The Styrian 2020 MotoGP grand prix according to Brembo

8/11/2020

A guide to Brembo braking systems in the premier class, and their use on the second consecutive race at the Red Bull Ring

After the two races held in July on the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto, and that in Brno, this time it's the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg that's doing a back-to-back. In Spain, the first and second across the line were the same for the two rounds. Will that happen again in Austria?

According to Brembo technicians who work closely with all the MotoGP World Championship riders, the Red Bull Ring is one of the most highly demanding circuits for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it earned a 5 on the difficulty index - equaled only by the Barcelona track.

Brembo brake pads for MotoGP 

The friction material used for the Brembo MotoGP brake pads is carbon. The outstanding friction coefficient and constant performance when hot together guarantee powerful, even and stable braking without any fading (the "lengthening" of the lever or pedal).

Compared with the brakes of a sports bike for road use, the mass is different, along with the duration and even the maximum temperature. The Brembo brake pads for MotoGP weigh just 50 grams - less than half the weight of the road-going version, whereas the duration is no higher than 900 km (553 miles) and the maximum temperature that can be reached is 800°C (1,473°F).

Brake use during the Stiria MotoGP grand prix

From the start to the fourth bend of the Red Bull Ring, the braking system is subjected to enormous strain; the only exception is bend 2, which is actually more a change of direction and doesn't even call for the brakes. The last bend of the track, however, is the only one where the braking distance is less than 100 meters (328 feet).

On every lap of the Red Bull Ring, the riders use their brakes 7 times for a total of 27 seconds, exerting an overall load of 34.2 kg (75.4 lbs) on the brake lever. Putting together all the forces applied by a rider on his brake lever from the starting line to the checkered flag, the result comes in at nearly 960 kg (2,116 lbs) on average.

The Stiria braking section with the sharpest deceleration 

Of the 7 Red Bull Ring braking points, 3 are classified as hard on the brakes, whereas the other 4 are of medium difficulty.

The off-throttle point where the bikes see the highest speed gap is on the third bend: they go from 309 km/h (192 mph) to 63 km/h (39 mph) thanks to a braking section that lasts 5.2 seconds, with a load of 5.6 kg (12.3 lbs) on the lever. The rider is subjected to a deceleration of 1.5 g and the braking system pressure reaches 12.1 bar.