Silverstone: The fastest MotoGP track in the world

Riders will lap Silverstone at an average speed of more than 122mph at the British MotoGP in 2010, making the new circuit the fastest on the MotoGP calendar by a clear 10mph.

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The figure was revealed to MCN by circuit designers John Barrow and John Rhodes, of the London-based sports and event planning company Populous.

Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips has also revealed the length of the track on which Valentino Rossi will defend his MotoGP title – 3.613 miles, making it the longest in the MotoGP season.

So Silverstone – which hasn’t hosted the British grand prix since 1986 – will bounce back into the series with the unique double claim of being both the fastest and the longest track.

Using computer simulations, the Populous team believes that riders will lap Silverstone in 1m 45.9 seconds, the equivalent of 122.834mph.

Australia’s Phillip Island is currently MotoGP’s fastest track: Casey Stoner lapped the 2.764-mile circuit at 112.219 on his Marlboro Ducati in qualifying last year.

At 3.447 miles, Sepang in Malaysia is currently the longest track in MotoGP.

“We started with the brief of developing what Silverstone is well-known for – a fast and flowing circuit,” Rhodes said. “We wanted to make more of that and exaggerate it.”

The Populous organisation is already designing the main Olympic stadium, and has also contributed to 15 motorsports projects in the USA, Britain, Dubai and Iceland.