O THE STORY
T5 / T6 Starkey’ s Bridge / Schwantz Curve
The Old Hairpin is the track’ s lowest point, so you are actually climbing hard around the next two fast lefts. Starkey’ s was actually a bridge, not a corner. The riders are leaning into T5 and soon choosing their line exiting T6 / Schwantz into the braking zone for the next right. This is two-time WorldSBK Champion James Toseland’ s favourite linked section.“ If you nailed the Old Hairpin that then allowed you to nail that Starkey’ s Bridge and Schwantz section. On most of the bikes I rode if you get that bit exactly right you would be able to open the throttle a certain way to hit the rev-limiter just before McLeans. I can’ t stress to you how good you had to get it to hear that little bit of an‘ rrrrpp!’ At Donington, from the first corner all the way up to Coppice, if you hadn’ t got one corner right out of all of them, the rest of it was knackered.”
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T7 / T8 McLeans and Coppice |
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Two right handers but each is very different. McCleans is almost a normal right hander, not quite 90 °, but once negotiated it is a short and very sharp approach to the uphill entry( and then the completely blind flat plateau) of Coppice. A super-important‘ opening-out’ corner. You have to enter fast enough to defend but you also really need to get your exit spot-on to drive hard down the Dunlop straight to set-up and ideal approach to the chicane. |
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T9 / 10 / 11 / 12 Foggy Esses / Melbourne Hairpin / Goddards Hairpin
This is where Donington’ s precise, flowing nature gives way to three sharp and sustained stabs of the brake lever and some violent changes of direction. Don’ t let the slower corner speeds fool you, these intense corners are all tricksters that have caught out even true legends. Ryan Vickers, in his first year in WorldSBK, actually really likes Donington because of its split personality, not in spite of it.“ I really enjoy the fast and flowing sections but I also enjoy coming into the Foggy Esses and then the Melbourne Loop. When you come over the crest you are braking extremely hard into the Melbourne Loop. It actually creates a lot of character having these two halves, because it is difficult to set the bike up. You need a bike with really good agility and turning for the first part of the track; but you also need a bike that is stopping and braking very well for the final part. And, obviously, the Melbourne Loop is where all the overtakes are done for the race wins and finishing positions. That is a great part of the track; my favourite in a track of two halves.”
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