How MotoGP top speeds could exceed 360kph by 2020

MUGELLO, home of the Italian Grand Prix, holds the all-time MotoGP top speed record of 354.9kph (220.5mph), set by Ducati's Andrea Iannone in 2016.

And if the line plotted in the graph below continues, showing maximum speeds during the Italian Grand Prix weekend since 1999, by 2020 we’ll see the 360kph (223mph) barrier broken.

The trend has been fairly steady since 2012, at an average increase of 10kph every four-to-five years.

The present prototypes now eat-up the undulating Mugello straight 35kph (21mph) faster than the last of the 500s.

Is that a problem?

MotoGP Director of Technology Corrado Cecchinelli told Crash.net: "Top speed is of course a concern. But we have to be not too emotional about it. Top speed numbers are big and so they scare, but it is very rare that you have an accident at top speed.”