Penguins and motorbikes share pretty well a limited space, on Phillip Island. By ordinance, the World Championship bikes switch their engines off before sunset, and better not to make a mistake. By instinct, short after, at nightfall, when the air is silent, the penguins of the nearby colony come back from the sea to their holes. Again, better not to make a mistake: the community has a marked sense of property, and members which enter the wrong place are rowdily pushed back, forced to roam until they detect home.
The animals dive again into the sea short after sunrise, and well before the first human being raises the roler shutter of his garage.

Phillip Island is 140 kilometres south of Melbourne. It was named after Arthur Phillip, admiral of the British fleet and Governor of the South Wales two hundred years ago.
The circuit opened in 1956, and was refurbished in the 80s, but the first motor race dates back to 1928, along country roads so dusty that the competitors had often to trust the treetops to guess the corners.
Today's track has seven left and four right-handed corners. The straight is eight hundred metres long. Phillip Island hosts both cars and bikes competitions; the fastest lap belongs to Simon Willis, aboard of a Reynard 94D, a Formula 4000 single seater (1'24"221, six seconds faster than the fastest motorbike).

Honda last won here in 2005 in the smaller classes, and 2006 in MotoGP. In 2008 Gabor Talmacsi got on the podium finishing third in the 125 class. Raffaele De Rosa achieved his best result, seventh, in 2006, 125 class as well.

Hiroshi Aoyama's best was third in 2006. He aims to the podium also next Sunday, when he's going to defend his leadership in the 250 class. He leads the Championship 26 points ahead of the second classified, with three races to go.

Gabor Talmacsi (MotoGP): "Phillip Island is a fast and difficult track. We must have a setup that helps me better. We are working hard to find it".

Hiroshi Aoyama (250cc): "I love this circuit. It's one of my favourite. I enjoyed it and got some interesting results. Its straight is not too long, and the layout of the track suits pretty well our Honda. I go there aiming to a good result".

Raffaele De Rosa (250cc): "Phillip Island is the circuit I love most. With a 125 bike you are almost always at full speed; with a bigger bike like a 250cc, it is more tricky. But, as I told, I love it and not only because of the characteristic of the layout: I also appreciate the comradeship that here is stronger than in other places".