The unique statistic Brazil will take over on its MotoGP return

This weekend’s returning Brazilian Grand Prix will see it become the longest race on the MotoGP calendar in terms of laps, as well as featuring the shortest lap time.

The Autodromo Internacional de Goiania-Ayrton Senna welcomes MotoGP for the first time since the late 1980s, while marking Brazil’s first race since the 2004 Rio Grand Prix.

The Ayrton Senna circuit is one of the shortest on the current calendar at 2.38 miles, and is set to be one of its fastest in terms of average speed.

At just 14 turns, nine of which are right-handers, lap times are expected to be in the 1m16s, making it the quickest lap on the calendar.

While Germany’s Sachsenring is shorter in length at 2.28 miles, the outright lap record there is 1m19.071s, while the best race lap is a 1m20.667s.

This weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix will also be run over 31 laps, making it the longest race in terms of tour-count since MotoGP’s last visit to Laguna Seca in 2013.

The German Grand Prix previously held that record with 30 laps.

The Brazilian Grand Prix didn’t get off to the best of starts earlier this week, after pictures surfaced of extreme flooding at the Ayrton Senna circuit.

The water did drain away quickly following heavy rainfall, while efforts have been made in the days since to clean the track surface.

Previous winners at the Brazilian Grand Prix

There have only been four races designated as the Brazilian Grand Prix in MotoGP’s history.

Three of those were staged in Goiania between 1987 and 1989, with Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki taking a win apiece.

Wayne Gardner won in 1987, in what turned out to be the final round of his title-winning campaign after the Argentine Grand Prix was cancelled.

Eddie Lawson won the 1988 edition, while Kevin Schwantz was victorious in 1989. The Brazilian Grand Prix didn’t return until 1992 at Interlagos, with Wayne Rainey winning for Yamaha.

Brazil became a permanent fixture between 1995 and 2004 with the Rio Grand Prix, which was staged on the Nelson Piquet circuit.

Luca Cadalora won for Yamaha in 1995, with Mick Doohan and Honda claiming victory in the following two years.

Norifumi Abe scored the second of his three MotoGP wins in 1999 in Rio, before Valentino Rossi annexed top spot from 2000 until 2003.

The final outing for the Rio Grand Prix in 2004 saw Makoto Tamada take his maiden MotoGP victory for Honda.