Suzuka revamped for MotoGP test

Suzuka, one of the two MotoGP circuits in Japan, has been altered with a new tighter corner and additional chicane.

The changes at ‘130R’ corner and ‘Casio Triangle’ chicane are designed to improve safety at the notoriously difficult section. Circuit bosses reckon it should make for more exciting racing too, and have added two new grandstands to overlook the new stretch.

The change is expected to slow the circuit, which will also be 3m longer overall.

The current MotoGP lap record was set by Tohru Ukawa in 2001 and stands at 2:06.80. But the changes mean a new one should be set at this year’s event on April 4-6. The final IRTA tests will be taking place at the circuit a week before the race on March 30-31.

The changes in full: The 130R corner has seen a larger Tarmac run-off created by making the new track run inside its existing route. A larger gravel trap has also been added to the outside.

The corner is now split into two distinct sections with the constant 130m radius making way for a tighter 85m radius in the first part leading into a long sweeping 340m radius on the exit. The result of this is that the straight after the corner has now been reduced to 65m preventing such a build up in speed before the Casio Triangle chicane.

The chicane itself has also been changed taking some of the ferocity out of the original layout and giving more opportunity for overtaking.

Riders will now bank to the right much earlier before a wider left-hander. This then flows into a second tighter chicane, which takes the track back left again before a tight right leading on to the start finish straight.

The new second chicane has been created specifically for bikes and will not be used by cars.

Don’t forget to check out this week’s MCN, out March 5, where we unveil the secrets behind the Yamaha M1 and Aprilia RS3.

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