This just in from Repsol Honda MotoGP:
The Australian circuit of Phillip Island hosts the second MotoGP official test of the year from tomorrow through to Friday. Two weeks after the first preseason outing in Malaysia, Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa are back on their Honda RC213V bikes at the track located less than 150km south of Melbourne, on the southern tip of Australia. With the test being held in the southern hemisphere, the riders will be able to enjoy a temperate summer climate during their 3 days of intense work.
Unlike when the World Championship visits the Australian island in October, the maximum average temperature is about 23.8ºC at this time of year. The majority of riders list Phillip Island as among the best venues on the calendar, but it is also one of the most technical circuits –where the frequent winds from Tasmania and the South Pole blow head-on down the main straight and complicates changing direction on some corners.
At 4.448km in length and with 12 corners (7 left, 5 right), it is the track with the highest average speed of the season –after the Red Bull Ring– at 182 km/h. It is also one of the most demanding in terms of tire wear. The final two corners are the fastest on the calendar, pushing the tires so hard that manufacturer Michelin provide asymmetric compounds –with a harder left side.
Time at the tricky track will allow the riders and teams to continue working on the setup of their bikes before the start of the 2017 season –which takes place little more than a month away, in Qatar.
