Phillip Island welcomes MotoGP for the last time because from 2027 the Australian round will be held in Adelaide.
The Australian GP is the first of 3 consecutive rounds, followed by a one-week break, useful for recovering energy ahead of the final 2 Grands Prix of the season. This year’s event is the 30th GP hosted by Phillip Island, a milestone no other non-European circuit has reached.
GP data
According to Brembo engineers, who for the 11th consecutive year are working closely with all MotoGP teams, the 4.448 km Phillip Island Circuit is the least demanding for brakes of the 2026 season. On a scale of 1 to 6, it has a difficulty index of 1 because there are just 6 braking sections per lap, for a total of only 22.2 seconds. Only one braking section is classified as High, 2 are Medium and 3 are Light, and none requires a load of at least 4.5 kg on the brake lever.
The toughest corner
The toughest corner at the Phillip Island Circuit for the braking system is Turn 1: MotoGP bikes go from 344 km/h to 179 km/h in 4.2 seconds, over a distance of 293 metres, thanks to a load of 4.4 kg on the brake lever. Deceleration is 1.5 g, Brembo brake fluid pressure reaches 9.5 bar, while the carbon disc temperature hits 750 °C.
Valentinotto
The last 27 editions of the premier class Australian GP held at the Phillip Island Circuit were won by motorcycles equipped with Brembo brakes. The most successful rider on this track is Valentino Rossi with 8 victories: 5 in MotoGP, 2 in 250, and 1 in 500. Number forty-six won here with the Aprilia RS250, the Honda NSR500, the Honda RC211V, and the Yamaha YZR-M1, but always and only using Brembo braking systems.
From 300 to 200
From 2000 to 2006, Italian riders won 7 consecutive 500/MotoGP races at Phillip Island: the first with Max Biaggi, then 5 in a row by Valentino Rossi, and the last with Marco Melandri. Since then, however, they have claimed only one triumph despite 17 editions. If the taboo were broken on Sunday, Brembo would reach a round number. In fact, two weeks ago, in Indonesia, Italy became the first nation to reach 300 premier-class victories with its riders: 199 of these were achieved with Brembo brakes, with contributions from 15 different riders.
A corner and a thumb
The first corner of the Phillip Island Circuit is named after local legend Mick Doohan, who is credited with the creation of the thumb brake master cylinder: in 1992 at Assen, the Australian rider suffered a serious injury to his right foot, which lost part of its functionality. To overcome the problem, Brembo developed the thumb brake master cylinder, which allows the rear brake to be operated with the left hand. Today many MotoGP riders use the thumb brake master cylinder, while others use the index finger master cylinder. With both, the benefits are not limited to braking, but also extend to acceleration and cornering.