The Catalan 2020 MotoGP grand prix according to Brembo

9/22/2020

A guide to the Brembo braking systems in the premier class, and their use on the Barcelona circuit.

According to Brembo technicians who work closely with all the MotoGP World Championship riders, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is one of the most highly demanding circuits for brakes. On a difficulty index scale of 1 to 5, it earned a 5 - on equal first footing with the Red Bull Ring.

Compared with the traditional mid-June date, the temperature of the asphalt and air should be lower, making it easier for the brakes to cool down. The braking system is subjected to massive stress on the first bend because of the 1.047-meter (0.65 miles) straight that leads into it. Nearly all the other throttle-off points, on the other hand, are sharp and close together.

The advantages of Marchesini wheels

Seven of the eleven MotoGP teams use the forged magnesium wheels supplied by Marchesini - a Brembo Group company since March 2000: there's a 5-spoke Y version and 7-spoke version for the front, with 7-spoke for the rear. They're all created by means of 3D closed-mold multiforging and thermal treatment.

The main characteristics are maximum rigidity and minimum inertia. The weight saving ensured by Marchesini wheels (which, together with the tires, are the most significant unsprung rotating weight) boosts the acceleration of the bike and its handling during changes of direction, and enhances the brake response.

Brake use during the Catalan MotoGP grand prix

On every lap of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the riders use their brakes 6 times on right-hand bends and 3 on the left-hand ones, for a total of 29 seconds; that means 30% of the total race time. By contrast, the brakes on the Formula 1 single-seaters are used for less than 15 seconds per lap (16% of the race time).

The MotoGP riders exert a load of over 34 kg (75 lbs) on the brake lever during each lap. From the start to the checkered flag, that mounts up to more than 820 kg - the lowest of the four Spanish tracks of the World Championship. In F1 on the other hand, the load that every driver exerts on the pedal in one lap in Barcelona is just under 800 kg, reaching 62 tons for the whole race.

The most demanding braking section during the Catalan race

Of the nine braking sections at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, three are classified as demanding on the brakes, four are of medium difficulty and the other two are light.

The hardest for the MotoGP is on the first bend: the bikes go from over 330 km/h (205 mph) to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just under 5 seconds (4.9, to be precise). To do this, the drivers apply a load of 5.4 kg (11.9 lbs) on the brake lever and undergo a deceleration of 1.5 g, with the brake fluid pressure reaching 11.6 bar.