Written by Abhishek Ramesh, Edited by Dhara Dave
The 2025 season is almost upon us and yet, wouldn’t we just love to see the lights out already? The action will officially begin on March 2nd at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram for the Thailand Grand Prix and this year will be bigger than ever. Quite literally!
With 22 race weekends scheduled, 2025 will be the longest season ever in premier class history. It is two more races than the past three years. While racing fans would know MotoGP’s new brand identity is all about being faster, forward and fearless, one question comes to mind: Which of these tracks is the absolute fastest?
Formula One aficionados can point to Monza as being ‘The Temple of Speed’ and rightly so. But what about its MotoGP equivalent and how can one know for sure that Assen is aptly called ‘The Cathedral of Speed?’
So, here’s a ranking of all the 2025 tracks based on their fastest average speeds around one lap. For consistency, the lap times considered here were the all-time single lap records at each venue in its current layout.
The context of the current layout is key since there is one track where recent modifications have made a huge difference in speed trap recordings. The Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary was also not considered as MotoGP will be racing there for the first time ever in 2025. But without giving away any more hints, let’s begin!
Keeping It Tight: Tracks Averaging Under 170 km/h
When it comes to slow, twisty tracks, nothing beats the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. Averaging at 162.1 km/h (100 mph), the traditional season finale venue is renowned for being difficult to overtake. It is also the second-shortest layout of all on the 2025 list. Considering its racing profile, one might even say Valencia is to MotoGP what Monaco is to F1.
Second from bottom is the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). A lap around here clocks at 164.2 km/h (102 mph) but the reasons for its relative lack of speed are quite different from Valencia.
Even though the long back straight sees speeds in excess of 350 km/h (217.4 mph) and the home stretch also enables riders to reach over 300 km/h (186.4 mph), turns 1 and 11 are among the slowest zones in the whole season, at a mere 50 km/h (31 mph).
The wild and famous Jerez circuit in Spain is next on the list at 165.8 km/h (103 mph), followed by the slightly faster Sachsenring in Germany at 166.3 km/h (103.3 mph). Their common slow nature can be attributed to the fact that both are also among the slowest in terms of outright top speed.
According to official MotoGP records, Jerez’s record comes at 300.8 km/h (186.9 mph) and Sachsenring’s at 306.8 km/h (190.6 mph). Sachsenring is also notable for being the shortest track on the calendar at just 3.67 km and featuring the most left-cornering bias as well.
Le Mans in France features next on our list from the bottom at 167.5 km/h (104 mph). The always popular and ever-present destinations on the calendar Motegi (Japan) and Misano (Italy) also average below 170 km/h at 167.7 km/h (104.2 mph) and 168.9 km/h (104.9 mph) respectively. Surprisingly, Misano’s scorchingly fast sector three right-handers aren’t enough to catapult it to the fast lanes on this list.
And finally, Brno in Czechia just misses out on the 170 km/h barrier. However, we could easily see its record of 169.7 km/h (105.4 mph) being broken this year on its return to the calendar, especially since the all-time lap record was set back in 2016. This was clearly when aerodynamics and electronics weren’t as advanced as on the latest spec machines.
Smooth and Swift: Tracks Averaging Between 170 and 180 km/h
The middle of the table features several tracks with similar average speed and long straights. And when we say long, we mean insanely long!
Portimao in Portugal averages at exactly 170 km/h or 105.6 mph. Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona is just a bit quicker at 170.7 km/h, bettered by Malaysia’s Sepang at 171.5 km/h (106.5 mph). With an average speed of 172.7 km/h or 107.3 mph, Motorland Aragon can technically claim to be the fastest of the four Spanish races.
Mandalika in Indonesia is the ninth-fastest in our ranking at 173.8 km/h (108 mph). The only night race venue at Lusail, Qatar is eighth with an average speed of 174.8 km/h or 108.6 mph. While Argentina’s Termas de Rio Hondo track measures itself at 177.1 km/h (110 mph), its record time was set in 2014. In MotoGP terms, this is very much ancient history and one can expect the lap record times to be slashed considerably when we go racing there in 2025.
The Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria just misses out on the top five. While an average speed of 178.3 km/h (110.8 mph) is visibly understandable due to its several long straights, the circuit’s pre-2022 configuration was even faster.
The turns 2 and 3 chicane was introduced to increase track safety in the aftermath of the massive crash in 2021. However, without them, the circuit’s record average speed was an eye-watering 188 km/h or 116.8 mph! This would have comfortably placed Spielberg at the top of the list back then and even today.
