Sixth round of the MotoGP season as the championship leaves the Pyrenees behind and heads to Le Mans, host of the French GP for the 68th time as part of the World Championship: over the past half-century, it was held every year except for 1993.
The venue has changed many times, but since 2000 the race has always taken place at Le Mans, which had already hosted 11 previous editions from 1969 to 1995.
The GP data
According to Brembo technicians who work closely with all the MotoGP riders, the 4.185 km long Le Mans track falls into the category of circuits that are highly demanding on the braking system. On a scale from 1 to 6, it scores a difficulty index of 4, as MotoGP riders use the brakes 10 times per lap for a total of 31 seconds—equivalent to 35 percent of the race duration. The circuit features only 2 High braking zones, which are consecutive, along with 5 Medium and 3 Light braking zones.
The toughest corner
The most demanding corner for the braking system on the Bugatti Circuit is Turn 9, known as Chemin aux Boeufs, which translates to “Oxen Path”: MotoGP bikes decelerate from 300 km/h to 111 km/h in 4.1 seconds, covering a distance of 216 meters while riders apply a load of 5.3 kg on the brake lever. The deceleration is 1.5 g, and Brembo brake fluid pressure peaks at an impressive 11.3 bar.
The last Japanese win
Ducati riders have dominated the last five editions of the French GP in MotoGP, although no rider has won twice: in 2020 it was Danilo Petrucci, followed by Jack Miller in 2021, Enea Bastianini in 2022, then Marco Bezzecchi, and last year Jorge Martin.
To find the last victory in the premier class by another manufacturer, we have to go back to 2019, when Marc Marquez triumphed on his Honda, finishing 2 seconds ahead of Andrea Dovizioso, with Miller—who had led laps 5 and 6—finishing fourth, also behind Petrucci. That win marked Honda’s 300th victory in the premier class.
A revolutionary master cylinder
In 2019, Brembo introduced a variation of the thumb master cylinder known as the push & pull master cylinder: designed with optimized geometry for maximum efficiency, it offers dual actuation as it can be operated with either the thumb or the index finger, depending on the rider’s preference. When used with the index finger, it is mounted on the lever with a 180° rotation compared to thumb use, in order to improve modulation and grip on the lever.
Watch that thumb
This year, two-thirds of the MotoGP grid are using the Brembo thumb master cylinder, both during braking and acceleration. Some riders were already using it in the lower classes and even on training bikes, so they’ve continued to use it in MotoGP since their debut, as it feels natural to them.
There are two types of thumb master cylinder, each available in two different diameters to better meet the riders' needs. The latest version features a PV valve designed to limit dead travel.