News

324,6 – The fastest ever top speed recorded at Phillip Island is 324.6 kph, set by Max Biaggi onboard his Aprilia in the 2012 race.

177 – Last year Tom Sykes recorded the fastest ever pole in Phillip Island history at 177,760 kph.

170 - The last race run at an average speed lower than 170 kph here was Race 2 in 2008, when Bayliss recorded 169,636 kph, while the last pole slower than 170 kph dates back 1998 (Troy Corser, 168.683 kph).

51 – Phillip Island is the track with most WorldSBK races run: 51. The first appearance of the Australian track in the calendar was back in 1990.

23 - Australian riders have won their home race here 23 times out of 51, the last one coming in 2008 with a double for Troy Bayliss. Since then, riders from seven different countries have won here.

21 – Last year only 21 thousandths of a second denied Tom Sykes of the first ever lap below the 1 minute and 30 seconds at this track. His pole time was 1'30.020.

16 – In the history of the Championship, in 16 seasons out of 29 the winner of the opening race has gone on to win the title at the end of the year. Jonathan Rea did it both last year and two years ago.

13 - The last rider who won at Phillip Island starting outside the top-10 grid spots was Noriyuki Haga; he lined up in 13th in the first race in 2009, and by the end of the opening lap he was already in second and hit the front after just four laps.

9 - For the ninth year in a row Phillip Island will be the opening weekend of the season. The Australian track is the one where the most season openers in the history of the Championship have taken place, followed by Donington, Valencia and Losail, at four each.

5 - In all the 29 seasons run so far, the eventual champion always finished the opening race in the first 5 places, with Tom Sykes being the only champion to start his winning campaign with a fifth back in 2013.

4 – British riders have won the last four races here. There is only one longer string of wins from one country at this track; 6 wins by Australian riders from 2004 Race 2 to 2007 Race 1 (Garry McCoy, 3 Troy Corser, 2 Troy Bayliss). The string was broken by British rider, James Toseland.

1 – In 2015 and 2016 the wins here came from the front row. Rea was third on the grid last year and secured the double, while two years ago Rea won from pole in Race 1 and Leon Haslam won from the third spot in Race 2.

0.004 – The closest finish in WorldSBK history was recorded at Phillip Island in Race 1, 2010. Leon Haslam won with a 0.004 seconds margin over Michel Fabrizio.

0 – The last five races held here were all decided by less than one second at the flag. The last time the winner was able to enjoy at least a one second margin at the finish was back in 2014, when Eugene Laverty won with 2.959 seconds over Marco Melandri.