Round 16 of the MotoGP™ Podcast is here and as we’re heading to Mugello this weekend, this week’s episode features Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Mission Winnow Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso, Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro and Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Hafizh Syahrin discussing their favourite tracks, as well as MotoGP™ Legends Randy Mamola and Freddie Spencer reminiscing about theirs too.
“There are a few that I love. Mugello is one of them for many reasons,” comments Dovizioso, with Mugello always being a special place for the Italian riders. “The layout and where we are, for sure, for the Italian riders it's something very special to take victory there. I always struggled in my career because I always wanted to do that but until 2017 I couldn't but that year it was amazing.
“The main straight and the first braking point is SO hard. The intensity we have to put to stabilise and manage the bike is unbelievable and it's impossible to explain. It's so heavy... Arrabbiata Uno, and especially two is special because you can't see the exit, it's uphill so you can put a lot of effort into the bike and every time you're doing that you feel... alive.”
So Mugello, rather unsurprisingly, is one of Dovi’s most adored tracks. But what about fellow Ducati man Miller? “For me, my favourite track would have to be Phillip Island, not only because it's my home Grand Prix...
“I love going there just being home in Australia. I'm an Australian through and through, I enjoy arriving home... But also it's one of the best tracks on the calendar, just one of those where you enjoy it on a Moto3 bike but on a MotoGP bike is where you *really* get to enjoy it with all those long sweeping corners, just turn it with the rear tyre, the layout's just unreal...”
And what about Randy Mamola? A man who has been to just about every track that has been on the calendar in the last four decades… “When I look back, there are race tracks that I really loved that no longer exist on the calendar, one of those is Spa-Francorchamps, which is a great race track - huge!
“And there are others such as Paul Ricard in France, Imola which we don't ride anymore. I always tended to like fast race tracks and one of the other ones would have to be Mugello! It's still one of those very natural race tracks, it doesn't have built-in chicanes, they're just fast-flowing left and right and that's what's really cool about it.”
To hear plenty of other opinions on personal favourite tracks, what makes a great circuit and to hear from what it’s like in the paddock from a commentary and journalist perspective from Matt Birt and Mat Oxley, make sure you give Episode 16 – The Best Tracks In The World – a listen!