The MotoGP World Championship arrives at Phillip Island this weekend for the third-to-last round of the season, the Australian Grand Prix. Let’s have a look at ten key facts about the race:
– The Ducati Team has scored four wins at Phillip Island, all in a row by Casey Stoner between 2007 and 2010.
– Ducati has achieved a total of 10 podiums at the Australian circuit: as well as the wins by Stoner, Capirossi has twice finished second and once third, and Checa, Iannone and Dovizioso can boast one third place each.
– Andrea Dovizioso scored a win in Australia, in the 125cc category in 2004. In the premier class his best result was achieved last year with a third place.
– Stoner is also the rider who has achieved Ducati’s three pole positions on this track, in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
– With his third place at Motegi, Dovizioso has reached the impressive milestone of 100 podiums in GP racing: 59 in MotoGP, 26 in 250cc and 15 in 125cc.
– With three rounds remaining until the end of the 2019 championship, the Italian rider from Forlí has scored 8 podiums, the same as 2017 and one less than the nine last year.
– The spectacular straight at Phillip Island is the eighth longest in the entire calendar, and measures exactly 900 metres.
– The top speed record on this track is held by Dovizioso, with 348 km/h in 2015.
– Twelve corners make up the Phillip Island circuit, but it’s a curious fact that riders only brake in six of them. It is the circuit on the calendar where the brakes are used the least.
– Danilo Petrucci’s best result at the Australian circuit is a ninth position obtained in 2016 when he raced the Desmosedici GP of Pramac Racing.
