One more braking section for the Austrian MotoGP GP

8/16/2022

The new Red Bull Ring layout has a new braking section. Just as well there are Brembo calipers for street-legal motorcycles too

Unlike the two races held in 2020 and 2021, this year there will be no trial run at the Red Bull Ring because it is hosting just one GP. According to the Brembo technicians who work closely with all the MotoGP World Championship riders, the Austrian track is an extremely demanding circuit for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 6, it is rated 6 on the difficulty index.

To improve safety, the speed of the MotoGPs on Corner 2 has been reduced by introducing a chicane, work which began last November. The riders have to move from right to left which puts their skill to the test and offers new possibilities for overtaking making the GP even more demanding on the brakes because of the 4 hard braking sections in a row.

Highly innovative Brembo calipers for MotoGP

Used exclusively in MotoGP, the Brembo GP4 monobloc calipers are made from a single block of billet machined aluminum. As well as having fins on the external body, they have an anti-drag system that uses a spring device to significantly reduce residual torque, stopping the pads and disc coming into contact when there is no pressure in the system.

This 4-piston radial mount caliper has a system that increases braking torque: during braking, it generates a force which is combined with the force created by the hydraulic pressure of the brake fluid on the pistons. Therefore, with the same force exerted on the lever, the braking torque is higher than with a conventional caliper.

The Stylema caliper Upgrade for day-to-day use

As well as increasing its race wins, Brembo supplies brake components to the teams and drivers who want to improve their know-how and test new technical solutions. Thanks to the experience it has gained in racing, Brembo has revolutionized street bike calipers which have remained the same for decades with minimum differences in shape and size.

Brembo Upgrade calipers stand out from those of other brands both aesthetically and substantially. The Stylema caliper is an example of this - it has a 9% lighter body than previous models while still offering the same rigidity. The average friction coefficient has increased by 11% and the brake fluid temperature decreased by 10%.

Find out more.

Four terrifying turns in a row 

The MotoGP riders use their brakes on the Red Bull Ring 8 times per lap, for a total 33 seconds, over 37% of the overall race time which is close to the season record held by the Qatar GP.

The hardest braking is all on the first 4 turns and the fourth one is the hardest with a braking distance of 253 meters (830 feet) and a duration of 5.6 seconds. Deceleration is well over 1.5G as on turns 1 and 2. Summing up all of the forces applied by a rider on the brake lever from the starting line to the checkered flag, the result comes to over 1.1 metric tons.

Over 250 meters (273.4 yards) of braking 

Of the 8 Red Bull Ring braking points 4 are classified as hard on the brakes, 1 is of medium difficulty and 3 are light.

The hardest braking section is on the first turn: the MotoGPs drop from 307 km/h (191 mph) to 98 km/h (60 mph) in 4.3 seconds during which time they cover a distance of 212 meters (232 yards) and are subjected to a deceleration of nearly 2G. The load on the Brembo lever is 6.9 kg (15.2 lb) whereas the brake fluid pressure is 14.7 bar.

And what about the video games?

To tackle the first corner in the Austrian GP in the MotoGP video game, you need to keep a cool head to get the timing right. Moving onto the left-hand side of the asphalt helps you come onto the turn and gives you a point of reference. Under the stand you will see a series of buildings with windows: start to brake as soon as you pass the last one and continue braking until you move down into 2nd gear. Only make the turn at the last moment, just touching the right-hand curb. The trajectory will widen and you can open up the throttle again.