MotoGP – Preview Phillip Island – Circuit data

Phillip Island is the fastest track in MotoGP and demands a lot from the riders, bikes and tyres. The circuit is in fact sinuous and streamlined, and requires maximum control of the bike and precision with the throttle: an old-fashioned layout, with a series of fast and challenging corners that makes it one of the favorite tracks for the majority of riders. Located 130 kilometers south of Melbourne, it first hosted a motorcycle race in 1920, when it was still a 12-mile track and when the only access to the island was by sea. Subsequently falling into disrepair, the circuit was restored in the late 80s and hosted the first motorcycle GP in 1989. Its exposure on the shores of Bass Strait means that weather conditions play an important role as they can change very quickly. Strong gusts of wind and low temperatures are a variable that pilots often have to deal with.

Circuit data

Official record: Nicky Hayden (Honda – 2008), 1'30.059 – 177.803 Km/h
Best Pole: Casey Stoner (Ducati – 2008), 1'28.665 – 180.598 Km/h
Circuit length: 4,448 km
2010 MotoGP race: 27 laps (120.096 km)
MotoGP race time 2010: 16:00 Local Time
Number of turns: 27
Race distance: 120.096

PODIUM 2009: 1st Casey Stoner, 2nd Valentino Rossi, 3rd Dani Pedrosa
POLE 2009: Casey Stoner (Ducati – 2009), 1'30.341 – 177.248 km/h