MotoGP braking record at Austin

9/28/2021

The use of the Brembo four-piston caliper at the Americas GP and the benefits of its descendant for everyday use.

After a year's absence, MotoGP returns to North America, but the race was previously held in April, so the weather is an unknown factor. According to Brembo technicians who work closely with all the MotoGP World Championship riders, Circuit of the Americas is a moderately demanding track for brakes.

On a scale of one to five, it is rated three on the difficulty index.The Texan track stands out for the impressive gradient of the straight leading to the first turn, with a difference in height of 41 meters (45 yards) between its lowest and highest points. The consequences for riders who get the braking point wrong are easily imaginable.

Super lightweight and optimum cooling for Brembo MotoGP calipers 

Used exclusively in MotoGP, the Brembo radial-mount 4-piston monobloc calipers are made from a single block of billet machined aluminum-lithium. Compared to casting, billet machining allows for the use of materials with better mechanical characteristics and better resistance to high temperatures.

As well as having fins on the external body, it has an anti-drag system that uses a spring device to significantly reduce residual torque. This caliper also increases braking torque because it generates a force combined with the force created by the hydraulic pressure of the brake fluid on the pistons when braking.

MotoGP technology for street-legal motorcycles, too

Ever since it first went into world racing in the 1970s, Brembo has used the races to develop new technical solutions which, once they have proved to be successful and reliable, are used in mass production. The Brembo High-Performance brake calipers, with unparalleled braking performance and stability, derive from the company's experience on the track.

The Brembo GP4-RS caliper inspired by the monobloc used in MotoGP respects this philosophy. Designed for track enthusiasts and those who want the very best, its lightness, stiffness, cooling, design and performance make it stand out from competitors' products.

Here are 7 reasons why you should switch over to the new Brembo GP4-RS caliper, the queen of the racing track for next spring.

Find out more.

Twelve braking sections for 37 seconds

MotoGP riders use the brakes 12 times every lap, the same number as at Misano Adriatico, which is 1.3 km (0.8 miles) shorter. The brakes are on at the Circuit of the Americas for 37 seconds per lap, six seconds longer than the track named after Marco Simoncelli, and a record value for the 2021 championship.

In four of the Texas track's turns, the brakes are applied for a maximum of 1.6 seconds and only in three for over 4.5 seconds. On the other hand, there are seven braking sections of less than 100 meters (109 yards), all with deceleration not exceeding 1.1g (0.04 oz). From the start to the chequered flag each driver exerts a force on the lever of 0.8 tons (0.78 imperial tons), a good 0.43 tons (0.42 imperial tons) less than at the Misano GP.

300 meters (328 yards) of braking

Of the 12 braking sections at Circuit of the Americas, three are classified as demanding on the brakes, four are of medium difficulty, and the remaining five pose only a light challenge on the braking systems.

The toughest of all is at turn 12: the motorbikes reach 339 km/h (211 mph) and brake for 6.2 seconds to drop to 66 km/h (41 mph). The 317 meters (347 yards) of braking constitute a world record and involve a force of 5.7 kg (12.6 lbs) on the lever and deceleration of 1.5 g (0.05 oz), while the pressure of the Brembo HTC 64T brake fluid reaches 12.2 bar.