Driving Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit sits at Ventnor on the western end of Phillip Island in Victoria, about a two hour drive southeast of Melbourne. It has been a home of Australian motorsport since the 1950s, and the current layout is famous the world over for the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and the World Superbike Championship, which open every season on its coastal sweepers. It is a full car circuit too, and has hosted Supercars and countless other categories over the decades. In our directory the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit carries a 4.7 star rating from more than 4,700 reviews, which makes it one of the most loved venues on the whole site.

What sets Phillip Island apart is speed and flow. Where a circuit like Winton or one of the go-kart tracks rewards tight, stop-start precision, Phillip Island is about carrying big momentum through long, committed corners, trusting the grip and holding your line while the scenery blurs past and Bass Strait glitters beyond the fences. It is one of the fastest circuits in the world by average speed, and the wind coming off the ocean adds a layer of challenge that drivers and riders talk about for years. The setting is a huge part of the appeal. Few circuits anywhere are as beautiful, and few reward commitment as richly.

The lap runs clockwise from the Gardner Straight, named after 1987 world motorcycle champion Wayne Gardner. From there the circuit flows through 12 turns, most of them fast, many of them named after Australian motorsport heroes. Here is the run of them in order, with what makes each one special. Even from the passenger seat of a hot lap the sequence from Doohan Corner down to Honda Corner is unforgettable.

Prices depend heavily on the program, the vehicle and the season, so treat everything here as a rough guide only and confirm the current price with the circuit when you book. As a ballpark, a car or motorcycle ride day where you take your own vehicle onto the track typically runs from a few hundred dollars for the day, with the exact figure depending on how many run sessions are included. Structured driver training and drive experiences vary more widely, because a program that supplies a performance car and one on one coaching costs more than a session in your own car. Passenger hot laps, when they are on the calendar, are usually the cheapest way to feel the circuit at speed, since you are the passenger and need no experience at all.

A few things move the price around. More track time costs more, faster or supplied vehicles command a premium, and weekend event dates can differ from midweek sessions. Because Phillip Island runs a full and constantly changing calendar of ride days, race meetings, driver training and public events, the single best move is to open the circuit's official site, find the program that suits you, and check the current date and price directly. Gift vouchers for driving experiences are common and make a strong present for the motorsport fan in your life.

The circuit itself is the main event, but it is not the only place to get a taste of speed on or near Phillip Island. Below are genuine venues in our directory, starting with the two right there on the island, then the nearest options on the mainland run with the driving distance noted honestly. Ratings and review counts are the figures our listings carry. Use each listing to check the venue, then book directly with the operator.

Phillip Island earns its reputation. It is fast, flowing, spectacularly beautiful and unlike almost anywhere else in the world, a circuit where commitment is everything and the reward is the kind of lap you replay in your head for years. You cannot drive it on a whim the way you can the Mount Panorama public road, but the ride days, driver training and hot laps the circuit runs put you out on those famous corners for real, from Doohan Corner and the Southern Loop to the tight MG hairpin and back onto the Gardner Straight. Pick a date on the calendar, decide whether you want to drive, be coached or ride, and build a weekend on the island around it.

If you are weighing up how to get on track, our guide to the different racing experience types in Australia lays out how ride days, hot laps and drive experiences compare, and what to expect at your first track day is essential reading before you book a ride day at the island. A day at Phillip Island also makes a memorable gift, so browse our guide to gifting a racing experience. And if you want to build the car-control skills that make those long coastal sweepers so demanding, karting is the cheapest way in, so our go-kart guide is a natural next read.