Australia : Bridgestone - Preview

_{source: moto.racing-live.com}

Located on the Southern tip of mainland Australia, Phillip Island is a paradise for nature lovers and motorsport fans alike.

Embedded in green parklands directly besides fabulous surf beaches and the rolling waves of the Tasmanian Sea, Phillip Island is not only one of the most beautiful, but also the fastest tracks in the MotoGP calendar. Its classical layout with fast and sweeping corners produces close racing with heart-stopping action every year, and tests skill and bravery of the MotoGP riders aboard their 250 horsepower machines to the maximum.

Phillilp Island's high-speed corners are also a real challenge for the tyre technicians. The unique high-speed layout, and especially the fast last turn, where the riders shift through the gears with high lean angles and wide open throttle, make the rear tyre spin for a long time, thus creating excessive heat in the tyre.

A variety of corners without any camber make the tyres slide even more, and add to the overheating problem. Durability and grip consistency are the big issues, together with the warm up-performance of the tyres - Phillip Island can be cold in the springtime of the Southern Hemisphere, with sudden drops in temperature of up to 15 degrees if the wind direction swings around and it starts blowing from the Antarctic South.

"I love Phillip Island - as long as the weather is nice," smiles Ducati star Loris Capirossi. "I always love fast corners and Phillip Island has many beautiful ones. It is the kind of track where the rider can make all the difference, It's also good for our Desmosedici, we have always been fast here. Bridgestone has done some great work recently, so we'll wait and see what evolution tyres they bring to this race. I hope we've got a good package because I really want second place in the championship!"