Seven days after the Austrian GP, MotoGP heads to nearby Hungary for the 14th round of the season.
The Hungarian GP has only two precedents, dating back to the early 1990s.
At that time, the races were held at the Hungaroring, which had already been hosting Formula 1 since 1986.
In 2008, the construction of the Balatonring was initiated to bring MotoGP back to Hungary, however, this should not be confused with the circuit being used this year: while both tracks are near Lake Balaton, they are about 100 kilometers apart.
The GP data
According to Brembo technicians working closely with all MotoGP riders, the 4.115 km Balaton Park Circuit is classified as a medium-demanding track for braking systems.
On a scale from 1 to 6, it scores a difficulty index of 3, with 8 braking zones per lap totaling 31 seconds of brake system engagement: 3 braking zones fall into the High category, 2 are Medium, and 3 are Light.
Only in two sections of the track do the braking distances exceed 185 meters.
The toughest corner
The most demanding braking zone at Balaton Park Circuit is Turn 5: MotoGP bikes decelerate from 282 km/h to 72 km/h in 5.2 seconds, covering 226 meters, while riders apply a 6 kg load on the brake lever.
Deceleration reaches 1.5 g, Brembo brake fluid pressure peaks at 12.8 bar, and carbon disc temperature hits 590 °C.
The Cagiva fairytale
The last edition of the Hungarian GP, in 1992, went down in history thanks to Cagiva’s victory, the first ever for the Italian manufacturer in the 500cc World Championship.
The win was achieved by Eddie Lawson, who had qualified 7th. Giacomo Agostini, who managed the team, persuaded him to use a slick on the rear and an intermediate on the front, despite the rain-soaked asphalt.
In the early laps, Lawson ran mid-pack, but as the racing line began to dry, the American mounted a furious charge and won with a 14-second margin.
Brakes of the feat
The Cagiva C592 ridden by Lawson at the 1992 Hungarian GP was equipped with a Brembo braking system, as were all Cagiva machines in the World Championship.
The bike used dual 320 mm carbon discs at the front (sometimes 290 mm), operated by 4-piston calipers, and a single 210 mm disc at the rear paired with a 2-piston caliper.
Lawson was cautious during the early laps because carbon brakes of that era reached operating temperature more slowly than today’s systems.
The omnipresence of carbon
Up to 10 years ago, MotoGP riders would switch to steel discs in wet conditions, as carbon only delivers a good coefficient of friction once it reaches at least 250 °C.
This temperature was unreachable in the rain, but recent advances in carbon brake covers and material technology have led most riders to use carbon discs even in the wet.
Steel, in contrast, suffers under high temperatures, struggles with residual torque issues, and its greater weight negatively affects the bike’s dynamic behavior, compromising suspension response and reducing effective power delivery to the ground.