September opens with the Catalunya GP, which last year was held at the end of May, although in November the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya also hosted the Solidarity GP.
This is the 3rd Spanish GP of the season, following Jerez and Aragon, with Valencia set to host the final round. In total, 102 MotoGP races and 35 Formula 1 GPs have been contested on the Catalan track.
The GP data
According to Brembo engineers who work closely with all MotoGP riders, the 4.657 km Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya falls into the category of circuits that are highly demanding on brakes.
On a scale of 1 to 6, it has a difficulty index of 5 due to the presence of 9 braking points per lap: 4 High, 3 Medium, and 2 Light. In a standard race, each rider will apply a total load of 970 kg on the brake lever, using the brakes for approximately 11 and a half minutes.
The toughest corner
The most demanding corner on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the braking system is Turn 1: MotoGP bikes decelerate from 338 km/h to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, covering 257 meters, while riders exert a load of 6.7 kg on the brake lever.
The deceleration reaches 1.5 g, Brembo brake fluid pressure hits 14.4 bar, and the temperature of the carbon discs climbs to 700 °C.
Vale's tenth
The most successful rider at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is Valentino Rossi, with 10 wins: the first in 1997 in 125cc, then 2 victories in the following two years in 250cc, then in 2001 in 500cc, and finally in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2016 in MotoGP. On this track, the number 46 also achieved 5 second places and 2 thirds, totaling 17 podiums, aboard Aprilia, Honda, and Yamaha, always equipped exclusively with Brembo braking systems.
Lorenzo’s consistency
Despite the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosting 24 MotoGP races (Sprint races excluded), only 3 riders have achieved the pole-to-win double: Valentino Rossi in 2006, Jorge Lorenzo in 2010 and 2018, and Francesco Bagnaia in 2024 at the Solidarity GP.
The only rider to complete a hat-trick, including the fastest lap in the race, was the Mallorcan in 2018 on a Ducati. During the cooldown lap, Jorge celebrated holding a hammer, in honor of his nickname, reflecting his legendary consistency from the first to the last lap.
And Brembo’s
In MotoGP, braking performance consistency is an essential requirement. Riders face extreme decelerations, with braking maneuvers that must be precise, repeatable, and reliable from start to finish.
Any variation in the brake system’s response can compromise the line, stability, and even safety, especially under race conditions where every thousandth counts.
The Brembo GP4-MotoGP monobloc calipers, machined from a single block of lightweight alloy, are designed to meet these extreme demands.
The single-block construction ensures superior structural rigidity. Additionally, GP4-MotoGP calipers feature cooling fins that increase radiating surface area, helping maintain brake fluid temperatures within optimal limits even under the most critical conditions.
In summary, Brembo MotoGP monobloc calipers not only deliver top-level performance but, above all, ensure a consistent braking feel crucial for rider confidence, allowing them to push to the limit at every stage of the race.