Circuit profile: Motegi, Japan

All the facts and stats about the Motegi circuit in Japan, which is to hold the next MotoGP.

Circuit: Twin Ring MotegiDate: October 7, 2001Track length: 4850 mOpened: 1997500 GP race distance: 25 laps, 120,025 km500 GP lap record: Valentino Rossi (Honda) - 1'50.591, 156.283 km/h (2000)500 GP circuit best lap: Max Biaggi (Yamaha) - 1'49.954, 157.189 km/h (2000)500 GP 2000 race winner: Kenny Roberts (Suzuki)250 GP lap record: Shinya Nakano (Yamaha) - 1'52.253, 153.970 km/h (2000)250 GP 2000 race winner: Daijiro Katoh (Honda)Circuit web site: http://www.twinring.co.jp

Action in 2000

With the 2000 MotoGP 500 World Championship secured, Motegi, Japan (round 15) was the point when Kenny Roberts (Suzuki) could focus on winning races rather than the title and the American took advantage of the situation. He leapt out from behind polsitter Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team) to lead the charge into turn one - avoiding the paint swapping action that forced Valentino Rossi (Honda) and Biaggi back to eighth and ninth respectively by the end of the first lap.

By the time the Italian pair had worked their way through the field into second and third places (within the first ten laps) Roberts had already opened up a gap of over seven seconds - the events on that opening lap securing the win for the Suzuki rider, leaving the final podium positions to be decided between Rossi and Biaggi. After a few heart-in-mouth out braking manoeuvres it was Rossi who came away with the number two slot by race's end, ahead of a trio of Yamahas - Biaggi leading the way from fourth placed Marlboro Yamaha Teammate Carlos Checa and Norick Abe rounding out the top five on the Antena 3 Yamaha d'Antin backed machine.

Action in 2001

This year Motegi will mark the beginning of the end for the 2001 championship season, with the computer designed circuit the first of the four final flyaway rounds - Motegi (October 7), Phillip Island, Australia (October 14), Sepang, Malaysia (October 21) and Rio, Brazil (November 4). Like many things designed and built by the Japanese the attention to detail at Motegi is unsurpassed - the surface is seamlessly smooth, offering high levels of grip, and the facilities are exceptional. Yet its layout looks more like a series of uncreative drag strips linked together by continual radius corners - but still it's technical enough that outright power isn't the be-all and end-all.

Track Performance

In fact in some respects too much power can be a hindrance more than help. The most common concern on such a stop 'n' go layout, especially with its low speed corners, is the threat of the 500 wheelieing as it attempts to drive hard onto the straights. This is followed by the aggressive weight transfer and the instability that accompanies heavy braking from such high speeds. It's in this area of the chassis that Yamaha's technicians will be focussing their efforts.

The main aim is to cater for the weight transfer, to minimise the pitching effect. To do this the basic chassis package won't be too far removed from what was run during the Le Mans round earlier in the year. The rear of the bike will be slightly lower and the front set slightly higher, when compared to other circuits, to offer the braking stability needed - reducing the likelihood of the rear wheel leaving the tarmac under brakes. The front fork springs will boast a slightly higher spring rate, but unlike Le Mans, the advantage is that the damping won't have to cater for any major bumps while the front forks are compressed.

The rear shock on the other hand will run a slightly softer spring with a high amount of preload. This will help to offer the feel and consistency under power while preventing the bike from squatting to the point which can cause it to run wide or, in extreme circumstances, wheelie. At the same time suspension technicians will also have to consider the effects of the rear shock pumping through its stroke - a common concern on a track where the bike is driving hard off a slow speed hairpin.

Also helping will be the use of a longer swingarm, which will tend to aid tractability, stability and prevent wheelies. Even so it is just as important that the YZR500 be agile too, considering the hairpins and the tight chicanes at Motegi.

Power wise it's necessary that the V-four be tuned for low to mid range power with good overrev, but the torque curve must also be as consistent as possible. Any spike or crest in the power delivery could be enough to amplify the effects of the two-stroke's eagerness to wheelstand.

In 2000 a majority of the rear tyres used were sporting a dual compound design, with soft edges and a harder centre to deal with the excessive braking and accelerating necessary on the Motegi straights. It is likely that Michelin will offer something similar this time round. And although the rear tyre choice has predominately been focussed towards the 16.5inch design this year, 2000 saw a number of riders opt for the 17s at this circuit - and it could be the trend again.