MotoGP Goes Retro for 75th Anniversary at Silverstone
MotoGP will go back in time at the 2024 British Grand Prix, as the bikes and riders will don special edition, vintage paintwork and leathers
The British MotoGP round from Silverstone will be a retro affair this August, as the teams and riders will be racing in special one-off liveries.
The special paint jobs are all part of MotoGP’s 75th Anniversary celebrations, with the new liveries being publicly unveiled during the Day of Champions pitlane walk at 14:00 on the Thursday before the race weekend - Thursday, August 4th.
This round has been selected to celebrate in this way as the Isle of Man held the very first British Grand Prix round in June 1949. It last hosted an FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix round in 1976.
The statement announcing the news says:
‘MotoGP celebrates its 75th anniversary throughout 2024 and the festivities are set to kick up a gear at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix. For the first time in the sport’s 75-year history, every bike and rider on the grid will race with a special, one-off livery at Silverstone – and all with a touch of retro style.’
‘Taking inspiration from any chapter in their unique histories, the 11 teams on the grid – including the five factories – will each race with their own special edition, vintage paintwork. What’s more, fans can see each and every one of them revealed LIVE in a special event during the Day of Champions pitlane walk at 14:00 LT on Thursday at the British GP.’
Special edition bike and rider liveries are nothing new in MotoGP, with Valentino Rossi sometimes using the bike as a canvas to celebrate milestones in his career, and who can forget the US and Australian flag schemes run by Ducati for Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner, respectively. Even at the most recent round of the 2024 season, the Italian Grand Prix, Ducati ran a special Maglia Azzurro livery in support of the Italian national sports teams ahead of this year’s Euro 2024 and Olympic Games.
This, though, is a very different affair, and it’ll be interesting to see how the teams and riders implement the retro paint job and integrate it with the modern team sponsors.
The British Grand Prix is taking place at the Northamptonshire circuit between the 2nd and 4th of August.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
