Less than one week after the GP of Japan, held last Sunday at Motegi, the MotoGP World Championship continues non-stop with another classic event on the calendar at the Phillip Island circuit, the scene for the seventeenth round of the season – the Australian Grand Prix.
Following a podium for Andrea Dovizioso in Japan – third place and the 100th in his career – and a ninth place for Danilo Petrucci, the Ducati Team is now ready to tackle the second of three back-to-back overseas rounds. At the Phillip Island circuit, situated about 140 kilometres south of Melbourne, the Ducati Team has obtained four victories, all in successive years, with Casey Stoner between 2007 and 2010. Andrea Dovizioso won on this track in 2004 in 125cc, but he can also count two thirds to his name in the premier class, one in 2011 and another in 2018, the latter with Ducati. Petrucci’s best result at Phillip Island is a ninth place in 2016 with a Pramac Racing Desmosedici GP.
Andrea Dovizioso (# 04 Ducati Team) – 2nd (231 points)
“On paper Phillip Island is the most challenging circuit for us of the three end-of-season overseas races, but it is also true that last year here I finished third, and this is the marker that we must follow. The cold and the rain often form part of the weekend in this race, and so anything can happen. Even though I gained a few points on my closest rivals at Motegi, I can’t afford to relax if I want to hold on to second place in the standings, and in any case I’m determined to score a good result in Australia.”
Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – 5th (169 points)
“Phillip Island is a special circuit that requires a specific riding style. In the last two races I’ve had some problems with the temperature of the tyres, but in Australia I think things will be a bit different. I’m not far off third place overall, which remains my objective and which I think it will be possible to achieve. Obviously I can’t be satisfied with my result in Japan and I want to improve here at Phillip Island because it’s a circuit that I like. It’s a good opportunity for me to make a step forward.”
The Australian Grand Prix will officially get underway on Friday 25th October with the first free practice session at 10:50 local time (01:50 CET), while the race takes place on Sunday 27th at 15:00 in Australia (05:00 CET).
Circuit Information
Country: Australia
Name: Phillip Island Circuit
Best Lap: Márquez (Honda), 1:28.108 (181.7 km/h) – 2013
Circuit Record: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1:27.899 (182.1 km/h) – 2013
Top Speed: Dovizioso (Ducati), 348.0 km/h – 2015
Track Length: 4.4 km
Race Distance: 27 laps (120.1 km)
Corners: 12 (7 left, 5 right)
2018 Results
Podium: 1st Viñales (Yamaha); 2nd Iannone (Suzuki), 3rd Dovizioso (Ducati)
Pole Position: Márquez (Honda), 1:29.199 (179.5 km/h)
Fastest Lap: Viñales (Yamaha), 1:29.632 (178.6 km/h)
Rider Information
Andrea Dovizioso
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Number: 04
Age: 33 (born on 23rd March in Forlimpopoli)
Residence: Forlì (Italy)
Races: 310 (212 x MotoGP, 49 x 250cc, 49 x 125cc)
First GP: 2008 Qatar (MotoGP), 2005 Spain (250cc), 2001 Italy (125cc)
Wins: 23 (14 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First Win: 2009 Britain (MotoGP), 2006 Catalunya (250cc), 2004 South Africa (125cc)
Pole Positions: 20 (7 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)
First Pole: 2010 Japan (MotoGP), 2006 France (250cc), 2003 France (125cc)
World Titles: 1 (1 x 125cc)
Danilo Petrucci
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 9
Age: 28 (born on 24 October 1990 in Terni)
Residence: Forlì (Italy)
Races: 134 (MotoGP)
First GP: 2012 Qatar (MotoGP)
Wins: 1
First Win: 2019 Italy (MotoGP)
Pole Positions: –
World titles: –
Championship Information
Riders’ Standings
Andrea Dovizioso (# 04 Ducati Team) – 2nd (231 points)
Danilo Petrucci (# 9 Ducati Team) – 5th (169 points)
Constructors’ Standings
Ducati – 2nd (270 points)
Teams’ Standings
Ducati Team – 1st (400 points)
