Track analysis and Repsol drivers records

The Phillip Island circuit according to Héctor Barberá
‘There is usually strong wind here and you can never follow the same line twice because the wind blows you off the line in the corners’.
 Problems with the bikes settings and the strong wind hindered Héctor Barberá from achieving a good result in Australia last year. However the young Spaniard enjoys racing on this circuit he considers to be very complicated. There is usually strong wind here and you can never follow the same line twice because the wind blows you off the line in the corners, which are also quite fast. Its a dangerous circuit because you get a fast pace and there are two or three spots where the wall is very close to the corners. In addition, the race is usually made up by groups of five to six riders because it is a relatively short track favouring agglomerations. With regard to the asphalt, it is very abrasive and it has good grip, like in Brno. It is a very spectacular circuit in general, there is a lot of vegetation around it and along the straight, and when you start going downwards you can even see the sea. You can feel the humidity here; it affects the carburetion and changes the bikes technical setting a little bit. The corner at the entrance to the straight where you can open the throttle completely on the 125cc bike, is especially nice. And in the afternoon, when everything is over, there is a fair outside the paddock, where we use to go sometimes. Although the circuit doesnt have much grandstands, theres usually a nice crowd of people and Australian fans are good at cheering. The venue of the GP in detailThe Road Racing World Championship returned to one of the most traditional enclaves of motorsport in 1997. The history of the Phillip Island Circuit dates back to the 20s, when the first car races where held there on non-asphalted public roads. The first motorcycle race took place in 1931 although it was in 1956, when the first permanent track was built, on the initiative of six local businessmen. The circuit fell into disrepair in the late 70s and early 80s until it was rehabilitated and modernised in 1985, giving the track its current 4448 m in length with 7 left-hand and 5 right-hand corners. Located in a picturesque scenery, 130 km south-east of Melbourne and only a couple of metres from the waters of the Bass Straight, Phillip Island has been venue of memorable battles. Two Australian Grand Prix were held there in 1989 and 1990, before becoming a regular venue of the World Championship in 1997, after the announcement in 1995. Its long straight – 900 m provides for exciting slipstream overtakings. The inhabitants of this remote Australian town, a calm summer and tourist resort along the year, share the friendly atmosphere during the Australian Grand Prix week with motorsport and speed lovers. Official website:http://www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au Repsol drivers in Australian GP 2002MotoGP: Valentino Rossi: Practice: (7th) 1´32.849 / Race: (1st) 42´02.041 / Fastest lap: 1´32.233.250: Fonsi Nieto: Pole: 1´33.904 / Race: (2nd) 39´44.300 / Fastest lap: 1´34.237. Toni Elías: Practice: (4th) 1´34.507 / Race: (5th) 40´03.210 / Fastest lap: 1´35.253.125: Dani Pedrosa: Practice: (10th) 1´39.618 / Race: (5th) 38´09.603 / Fastest lap: 1´37.983 2003 season, all results Repsol driversAll season results and overall standings. Click on ‘Download document’ option on top right side of this page (Pdf format).