Riders pushing for safety improvements

Kenny Roberts Jr., a member of the rider's safety commission, believes that flat asphalt areas are much safer if riders come off at high speeds, and claims several of his colleagues feel the same.

And they want circuits to consider making changes in areas that they feel gravel traps are unsuitable.

"On some corners we want gravel, like the slower ones, but on the faster corners we want tarmac," Roberts told autosport.com.

"The run-off at the first corner of the Phillip Island track has grass as its run-off, but we must make sure that there are no ruts in the grass to kick us up in any way. That's what really hurt me when I fell off the Suzuki in 2005.

"They are going to make some improvements there, moving the sand/gravel trap that beat Loris (Capirossi) and I up two years ago and move that further towards turn two. They say they can do it."

Just like new F1 tracks have incorporated more and more asphalt areas, so Roberts thinks that MotoGP venues must now follow suit.

"The future of race track design is going to incorporate a lot more tarmac because off-line the tarmac gets dusty. So when you push the front in third gear, you end up in the gravel trap. If you just slide on tarmac that's better, so long as the leathers hold up..."