No UK joy for top 3 challengers
For the first time since Assen, not one of the riders in the top three that had entered race weekend managed to score some kind of podium. None came anywhere near at Silverstone, in fact. This was partly because of a wet Superpole changing the usual starting grid shape.
Conditions on raceday also played into the hands of riders who had arguably much to gain and nothing to lose by taking a risk in the wet, or riders who were under pressure to get results at this specific meeting. Add-on the weather conditions and a countback of laps in race two and it was certainly a much more than a regular race weekend.
These elements were all fuel to the fire at an ever-changing Silverstone that helped ensured that the likes of Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing), Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) would be kept off the podium places they all need to help them in their championship challenge. Well off in the final count, as the highest finish any of these three riders scored at Silverstone was seventh.
It was not for the want of trying, as two of the top three in the points table crashed in their attempts to move their scores on at the best possible pace, despite treacherous track conditions. Biaggi was ruled out of race one as a result of his fall and Sykes also fell, only to be re-instated after count back, in race two. Melandri came out best of all this weekend, moving to within 10.5 points of Biaggi's lead.
