With its 13 braking sections, Brembo brake discs glow at the Qatar GP

3/1/2022

A new Brembo system for MotoGP, brake use at the Losail International Circuit and similar solutions for your motorcycle

As tradition which goes back to 2007 - with only a break for the pandemic in 2020 - would have it, MotoGP restarts from the Losail International Circuit. According to the Brembo technicians who work closely with all 24 premium class riders, the Qatar circuit is a moderately demanding circuits for brakes. On a scale of one to five, it is rated 3 on the difficulty index.

When racing at nighttime, you can admire the glow of the carbon fiber discs on the harshest braking sections, something that is usually disguised in the afternoon races, even on circuits that are highly demanding on the brakes. To see the glowing discs by sunlight, their temperature has to increase to over 120°C.

A new Brembo brake disc for MotoGP

The big innovation for the 2022 season is the introduction of Brembo 355 mm diameter carbon ventilated discs which are an addition to the 320 mm and 340 mm versions. Already successfully tested at Mandalika and Sepang, the latest discs have been designed for use on circuits which are very demanding on the brake system.

Regulations state that, for safety reasons, riders will have to opt for these or 340 mm discs on the Spielberg, Motegi and Buriram circuits and will no longer be able to choose 320 mm discs which can however be used in all the other GPs. These restrictions do not obviously apply when a race is declared wet because braking intensity is reduced.

Record-breaking Brembo discs for road bikes

Although the 355 mm diameter discs set a record in the history of MotoGP, the maximum limit for mass-produced bikes is much lower. The largest Brembo floating disc with regard to the diameter is the 330 mm one used on the Ducati Panigale.

Find out more about Brembo’s range of brake discs for motorcycles.

40 seconds braking per lap 

Brakes are needed on 13 of the 16 corners at the Losail International Circuit: this is the highest value of the season and higher than the 12 braking episodes per lap at Jerez and Misano Adriatico. The amount of time that the brake system is in use is also a record: 40 seconds per lap, 15 seconds more than Sachsenring and Phillip Island.

From the start to the checkered flag, the brakes are used for just under 15 minutes which is 36 per cent of the duration of the GP. Overall, each driver exerts a total load on over one ton on the brake lever, the highest value of all the non-European race tracks.

From almost 350 km/h to 100 km/h (218–62 mph) in a flash 

Of the 13 braking sections at the Losail International Circuit, 3 are classified as very demanding on the brakes whereas 4 are of medium difficulty and 6 are light.

Due to the 1,068 meter straight that precedes it, braking on the first corner after the starting line is one of the most difficult in the entire World Championship: without a slipstream, the MotoGPs come onto it at 346 km/h (215 mph)and slow down to 102 km/h (63.3 mph), exerting a 5.7 kg (12.57 lb) load on the brake lever. To set up the corner, the riders brake for 5.5 seconds and cover a distance of 258 meters (282 yards).

We haven’t forgotten

The Qatar GP marks the start of a new era because it is the first one that Valentino Rossi has decided not to take part in since 1996, the year he started out in the 125 class: since then, only injury has stopped him from racing to the joy of millions of fans throughout the world as well as Brembo, to whom he has always remained loyal.

In all the 432 GPs he has raced where he has earnt 6,357 points and climbed onto the podium 235 times (all records which will probably never be beaten), he has always ridden motorbikes equipped with Brembo brakes. There is no way we can forget his 65 pole positions, 96 fastest laps, 115 wins and 9 world titles. Thanks Val, we miss you