The 2020 Andalusian MotoGP Grand Prix according to Brembo

7/21/2020

The guide to Brembo braking systems in the premier class and their use in the second round at the Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto

After the incredible start of the MotoGP World Championship, the Motorcycle Grand Prix will be staying put at Jerez for the Andalusian GP. As with the Spanish GP, the track temperature will be as high as ever, with the obvious repercussions that will have on traction, and therefore on braking.

According to Brembo technicians, who work closely with all the MotoGP World Championship riders, the Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto falls into the category of very difficult tracks for the brakes.

The advantages of Marchesini wheels

Seven of the eleven MotoGP teams use forged magnesium wheels by Marchesini, a Brembo group brand since March 2000, available in a 5-spoke Y design or a 7-spoke design for the front and 7 spokes for the rear. All are crafted by 3D closed-die multiforging and undergo heat treatment.

Maximum stiffness and minimum inertia are their top characteristics. With the wheels and tyres together constituting the biggest unsprung weight in rotation for bikes, Marchesini wheels guarantee major weight savings, improving the acceleration of the motorbike, its handling on turns and the feed back of the brakes.

Brake use during the Andalusian MotoGP Grand Prix

With eleven braking sections per lap, from when the lights go out to the checkered flag, each rider will have to use their brakes no less than 275 times. That is another reason why the temperature of the discs will range from 510°C (950°F) on the shorter braking sections to 710°C (1310°F) on the most intense.

The maximum deceleration for the riders reaches 1.5 g at two points of the track, while in another three sections it is no less than 1.2 g. The pressure on the braking system instead peaks at 12 bar and tops 6 bar on another six sections of the track.

The most demanding braking sections of the Andalusian GP 

Of the eleven braking sections of the Circuito de Jerez, two are classed as demanding on the brakes, six are of medium difficulty, while the remaining three have only a slight impact on the braking system.

The braking section at the first turn after the finish line is the most demanding physically for both the rider and the braking system, where to drop from 286 km/h (178 mph) to 84 km/h (52 mph) in just four and a half seconds, the riders apply a force of 5.6 kg (12.3 lb) on the brake lever.