How many brake pads are used in a racing weekend? How long do the calipers and discs last normally, and after how many kilometers are they sent back to Brembo for an overhaul? How many kilometers can a pair of calipers and a pair of carbon discs usually travel?
«For a racing weekend there's usually the run-in on Friday during the free practice, but this time it was during the test on Wednesday, with three new sets of discs and brake pads per rider so they could be used up until the race. Once they have been run in, worn sets of discs and pads from last year are used: carbon is an expensive material, so they try to get the most out of it until it's thoroughly worn. With regards the calipers, the teams usually use a new set for the warm-up and race, and they'll then be used during practice for subsequent events to get the highest possible number of kilometers out of them. There is no maximum mileage for the discs, but there is for the calipers and it's 2,500 km. After this, they are sent to our Curno site for servicing and all the necessary checks. A pair of discs can generally be used for 800-900 km in normal wear situations, but that depends on the conditions they are used in and the air and track temperatures. Take Phillip Island for instance. It's a track that doesn't demand much from the brakes, so the discs can travel further than usual without causing greater wear. In the case of carbon, there isn't an average wear mileage: everything depends on the outdoor conditions and the rider's braking style. »
