As the MotoGP World Championship heads to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, teams are finalizing their preparations for another crucial race weekend. Read the latest team press releases below for rider comments, preview quotes, and updates from across the paddock.
More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Aprilia Racing ready for the second half of the 2026 season. Marco Bezzecchi returns to the track after his injury on the Sachsenring, Jorge Martin ready for the twelfth GP of the season.
With the summer break at an end, Aprilia Racing is ready for the challenge on Silverstone Circuit for the twelfth GP of the season, scheduled for this weekend. Present at the British track will be Jorge Martín and Marco Bezzecchi, who will undergo a medical check before being able to take to the track.
Jorge Martín is headed to Silverstone with the goal of confirming the level of competitiveness demonstrated in the first part of the season and continuing the positive trend which currently has him leading the championship with 208 points.
Marco Bezzecchi, absent from the German GP due to an injury to his left collarbone suffered during Q2, will be back on the track after three weeks of downtime. Before taking to the track, the Italian rider will need to be examined by the MotoGP medical team in order to be declared fit to race, following not only surgery on his collarbone but also a procedure to clean the wound on his left knee.
The Silverstone track is considered to be one of the fastest on the calendar and one of the most prestigious in the world, with more than 70 years of history. It is a technical circuit comprising long straights, 10 right turns and 8 left turns.
Jorge Martin: “It was an extremely positive summer break. I was able to rest up, but also to train a lot and complete a bicycle challenge along with my friends which I had dreamed of doing for a long time. I can’t wait to be back on the track with my Aprilia and to work with my team again. We have an exciting second half of the season ahead of us, where we’ll be striving to give one hundred percent. We’re headed to Silverstone now – a track that I like a lot and where I have outstanding memories. I hope to give our fans some great satisfaction.”
Marco Bezzecchi: “I’m pleased to be returning, but I’ll need to undergo the medical check first in order to be declared fit to race. It was a rather different summer break than I had imagined, but I am truly happy to get back to racing and I can’t wait to get on my RS-GP26. I hope I can manage to stay well. I know I am still not at 100%, but I am extremely keen to get back at it.”
More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
British GP brings racing action back to Honda HRC Castrol. The MotoGP Summer Break comes to a close at the ominous Silverstone Circuit, 5.9 kilometers ready to reunite Luca Marini and Joan Mir with their Honda RC213V machines.
Three weeks of rest, recovery and hard work have come to an end as the Honda HRC Castrol team arrive at one of the fastest circuits on the MotoGP World Championship calendar. With 75 years of motorcycle racing history, Silverstone is amongst the most famous racetracks in the world and has produced some of MotoGP’s most memorable battles. Now Luca Marini and Joan Mir look to restart their 2026 campaigns on this hallowed ground.
Clockwork-like consistency has seen Luca Marini steadily build himself to lead the Honda charge in the World Championship standings. Scoring points every single weekend has the Italian tenth overall with 79 points – 31 clear of Diogo Moreira, the second highest placed Honda. The best defence for Marini is a good offence, the Italian ready to resume his pursuit of the higher positions in Qualifying, the Sprint and the Grand Prix. Silverstone has seen Marini miss points on just a single occasion in the premier class, his best result a seventh place in 2023.
Even a three-week break could not damp Joan Mir’s champion spirit and his quest to deliver the maximum possible result each and every weekend for Honda HRC Castrol. The #36 arrives in England with his usual focus and determination, looking to put recent rounds in the rear view and focus purely on the future. Silverstone has been an uncharacteristically complicated circuit for the 2020 MotoGP World Champion, his tenth place on the Honda RC213V there in 2025 one of just two top-tens he has achieved since joining the premier class in 2019.
The weekend will see a revised running order, Free Practice 1 starting at 11:45 Local Time on Friday, August 07 and the 20-lap British Grand Prix officially ending the summer drought at 13:00 Local Time, Sunday, August 08 just before the Moto3 race.
Luca Marini: “I’m ready to get back on track and see the team again. These past few weeks have been very important for the physical and mental side, a refresh to head into the second half of the season hunting our maximum. A circuit like Silverstone throws everything at you as a rider, so it’s a good place to get back into racing mode. Qualifying again will be the first critical point of the weekend, and I hope we can accomplish Q2. We need to keep taking good points to protect our position in the top ten in the standings and stay as the fastest Honda.”
Joan Mir: “This time away from the circuit has been very beneficial after a mixed start to the year. My focus in this second part of the year is to show my speed like we did in Barcelona and Brno, give my all to take the maximum from each weekend. Silverstone always throws up some interesting situations, so we need to put ourselves in the position to take profit from that. The weather is looking really nice which makes the weekend a lot more enjoyable, especially after the break!”
