MotoGP returns to Brazil, where the World Championship last took place in 2004. This time, however, the race will be held in Goiania, at a facility inaugurated on July 28, 1974, which hosted the first three editions of the Brazilian GP, from 1987 to 1989, but only for 250 and 500 classes.
The renovation, initiated in 2013, cost 240 million Brazilian reais (40 million euros). Along with those in Caruaru and Londrina, it is one of the three Brazilian racetracks named after Ayrton Senna.
GP Data
According to Brembo technicians, who for the 11th consecutive year work closely with all MotoGP riders, the 3.835 km long Autodromo Internacional de Goiania – Ayrton Senna falls into the category of demanding circuits for brakes. On a scale from 1 to 6, it has earned a difficulty rating of 4 despite having only 7 braking points per lap: 3 are classified as High, 3 as Medium, and 1 as Low. Except for one, all others feature decelerations of at least 1.3 g. Over the course of a lap, the brakes are used for about twenty seconds.
The hardest corner
The hardest corner of the Autodromo Internacional de Goiania – Ayrton Senna for the braking system is the first one, where the speed drops from 337 km/h to 117 km/h, thanks to a 4.4-second braking. During this time, MotoGP bikes cover 259 meters while riders apply a load of 5.6 kg on the brake lever and experience a deceleration of 1.5 g. The braking system pressure reaches 12 bar.
The Brazilian King
Last November, in Valencia, Diogo Moreira clinched the Moto2 World Championship: the Brazilian became the first Brazilian to win a World Championship under the FIM's aegis. He achieved this riding the Kalex of the Italtrans Racing Team, powered by a Triumph engine and equipped with Brembo winged calipers, derived from those of MotoGP. For several years now, all Moto3 and Moto2 teams have been using Brembo calipers.
The range of discs
Diogo Moreira made his MotoGP debut with a 13th place finish on the Honda of the LCR team. There are numerous differences compared to the Kalex he used in Moto2, starting with the discs: steel with a diameter of 300 mm for the intermediate class, carbon with diameters of 320, 340, and 355 mm for the premier class. The 320 mm discs are used only on tracks that are not demanding on the brakes, while the 355 mm discs are recommended for the toughest tracks. The 340 mm Brembo discs are available in Ultra Light, Standard Mass, High Mass, and Finned variants.
For Eddie, the 320 was enough
Brembo brakes made their debut in the premier class in 1976, but the first victory in Brazil dates back to 1988: Eddie Lawson triumphed with a 13-second lead riding the Yamaha of Giacomo Agostini's team, equipped with 320 mm Brembo discs and Brembo 4-piston calipers. In 1986, the American's YZR500 OW81 was the first to use the Brembo radial master cylinder, which within a few years became the standard for racing bikes and is now used on all high-performance road bikes.