Three braking points to shout about at the Austrian MotoGP

8/10/2021

An overview of the use of Brembo brake pads at the Red Bull Ring, and all the alternatives for road-going bikes.

As in 2020, there will be 2 World Championship GP races in a row at the Red Bull Ring once again this year. The same thing happened back in the spring, at the Losail International Circuit, but in that case the temperature was similar on both days. In Austria on the other hand, the weather can change enormously, with a difference of up to 20°C (68°F) in track temperature from one week to the next.

According to the Brembo technicians who work closely with all the MotoGP World Championship riders, the Austrian track is an extremely demanding circuit for the brakes. On a difficulty index scale of 1 to 5, it earns a 5 - a value only equaled this year by the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Brembo brake pads for MotoGP up to 800°C (1,472°F)

The friction material used for Brembo MotoGP brake pads is carbon. The outstanding friction coefficient and constant performance when hot together guarantee powerful, even and stable braking without any fading (the "lengthening" of the lever or pedal).

Compared with the brakes of a sports bike for road use, the mass is different, along with the duration and even the maximum temperature. The Brembo brake pads for MotoGP weigh just 50 grams (1.8 oz) - less than half the weight of the road-going version, whereas the duration is no higher than 900 km (560 miles) and the maximum temperature that can be reached is 800°C (1,472°F).

The pads for street-legal bikes

For those who only use their bikes on the road, Brembo has 4 versions: the organic CC for softer and more modulated braking, the sintered SP (specifically for the rear wheel), SA and LA. The one with the best performance is the SA, with a friction coefficient that increases as the pad heats up.

Unlike the LA and SA pads, the versions used on the track aren’t suitable for road use because their efficiency level at low temperatures is only average. The best results of all come with the organic RC pads in carbon tech, available for all the feistiest super sport and naked bikes: one of its primary features is constant performance, especially with high disc temperatures.

To remove any doubt about the right brake pads for your bike, check out our special report .

A trio of at least 200 km/h (124 mph)

From the start to the fourth bend of the Red Bull Ring, the braking system is pushed to the limit; the only exception is on bend 2, where the change of direction means the brakes aren’t needed. As these 3 braking sections are all on elbow bends, the speed drops by at least 200 km/h (124 mph) and the riders undergo a deceleration of 1.5 G.

On another three of the 7 braking points at the Red Bull Ring, the reduction in speed is less than 105 km/h (65 mph) and the deceleration is 1.1 G. The riders apply an overall load of 31.8 kg (70 lb) on the brake lever during every lap, which means a total load of nearly 900 kg (0.99 tons) if we add together the load exerted by every driver from the starting line to the checkered flag.

Top values on the first corner

Of the 7 Red Bull Ring braking points, 4 are classified as hard on the brakes, whereas the other 3 are of medium difficulty.

The throttle-off point that produces the biggest speed gap is on the third bend: the bikes pass from 305 km/h (190 mph) to 61 km/h (38 mph) in 5.4 seconds, with a load of 4.6 kg (10 lb) on the lever and a braking system pressure that reaches 9.8 bar.