So far we have talked about cooling brakes, but are there any circuits where devices are used to heat the discs? The exact opposite...
“Yes, this happens on Phillip Island, for example, where racing is held in the winter and temperatures are very low. Therefore, in Australia, the teams use carbon covers to “clothe” the discs and keep minimum temperatures for use at over 200 degrees. The same problem usually occurs at Assen or Le Mans when the climatic conditions are not ideal. It should be stressed that we also have two different specifications for the two disc diameters: “high braking surface” ones with full mass and “low braking surface” ones with a smaller surface area to facilitate heating. We introduced the carbon 340 mm disc with a low braking surface only recently: the riders appreciated this because they couldn't use the large discs on some tracks since they were not able to get them to the right temperature if it was cold. In this way, we have managed to cater for all requirements, even in critical situations”.
If the all-important 200 degrees are not reached, are there safety issues?
“No, the system works all the same, but there are significant differences in performance”.
(to be continued…)