After the tragic death of Luis Salom in 2016, the layout of the Montmelo circuit was urgently modified so that the Grand Prix could take place there in reasonable safety conditions on Sunday.
For the 2017 edition, the chicane was maintained and developed in a more sustainable manner, and the turn 10 hairpin retained. This, although not very pleasant for the drivers, offered better clearances in the event of a problem. A test session was organized, but during the first tests of the 2017 GP, it was decided to abandon the MotoGP chicane in turn 12 and now use the F1 chicane. It was only a little less worse, and the drivers meeting in the Safety Commission clearly expressed their wish to see turn 2018 used in 12 as it was until 2016, that is to say without chicanery.
The difficulty of this achievement is that it is then necessary to put the abandoned turn 12 back into use (see photo below © motgp.com) and enlarge the clearance space outside this curve, which requires the withdrawal of the wall and stands.
According to Vincenç Aguilera, the president of the consortium that manages the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit, “ the necessary changes will be made and there is no risk of losing MotoGP in 2018. »
However, he would appreciate it if the request for a new route was clear, clear and definitive. He had in fact little appreciated this year that according to him Valentino Rossi had the chicane built the previous winter closed. “ He made us spend 200 euros for nothing » he then exclaimed, to which Vale replied “ It wasn't me, but all the pilots ».
“At present, Montmeló is a circuit that is not approved, commented the boss of Dorna Carmelo Ezpeleta. If Catalonia continues, in 2018 there will be 19 races and if Catalonia does not continue, there will be 18 ».
The second requirement from the pilots is a total resurfacing of the track, which is very bumpy. The owners of the circuit seem to agree and have requested a quote from the companies which have just resurfaced Le Mans and Sachsenring.