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Return to Action After Summer Break for Round 12 at Silverstone.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team have travelled to the United Kingdom to resume action after the three-week summer break. Fully recharged, they are gearing up for Round 12 of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship.
After the three-week summer break, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team is looking forward to being back on track at this weekend’s Grand Prix of Great Britain.
Fabio Quartararo is all set to step aboard his YZR-M1 once more. He is currently 14th in the championship and is keen to climb up the rankings. The Frenchman is known to be competitive at the Silverstone Circuit, as testified by his 2021 premier-class victory there.
Álex Rins arrives in Britain holding 19th in the championship standings. The Spaniard has an impressive record at Silverstone, with a Moto3 second place in 2013 and victory in 2014, followed by a Moto2 runner-up finish in 2015. In MotoGP, he won at the circuit in 2019 and finished second in 2021.
MotoGP returned to Silverstone’s international paddock in 2023, with Abbey as Turn 1 and Club as the final corner. The circuit is run clockwise. At 5.9 km with 18 turns, Silverstone is the longest track on the MotoGP calendar. It had hosted MotoGP from 1977 to 1986 before returning in 2010 and boasts more than 75 years of racing history. Continuous investment and innovation have made it one of the fastest circuits on the calendar and a favourite among riders.
The schedule for the British GP differs from the usual Central European Grand Prix timetable. FP1 will take place on Friday from 11:45-12:30 and Practice from 16:00-17:00 local track time (GMT+1). On Saturday, FP2 will be held from 11:10-11:40, followed by Q1 and Q2 from 11:50-12:30. The 10-lap Sprint in the afternoon starts at 16:00. On Sunday, Warm Up will be staged from 09:40-09:50, and the 20-lap Race is scheduled to start at 13:00 local track time.
Fabio Quartararo: “It was nice to have some time to recharge during the summer break, and now I’m ready to be back racing at Silverstone. It’s a track that I really enjoy, and I know I can be competitive there. Though last year’s race didn’t end as we hoped, we’ve had some strong moments in Silverstone. We’ll keep working hard again this weekend to try to get a good result.”
Alex Rins: “I enjoyed the summer break, but now it’s time to get back on the bike. Silverstone is a circuit that I like. It’s very fast and technical, and I have good memories there from different classes. I’m hoping we can start the second half of the season and the British GP weekend well on Friday and keep building session by session.”
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director: “We ended the first half of the season with a clearer sense of direction, and we are looking forward to getting back to work. Silverstone has an interesting character, with its high-speed sections and flowing layout, and historically it has produced close and competitive racing. We believe there are areas of the circuit that could suit our package, so we are interested to see what we can achieve this weekend. As always, we will stay focused, continue working step by step, and do our best to keep making progress in the right direction.”
More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Returns to Action at Silverstone After the Summer Break.
Following the summer break, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP resumes its 2026 campaign at Silverstone, a circuit that provided one of the team’s strongest performances last season and offers another opportunity to assess the progress of the Yamaha project.
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP returns to action this weekend at Silverstone as the MotoGP World Championship resumes after the three-week summer break. The British Grand Prix marks the beginning of the second half of the season, with the team eager to continue the development of the Yamaha YZR-M1 and build on the progress achieved during the opening rounds of the championship.
Silverstone holds positive memories for the team, having hosted one of its strongest weekends in 2025. Jack Miller finished seventh in last year’s Grand Prix, the team’s best race result of the season at that stage, while the circuit’s fast, flowing layout has traditionally suited the characteristics of the Yamaha. With the project now significantly more mature than it was twelve months ago, the British Grand Prix provides another valuable opportunity to measure the progress made over the past year.
For Miller, the weekend offers the chance to return to a circuit where he has consistently been competitive, while Toprak Razgatlıoğlu continues his MotoGP learning journey at a track whose high-speed nature rewards confidence and rhythm. As the championship enters its second half, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP remains focused on gathering valuable data and continuing the steady development of the project.
To accommodate the time difference with the United Kingdom, the weekend schedule has been revised. Friday’s practice sessions will take place at 11:45 and 16:00, Saturday’s Practice 2 and Sprint are scheduled for 11:50 and 16:00, while Sunday’s Warm Up will begin at 09:40, with the British Grand Prix getting underway at 13:00.
Toprak Razgatlioglu: “I’m really happy to be back at Silverstone. It’s a circuit I really enjoy, even though the last time I raced here was twelve years ago in the Rookies Cup. It will be completely different on a MotoGP bike, especially with the long straights, so we’ll have to see what to expect.
As always, the goal is to do our best and keep learning. Every weekend I’m gaining more experience with the bike, and I’m looking forward to getting back on track and starting the second half of the season at such a great circuit.”
