Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello
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Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello |
| Track country: Italy | |
| Track length: 5245m, 3.259miles | |
| Track width: 14m | |
| Longest straight: 1141m, 0.709miles |
| Track left corners: 6 |
| Track right corners: 9 |
| Track time zone: GMT+1 |
| Track web address: http://www.mugellocircuit.it/english |
| Track location: Near the Firenze. |
Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello – track information
At 5.245km the Mugello circuit is one of the longer contemporary MotoGP circuits, in no small part due to the fact that, unlike many other classically sculpted tracks, it has retained its original length and layout. Running across two sides of an impossibly scenic Tuscan valley, Mugello also differs from other super fast circuits in its frequent changes of gradient and the speed of its chicanes. There is a mix of slower and high-speed corners, although even the slowest corners are wide, allowing several ‘ideal’ lines.
Having foregone the modern tendency to reduce speeds by creating ‘bus stops’, Mugello’s four significant chicanes are taken at a relatively high pace. Balancing out the need for firmer suspension on the high-speed sections, which compress front and rear suspension due to centrifugal forces, is the requirement for enough pliability to give tyre side grip and traction around the slower off-camber corners.
The suspension set-up quest is further complicated by the fact that on one section of the track the approach to the corners is uphill, on the other half downhill, altering the parameters in the search for ideal spring and compression damping rates. Horsepower is a significant factor, with the long Mugello straight a possible passing place at top speeds of over 330kmph.
Good top speed aside, the rideability and balance of the machine have to be second-to-none at Mugello, such are its spread of corners. A magnificent but stern test of the complete machine, Mugello demands perfection lap after lap, but rewards precise and spirited riding.
