“ Navarra promises to be a thrilling venue for the paddock ”
Gregorio Lavilla
EXCITING CONTENT a nice circuit , I enjoyed it a lot ,” said Steven . “ The track has a bit of everything , the first corner was almost flat out in sixth gear and then there are some tight hairpins along the back , so it has a good mix . Your bike needs a good setup , due to the fact that the track is quite complex . I definitely think that it will have some great racing there , especially because the first part is very flowing and then the second part is quite twisty and technical , so it will be good for the show . I am quite excited to go back there ! ” Navarra is the most northerly of all the Spanish circuits , almost equidistant from the Atlantic to the west and the slightly nearer Mediterranean to the east . Los Arcos is the nearest town to the circuit , where the majority of the teams will try to stay for their working weekend . Pamplona is the nearest city , and a possible hotel site if all else nearer the track is full . The closest mid-size airport to the track is - bizarrely ( unless you are a cross-border local resident ) - Biarritz in France . France ? Given the long history of this region , which used to be a country in its own right straddling what is now the border between Spain and France , it is maybe not so surprising that France provides the biggest nearby , airport given the rural nature of the Navarra region in general . It is just less than two hours away . It ’ s nearly a four hour drive to Madrid and over four hours to Barcelona , for comparison . A major clue as to where you are in the European cultural map comes from the fact that the official circuit website features text in Spanish , English - and the unique local Basque language . We are entering a unique and new chapter of WorldSBK racing , for sure . As a race venue to ride your motorcycle to Navarra is also a special one . Close to the mega-ferry terminals of Santander and especially Bilbao , it is an ideal long bike vacation spot for even far-away British riders to head to . Facing the stunning North Coast of mainland Spain ( just 1.5 hours away by road ) the must-see Pyrenees are to the right . Los Picos de Europa ’ s equally stunning mountain roads are to your left . All around are National Parks and natural splendour . If you spend any time in this general area on two-wheels in search scenery you cannot help but cross and recross the famous Ebro river , which rises in the mountains of Cantabria and empties into the Mediterranean in Catalunya . Until now the main international events that have used Circuito de Navarra have been based around four wheels , not two , but there are of course important CEV Championship rounds held at this venue . The last word on Navarra ’ s inclusion on the 2021 calendar goes to Gregorio Lavilla , WorldSBK Executive Director . “ We are delighted to see the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship take to a new circuit in 2021 , and Navarra promises to be a thrilling venue for the paddock ,” said Lavilla , himself a noted former WorldSBK factory rider . “ It will be the seventh different circuit visited in Spain and with the growing popularity of WorldSBK in the Iberian Peninsula , this stateof-the-art facility will welcome great racing and a great spectacle . I can ’ t wait to get there .” The wait is over . Those of you reading this who are already there will understand what a fine spectator facility Navarra is , and we all hope that the racing goes off as dramatically , safely and entertainingly as many of the previous rounds in 2021
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