Phillip Island. Australia
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Circuit Information:
Track length: 2.764 miles / 4.448 kilometers
Right Corners: 5
Left Corners: 7
Longest Straight: 0.559 miles / .900 kilometers
Constructed: 1956
Modified: 1988
Time zone: GMT +11 / CET +10 / EST +15 / PCT +18
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Notes & Quotes:
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The Trackhouse MotoGP Team is headed to the most southerly outpost of the MotoGP World Championship – Phillip Island, Australia – a jewel on the Southern Ocean coastline, 85 miles (138 kilometers) to the south of the city of Melbourne and a jewel on the global tour of motorcycling’s premier class.

The American outfit celebrated #25 Raul Fernandez’s first MotoGP class podium last time out, at Mandalika in Indonesia. The 24-year-old native from Madrid, Spain, converted his front row 3^rd position starting spot into a strong 3^rd place finish in the Sprint and followed up with 6^th in the main Grand Prix of Indonesia. Arriving in Australia and the fast, flowing, Phillip Island track, Raul’s pace is a reflection of growing confidence and the excellent work done both by the Trackhouse crew and its factory racing partner, Aprilia, who have developed the RS-GP25 into a truly potent weapon on all circuit layouts the team have visited during the season. Raul is in form and aiming for more front running success.

Raul’s teammate, #79 Ai Ogura, has had a roller-coaster debut year in the MotoGP premier class. The opening round saw a stunning start – 4^th in the Sprint race, followed by a 5^th place finish in the Grand Prix of Thailand. That was followed by another strong run in Argentina, 8^th over the line in the Grand Prix, only for the team to be judged outside of the regulations on an electronics technicality which robbed the young Japanese rider of the World Championship points he richly deserved. The learning process continued until a crash at the ultra-fast British Grand Prix track – Silverstone – put him on the side-lines with a fractured leg and an enforced recovery missing the next round in Aragon. He bounced back at Mugello, taking a 10^thplace in the Italian Grand Prix and then endured a series of tough weekends before an impressive 6^th place finish in Catalunya. His form was dented, yet again, when Ai suffered a very fast off at Misano, in the San Marino Grand Prix, which left him nursing a damaged right hand and wrist, and heavily bruised left heel. With only a short recovery period ahead of his home Grand Prix, Ai was determined to put on a show for his fans at Motegi and managed a brave 9^th place in the Saturday Sprint. Unfortunately, the effort set his recovery back and without sufficient strength in his right hand to exert the necessary force into the front brakes on his Trackhouse RS-GP25, Ai was reluctantly forced to miss his premier class debut Japanese Grand Prix. A bitter blow that carried over into the last round, in Indonesia – Ai finding that the damage in his right hand and wrist needed more time and treatment to allow the pain to subside and race safely. After a further ten days at home in Japan, Ai will arrive in Australia full of hope that he can take to the Phillip Island asphalt and get his season back on track.
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The counter-clockwise Australian circuit is a classic and one that is loved by the travelling MotoGP circus. High speed corners, a long straightaway, elevation changes and blind crests, changeable conditions and stunning views of the Southern Ocean – weather permitting – the track is not for the faint hearted. Nor does it suit those who do not manage tire wear and cannot find a rhythm around this old-school 2.76-mile (4.5 kilometer) test of speed and confidence. Phillip Island is a workout for man and machine, in every way and America’s MotoGP team cannot wait!
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