The Welkom circuit according to Héctor Faubel.
‘One of the things I like best of the circuit is that there are lots of sections that allow overtaking, especially during braking manoeuvres’.
Héctor Faubel performed one of his best races of the 2002 season in South Africa. Welkom, a very special circuit due to its altitude (1,350 metres above the sea level) is the best layout of the World Championship for surprises. Its altitude makes the engines work under their usual performance level, thus equalling the power of factory and non-factory bikes. Last year, and with a strictly series RS 250 Aprilia, Faubel qualified seventeenth for the grid and was fighting for the eleventh place until the penultimate lap. With less than one lap to go, a crash hindered him from a more than deserved and very fought for eleventh place. For Faubel, the race in Welkom had both a positive and a negative side… This is a circuit that allows you to be closer to the factory bikes due to the engines’ loss of power, and it’s a chance you just have to take advantage of. It’s a complicated circuit because it’s quite twisty and technical. The few and short straights and the strong heat turn Welkom into a very demanding racetrack both for the riders and the bikes. The track is usually covered with sand from the surroundings and together with the fast tyre wearing due to the heat the track becomes very slippery. For me, one of the most difficult sections of the track is the second corner after the finish line, a fast left-hand corner, downhill and with a lot of bumps. You almost have to lay down holding on to the track as hard as possible in order not to loose control over the bike, that usually shakes a lot. One of the things I like best of the circuit is that there are lots of sections that allow overtaking, especially during braking manoeuvres. The venue of the South African Grand Prix in detail Brought about through an initiative of the South African government in early 1998, the Phakisa Freeway in Welkom is one of the newest race circuits on the World Championship calendar.
Phakisa means hurry up in Sotho, the local language, and thats the way it was built: in a hurry. The first National race event was held a mere 6 months after the work had started and the entire facility was completed in time for the 1999 Motorcycle Grand Prix, five months later. Designed in conjunction with officials of the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme), the Phakisa Freeway is considered as one of the safest circuits of the calendar. With 5 left and 9 right-hand corners and relatively short straights, the top speed on the 4242 m of this track, is usually slower than on most of the tracks. This circumstance is compensated by the altitude (1350 m above sea level), which reduces around 20% of the engines power turning the races into a question of skill rather than horsepower.
The layout includes a classic racetrack and an oval for car racing. Being a fast track with some of the most challenging corners of the calendar, turn this race into one of the most exciting events of the year.
Official Web: Phakisa Freeway circuit
Repsol drivers on South African GP 2002
MOTOGP:
Valentino Rossi: Pole: 1.34.660 / Race: (2º) 44.40.399 / Fastest lap: 1.34.960
250:
Fonsi Nieto: Practice: (5º) 1.38.185 / Race: (3º) 42.58.135 / Fastest lap: 1.37.860
Toni Elías: Practice: (15º) 1.39.165 (15º) / Race: (16º) 44.06.357 / Fastest lap: 1.39.752
125:
Dani Pedrosa: Pole: 1.42.522 / Race: (3º) 41.26.946 / Fastest lap: 1.42.808
