A more unique than rare fact: the 5,245-metre runway has not undergone any changes over time. The outline has changed, but the layout is the same as in 1976, when the first motorcycle GP was held. The comparison between the times is therefore interesting, but not only that…
30 maggio 2023
Applause to the designer, Italian
Let’s start with who designed the 5,245-metre runway. It is about Eng. Gianfranco Agnoletto who knew how to brush, on the natural slopes, a track of 15 curves that looks like a work of art. The Automobile Club of Florence was the client, the 170-hectare area in the municipalities of Scarperia and San Piero. Unfortunately, it took years to find adequate escape spaces…
As elsewhere, the intention was to continue the traditional road racing that was also held here, in Tuscany north of Florence, until it became too dangerous. The Mugello racetrack was born in 1972was inaugurated on 23 June 1974 with a Formula 5000 single-seater race. It has been owned by Ferrari since 1988 and F1 has also been racing there since 2020.
First there was the Road Circuit
In June 1914 the first edition of the Mugello road circuit, a “regularity” race organized by ACI Firenze and with 36 cars at the start: dirt roads, 67.5 km to be covered in 1 hour and 30′ at an average of 45 times. The public was disappointed: the competitors arrived early at the finish line where they waited for the exact time…
After the world war, it recovered from ’20 to ’29. Then the isolated edition of ’55 on a shortened route, commissioned by Pasquale Borracci and Amos Pampaloni after two motorcycle races held in ’53 and ’54. It started again in 1964 and continued until 1970. Arturo Merzario, on Abarth, won the last two editions. Today the road race has been reborn as a historical reenactment.
The first motorcycle GP in ’76
Mugello hosted the first motorcycle GP, then GP of Nations, in one tragic day: that of 16 May ’76with the deaths of Otello Buscherini in the 250 race and of Paolo Tordi in the 350. The 500 was also disputed: in pole Ago, reigning champion, with a time of 2.08.08 (average 147.423). The fast lap, 2.07.60, it was entered by two pilots: Barry Sheene and Phil Read, who raced together and finished in the sprint order. Ago had to retreat while battling them. In 125 Bianchi won in front of Pileri (two Morbidelli), in 250 Villa (HD) dominated on a swarm of Yamahas.
Already in 1975 the first international tender
The first international motorcycle race was held at Mugello the year before, in July 1975: the 1000 Km valid for the Endurance championship, which at the time was not yet world but European. He won the Ferrari-Grau Ducati and the fastest lap, I remember by heart, was about 2.15 “high”. The all-Italian podium was completed by Sciaresa-Romeri on Guzzi and Brettoni-Cereghini on Laverda. Unfortunately there was the first victim, Mario Fiorentino on Guzzi.
Lap records collapse
After 1976, two years later it was Kenny Roberts who won at Mugello, over Hennen and Lucchinelli. The Californian from Yamaha established the 1978 pole in 2.05.6. And the fastest lap was 2.04.80. In just two years, the times collapsed: three seconds less! The greatest contribution was that of the tyres, Roberts’ GoodYears represented a clear leap forward and a new reference for the 500.
In the following years the progress was still rapid: in 1982 Spencer (Honda) took the pole with 2.02.8, that is, two seconds less than four years ago. And in ’85 Spencer himself was the first in qualifying with 2.01.49.
In ’91 the 500s fly
From 1986 to 1990 the GP at Mugello skipped, we went elsewhere. In 1991 (San Marino GP, first time here with engine running introduced in ’87) Rainey won; the pole of Schwantz (Suzuki) jumped to 1.54.276, his fastest lap in 54.461! He fell by seven seconds in six years!
Cadalora points out to me that at the end of the 1980s the 500s had made great and rapid progress: all V4s, all very powerful, usable and light. And the chassis, and the tyres: it was a huge step.
Il first Italian driver (after Aug ’76) to start from pole at Mugello in the top class was Cadalora in ’94 with 1.53.70; in the race he was beaten by Doohan but set the fastest lap in 1.54.34. The first Italian to win at Mugello in the maximum engine capacity was Capirossi on Honda in 2000, with the fastest lap in 1.53.885. The first all-Italian duo: Dovizioso and the Ducati Desmosedici in 2017.
The first rider to break the 1.50m barrier at Mugello was Gibernau: 1.49.553 in 2004, a race won by Valentino on Sete in the sprint. Today Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) is the lap record holder at Mugello: 1.45.187 with pole in 2021! The fastest lap in the race is set by Pecco Bagnaia in 1.46.588 (2022).
Top speed on the Mugello straight
How much has the maximum speed changed in the top class at Mugello? The 1,141-metre straight, which takes you on a slingshot from the fast downhill Bucine corner, is (in front of Qatar) the fastest in the world championship.
Jorge Martin (on Ducati Pramac) reached 363.60 times in 2022: this absolute MotoGP record is at least 90 kmh higher than the MotoGP top speed 500 in 1976. Which Ago (author of the pole) estimates close to 270-275 per hour.
There are certified measurements only from 2000 onwards. Cross-referencing the information, it can be estimated that the best 500 reached 300 per hour at Mugello around 1987-89. And exceeded 310 km / h a decade later. Certainly, there is the value taken from McCoy (Yamaha) in 2000: one (only one) maximum peak in the race of 317.8 kmh.
With the MotoGP class, the speed peaks (always in the race) soar: Checa’s Ducati, in 2005, flies at 337.1 times. Another Yamaha, Rossi’s, is the first to break the 340m barrier: 342.3km/h in 2009.
In 2015 Iannone clocked 350.6 km/h with the Ducati, in 2021 Binder with the KTM exceeded 360 for the first time (in practice): 362.4 times. Then Martin’s record in 2022.
It is almost useless to specify that Mugello was one of Valentino’s favorite tracks, who won the MotoGP without interruption from 2002 to 2008, after conquering the 250 in ’99 and the 125 in ’97.
Finally, the factory derivatives of the SBK world championship raced little at Mugello, in the early nineties. Carlo Baldi informs me that from Polen’s time trial in ’91, 1.58.230 with Ducati, he went down to 1.56.069 of Fogarty’s pole in ’94 (also Ducati). The CIV SBK saw Pirro (Ducati) drop to 1.50.122 in 2023.
