India at last: MotoGP takes on a new circuit

9/20/2023

 MotoGP will make its debut in India this weekend where it will become the 31st country to host at least one GP.

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MotoGP will make its debut in India this weekend where it will become the 31st country to host at least one GP. The Buddh International Circuit will become the 75th circuit used for at least one race in the premium class. No MotoGP rider has ever raced here and the track is unknown terrain for everyone.

According to the Brembo technicians who work closely with all 24 premium class riders, the Indian track is one of the most demanding circuits for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 6 we estimate a difficulty index of 6, equal to one of the most challenging tracks in the world championship, such as the Motegi circuit where Moto GP will race on the first Sunday in October.

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Brembo in India with Bybre 

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India already seemed to be ready to host MotoGP ten years ago. In January 2012, Jorge Lorenzo completed one lap on a Yamaha R15, a model produced exclusively for India and South-East Asia.

Precisely for motorcycles featuring engines with this displacement, which represent the largest share of the market, in 2009 Brembo launched the Bybre brand, an acronym for By Brembo, which specializes in the production of braking systems for medium-displacement motorcycles, those under 600 cc.

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41 seconds per lap

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On 9 of the 14 corners on the Buddh International Circuit, the MotoGP riders use their brakes for a total of 41 seconds per lap, the highest figure for the entire season along with Sepang. However, the Malaysian track is half a kilometer (0.3 miles) longer than the Indian one and therefore the percentage of time the brakes are used is lower in Malaysia than in India.

Another feature of the Buddh International Circuit is the lack of braking distances that are less than 120 meters (394 feet) long due to the lack of deceleration below 70 km/h (43 mph). Another important feature are the 6 braking points where the riders experience at least 1.4G. From the start to the checkered flag, the riders exert a load of nearly 1.21 tons on their Brembo brake levers.

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6.5 seconds needed to brake

Of the 9 braking points on the circuit, 6 are classified as very demanding on the brakes, 2 are of medium difficulty, and the remaining one is light.

Turn 5 puts the most stress on the brake system after a 1006 meter (1100 yard) long straight section: the MotoGP bikes come onto it at 335 km/h (208 mph) and brake for the 6.5 seconds needed to reduce their speed to 71 km/h (44.1 mph).

In this period of time, the riders apply 5.8 kg (12.8 lb) of pressure to the brake lever as the bikes cover a distance of 318 meters (347.7 yards) and the pressure of the brake fluid increases to 12.5 bar.

 

And what about the video games?


The first time on the Indian track is also a problem for gamers who don’t have any references and will have to do several laps to memorize it.

Coming onto turn 5 seems to last forever because of the endless straight section that precedes it. Fortunately, there is the advertising bridge which can be used as a landmark.

Immediately afterwards on the right-hand side, the asphalt widens and that is where you must use the brakes. Shift down into second gear moving as close to the inside curb as possible.