Jack Miller: “I’m looking forward to getting back on track after the summer break and starting the second half of the season. Hopefully, we’ve been able to make a bit more progress during the three-week break, and it’ll be good to see how that translates once we’re back racing.
Silverstone is a circuit I always enjoy, and it’s always special to race in front of the British fans. I’m excited to get the weekend underway and see what we can achieve.”
Gino Borsoi – Team Director: “We’re back in action after the summer break with our batteries recharged and ready for the second half of the season. Silverstone is a fantastic circuit and one where we enjoyed a very positive weekend last year, so we’re pleased to be returning.
On paper, the layout should suit the characteristics of the Yamaha, but this year’s bike is completely different, so it’s difficult to predict exactly what to expect. A lot of work has gone into the project over the summer break and, although the next major upgrades won’t arrive for another couple of Grands Prix, we’re confident we’re moving in the right direction.
Our objective is to continue improving race after race and finish the season stronger than we started it. We’ll keep working with the same determination as always, making the most of every opportunity to move the project forward.”
More from a press release issued by Ducati:
Ducati Lenovo Team heading to the British GP: all set to return from the summer break.
The MotoGP paddock moves to Great Britain for the 12th round of the season, taking up the legacy of the legendary TT on a historic track like Silverstone. The British race, on the calendar since 1949 and held over the years between the Donington Park and Silverstone, has seen Ducati triumph 5 times: from the first historic victories of Casey Stoner at Donington in 2007 and 2008, to Andrea Dovizioso’s success in 2017 and Francesco Bagnaia’s victory in 2022, up to Enea Bastianini’s splendid triumph in 2024, which came right on the day where we were celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Motorcycle World Championship. In 2025, Marc Márquez secured a solid haul by finishing second in the Sprint and stepping onto the third step of the podium in Sunday’s race.
After a three-week break, Marc and Pecco are ready to get back on track. Marc made the most of these days to continue his physical recovery path and returns to work strong by the maximum points haul obtained at the Sachsenring. For Pecco, on the other hand, the weekend will begin with the usual medical check to get the fit to race, which is essential for getting back on his Desmosedici GP after undergoing surgery on his right forearm at the beginning of July.
Marc Márquez (#93, Ducati Lenovo Team): “In Germany, it was a perfect weekend, where we able to make the most of every opportunity and collect all the points possible, moving up to third place in the Championship. I took advantage of the three-week break to enjoy a bit of relaxation, but also to recharge my energy and continue with training. Silverstone is a long and extremely demanding track, where a lot of physical strength will be needed; plus, there’s always the unknow weather, which as usual can completely overturn the outcome of the race”.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63, Ducati Lenovo Team): “Silverstone is a physically demanding track that I’m tackling right after my arm surgery. I feel good and I’ve recovered during these weeks off, but I haven’t been back on a MotoGP bike yet, so after the fit to race, it will be essential to understand my feelings and work well right from the start. Silverstone is a circuit I really like: the fans are among the most affectionate, and the atmosphere at the track is among the best in the entire calendar”.
More from a press release issued by Yamaha Factory Team:
Augusto Fernández to Continue Yamaha Development Programme as Silverstone Wild Card.
The Yamaha Factory Racing Team return to MotoGP action this weekend at the British Grand Prix, Round 12 of the MotoGP World Championship, held at the Silverstone Circuit. Official test rider Augusto Fernández joins the first race after the MotoGP summer break as a wild-card entry with the aim of aiding Yamaha’s bike development programme.
Augusto Fernández and the Yamaha Factory Racing Team will take part in the British Grand Prix as a wild-card entry, with the goal of gathering valuable data and further advancing the development of Yamaha’s MotoGP package under race conditions.
Fernández, the 2022 Moto2 World Champion and former premier-class rider (2023–2024), has previous experience at Silverstone from across his Grand Prix career, having won the 2019 and 2022 Moto2 Race and securing a best MotoGP Race placement of P11 there in 2023.
Returning to competition after the summer hiatus, the Spaniard is eager to continue the work carried out through the season and contribute to Yamaha’s ongoing technical progress.
The Silverstone Circuit is one of the most historic venues on the MotoGP calendar. Located in Northamptonshire, England, the 5.9 km track is renowned for its high-speed layout, flowing sequences of corners, and demanding technical sections. Featuring eight left-hand and ten right-hand turns, Silverstone tests both rider and machine, making it an ideal venue for development work and data collection.
Augusto Fernández: “I’m happy to be back racing after the summer break and to continue helping with the development of the bike. Silverstone is a nice circuit with a lot of fast corners, and it’s always enjoyable to ride there. The goals for this weekend are clear: I want to be on the pace as fast as possible in order to gather as much useful information as we can.”
