Ninth round of the MotoGP season, which after Hungary remains in Eastern Europe for the Czech Republic GP. The Automotodrom Brno was completed in 1987, but Brno has hosted the World Championship since as far back as 1965, when races were held on a road circuit.
The day after the race, the 2027 prototypes will hit the track in Brno for a tire test that will be used next year, a test also useful for Brembo to gather data on the braking of the new motorcycles.
GP Data
According to Brembo engineers, who for the 11th consecutive year work closely with all MotoGP teams, the 5.403 km long Automotodrom Brno falls into the category of circuits that are highly demanding on brakes. On a scale from 1 to 6, it has earned a difficulty index of 4, even though the brakes are used 8 times per lap for a total of 29 and a half seconds. As many as 6 braking points are classified as High, one as Medium, and the remaining one as Light. Five of these braking points last at least 3.9 seconds.
The toughest corner
The toughest corner for the braking system at Automotodrom Brno is the third one: MotoGP bikes go from 305 km/h to 104 km/h in 4.5 seconds, covering 235 meters while riders apply a load of 5.7 kg on the brake lever. The deceleration is 1.5 g, the Brembo brake fluid pressure reaches 12.2 bar, and the carbon disc temperature hits 760 °C.
The Centenarians
Two weeks ago, Marc Marquez became the 3rd rider in history to have won at least 100 GPs: Giacomo Agostini looks down on everyone from above with 122 victories, with Valentino Rossi second with 115. Both the Doctor and the Marcziano have always won in the World Championship using at least one Brembo braking component. Agostini, on the other hand, never used them because Brembo made its GP debut only in 1976. However, when he founded the Agostini team, he wanted Brembo calipers for his Yamahas, with which he won 3 500cc Riders' titles.
Cal's Firsts
Just as it was done at Mugello and Balaton Park, Cal Crutchlow will also ride the Honda of the LCR team in Brno to replace the injured Johann Zarco. Incidentally, on the Czech track in 2012, Crutchlow achieved his first podium, and four years later, he triumphed ahead of Valentino Rossi, ending a 35-year drought for British riders in the premier class: after Barry Sheene's victory in the Swedish GP of the 500cc in 1981, no compatriot had emulated him. Cal's victory was also the first by a British rider using Brembo brakes in 500-MotoGP.
That unprecedented podium
The first edition of the Czech Republic GP in MotoGP, in 2002, had a unique podium: Max Biaggi triumphed, achieving a hat-trick after his victories in 1998 (when he exaggeratedly wheelied at the finish line and saved himself only with a tap on the Brembo rear brake) and 2000 in the 500cc class. Second and third places were taken by Japanese riders Daijiro Kato and Tohru Ukawa. Valentino Rossi retired, but from the next round, he began a streak of 23 consecutive podiums in MotoGP—a record that still belongs to him, naturally assisted by Brembo brakes.