Monster Energy-backed Silverstone trackday welcomes the world’s best riders from MotoGP, WSBK, BSB and road racing
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Superstars from MotoGP, World Superbikes, British Superbike and road racing converged on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit for a trackday like no other last week.
The Trackday of Legends was set up by drinks company Monster Energy, which hired the 3.67-mile track and invited along a roster of athletes for an exclusive play in the Northamptonshire sunshine.
Riders included Valentino Rossi, Pecco Bagnaia, Marco Bezzecchi, Alvaro Bautista, Jonathan Rea, John McGuinness, Michael Dunlop, Peter Hickman and more, who all rolled out of pit lane together.
“If Carlsberg did trackdays, this would be it,” 23-time Isle of Man TT winner McGuinness told MCN. “I raced Rossi 24 years ago in the 500 Grand Prix as a wildcard and when I say I raced him, I didn’t – he drilled me into next week. But just that lap or so with him was a special moment for me.”
The pair shared a session together with almost no one else on circuit, with the nine-time world champion towing McGuinness around to achieve his fastest-ever lap of the Silverstone GP layout.
“I was down there showing Franco Morbidelli and Bezzecchi some TT onboards trying to explain how practice week works, how the roads close, and you can see the cogs working in their brain,” said McGuinness. “I’m just soaking it all in and hopefully someone got some pictures of me and the boys on the track and I can show it to my grandchildren when I get older.”
The sentiments were echoed by six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea, who said: “It’s not even just the riding. The racing world goes at 100mph and you’re in your own little bubble, so even Monster getting all these guys together is incredible.
“Even at dinner, just talking casually to guys like Michael Dunlop, or Valentino Rossi, or Pecco Bagnaia about normal life, they’re just super-cool guys.
“Everyone respects each other’s discipline, and then to share the track is pretty surreal. We’re all here with different bikes, different tyres, but we’re out there having fun.”
The star-studded event comes ahead of the British MotoGP round at Silverstone from August 2-4. The event will also be used to celebrate 75 years of the Grand Prix series, with every bike on the grid set to be wearing a classically inspired livery.
“We’ve been working closer with Monster over the past few years. They are a fantastic brand; they