The Fast and Furious Five: Tracks averaging over 180 km/h
Now, onto the seriously fast ones. Assen fans have all the reasons for celebrating the Cathedral of Speed. It may only rank fifth with an average speed of 180.5 km/h (112.1 mph) but how can anyone not appreciate those incredibly fast changes of direction in sector 4?
The average speed at Assen becomes even more impressive upon knowing that the longest straight here is less than half a kilometre, at just 487m! This makes it the only circuit in the top five where the top speed record has been below 320 km/h or 198.8 mph to date.
The legendary Mugello circuit, located in Tuscany, Italy, is in fourth position. The record average speed of 180.6 km/h (112.2 mph) is easily understood. After all, it’s the track where the factory KTM bike recorded the highest-ever top speed in MotoGP history: 366.1 km/h or 227.5 mph in 2024.
One can only imagine the braking force felt going into turn one at San Donato after going over the iconic crest at the start-finish line.
Onto the podium positions now!
Silverstone in the UK was always going to be near the top. But 181 km/h (112.5 mph) as the average pace across 5.9 km, the longest track of the season, makes it even more astonishing. The Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel sequence is undoubtedly one of the most thrilling for spectators worldwide, winning Silverstone third place.
Fast and flowing layout with a long straight thrown in for good measure, Phillip Island’s description might be very basic but make no mistake about its fearsome reputation as a true rider’s circuit. With a heavy emphasis on carrying maximum speed through the corners, the average speed record of 183.5 km/h (114 mph) is evidence enough.
These characteristics have pretty much guaranteed thrilling action on Sundays, especially in the modern era. But on this list, there is one track that simply outpaces it.
The fastest MotoGP destination in terms of average speed is the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand. It may not have been guessed at the start, but what makes it so quick?
The answer lies in its 90-degree turns. The multiple long straights also help but the specific nature of right-angle corners means that the bikes do not have to slow down as much as a hairpin.
It is also among the tracks that feature very little elevation changes. The average speed across the lap? That’s a whopping 184.8 km/h or 114.8 mph!
Table of Circuits on the 2025 MotoGP Championship Calendar Based on Average Speed
Track | Average Speed (km/h) | Course Length (km) | All-Time Lap Record | Top Speed (km/h) |
Buriram | 184.8 | 4.554 | 1:28.700 | 337.5 |
Phillip Island | 183.5 | 4.45 | 1:27.246 | 356.4 |
Silverstone | 181 | 5.9 | 1:57.309 | 340.6 |
Mugello | 180.6 | 5.25 | 1:44.504 | 366.1 |
Assen | 180.5 | 4.54 | 1:30.540 | 319.8 |
Spielberg | 178.3 | 4.35 | 1:27.748 | 317.1 |
Argentina | 177.1 | 4.806 | 1:37.683 | 345.5 |
Lusail | 174.8 | 5.38 | 1:50.789 | 362.4 |
Mandalika | 173.8 | 4.3 | 1:29.088 | 318.5 |
Aragon | 172.7 | 5.08 | 1:45.801 | 354.1 |
Sepang | 171.5 | 5.54 | 1:56.337 | 339.6 |
Catalunya | 170.7 | 4.66 | 1:38.190 | 356.4 |
Portimao | 170 | 4.59 | 1:37.226 | 352.9 |
Brno | 169.7 | 5.4 | 1:54.596 | 316.7 |
Misano | 168.9 | 4.23 | 1:30.031 | 305.9 |
Motegi | 167.7 | 4.8 | 1:43.018 | 319.5 |
Le Mans | 167.5 | 4.19 | 1:29.919 | 325.8 |
Sachsenring | 166.3 | 3.67 | 1:19.423 | 306.8 |
Jerez | 165.8 | 4.42 | 1:36.025 | 300.8 |
COTA | 164.2 | 5.51 | 2:00.864 | 356.4 |
Valencia | 162.1 | 4.01 | 1:28.931 | 337 |
Winding It Up: Final Thoughts
So there you have it. Buriram takes the cake as MotoGP’s fastest circuit on the calendar, based on pure numbers. As in the table above, the margin of speed is very fine indeed. The constant development of these 300 HP two-wheeled rockets means that shaving a couple of tenths per lap will always be in vogue.
After all, as was said in the beginning, it’s all about being faster, forward and fearless, all the time. Which track shocked you the most in terms of its speed?
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