You can also get in with a UK MSV season pass. They say that they will sell tickets to Spain and other countries at a later date, but the event is only about 2 month's away. You can book tickets now for MSV UK events in November, but not Spain in 2 months? Is that because they might have to be free, and they don't want to say that?

It isn't a case of being asked. It's about paying. You have to pay to host BSB. I don't think that Croft would pay. It has become too big for Croft now anyway. There are not the facilities that people expect at BSB circuits, from paddock space to camping to parking to entertainment to noise restrictions.

I think Silverstone were expecting to be offered the race again this year, but SH did make some comments last year about the short circuit being too short and the full circuit too long and then some positive comments about the next round at Donington. And in fairness it never seemed busy, maybe that is because there is so much space there? Maybe it is because it wasn't the most popular circuit for BSB fans?

Once JP bought Navarra and once there was an official test there last year, it was pretty obvious what was going to happen.

Silverstone is a double edged sword for BSB. On one hand, the National layout has provided some mega racing, but on the other (although it's good on TV) it's crap to spectate at as you're just too far back from the action - You can thank FIM F1 regulations for that.
The full GP track is unreal to ride, and one of the best real rider circuits going, but it's just as dull to spectate at, as in the case of BSB, you're waiting over 2mins for the leaders to come back around again. Ask any BSB rider, and they'll all tell you that they'd prefer the full GP layout.
Silverstone was always going to drop from the BSB calendar the moment MSVR took over the lease of rights for Navarra.
Silverstone don't want High profile National Level racing on the shorter layouts as they're very keen to market both the new Escapade Housing that overlooks the Maggotts/Becketts complex, but also the Hilton hotel and conferencing space that overlooks the International start/finish straight.
Plus, and I understand the logic of this, the National layout just doesn't shine the circuit in a great light - although I do note that BTCC (also run by MSVR) are still there using the National layout this year
Silverstone is also, with much unpopularity amongst fans, an expensive day out for not just tickets, but also food, drink, camping and parking. It's a much bigger facility than other UK circuits, and as such the overheads are very high. BSB's relatively low fan numbers in comparison to car events, means the prices of everything have to be high.
Stuart Pringle was very keen to retain BSB, but MSVR had other ideas, and you can understand that from their point as they're pouring a lot of cash into Navarra, so need to substantiate the outlay by putting it on the world map. I'd expect to see WSBk potentially have another round there in year's to come also, and I'm sure they'll be pushing hard for car racing to be doing the same, and I wouldn't be at all shocked if BTTC have a round there in 2025 also.
I think it's a shame that BSB don't get to race on the same circuit as MotoGP, but at the same time, I can understand MSVR's logic and think that the season will still be great with Navarra in the calendar

I feel for them, as they're a good little outfit, but Lee Hardy has a day job and runs the team on thew side from what I understand. It can't be easy finding riders who can bring big cash either

To your last point racing as a whole is too expensive.

That's not true. That one event until recently cost them money. It didn't make them money. That's why they gave notice on the F1 contract that they signed with Bernie, as it wasn't viable, and it was re-negotiated by Liberty. Had that not happened, 2019 would have been the last year the event was held at Silverstone.

They are trying to make it into a year round attraction, not just about on track for half the year, and definitely not just about one event. As I said, there has to be some reality as to the type of event and what people will pay. Tomorrow night, the hotel (which isn't owned by Silverstone, it's a Hilton brand hotel) is about £100 for the cheapest room on a room only basis, overlooking the car parks. It's double that for the same room on the BTCC weekend, even though the BTCC cars won't be racing on the part of track that goes past the hotel. Not that you could see it from the cheapest room, even if it was. So that wold be the price per night for a BSB weekend. £200 a night, room only. That's a big leap from camping.

I thought that the chap on FB having to can the coach trip was quite telling, he'd basically done all the work for people, hotels sorted etc, and was only looking for 25 or so to make it work. You'd of thought there would of been enough interest for that.

I'm still hoping for a good season from a fan perspective, albeit nothing like as exciting a prospect as WSBK this year. Which is slightly odd as most years I'm more into BSB at the start.

Any news on Glenn Irwin? Not sure if I've missed something, but still can't see he's signed anywhere

Sorry but if you think the place was not making money from f1 before 2019 you are very wrong, they might not have been making stacks, but that was partly their fault for signing a ridiculous escalating deal.

Either way it is a shame a round in the UK has been replaced by a round in Spain that very few people will want to or be able to attend, this I guess is what happens when the series promoter is also a a man who owns most of the tracks the series races on. Goes to show I suppose that they are not obsessed with making money from BSB.