After the overseas rounds, MotoGP heads back to the Old Continent, where it will remain until mid-September: three of these Grands Prix will be held in Spain, which will also host a fourth round in November.
The first stop is Jerez, marking the 40th GP held at this venue: 37 editions of the Spanish GP, one Expo 92 GP, and one Andalusian GP have been raced here.
The GP data
According to Brembo technicians who work closely with all MotoGP riders, the 4.423 km Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto falls into the category of highly demanding tracks for braking systems.
On a difficulty scale from 1 to 6, it scores a 4 due to its 11 braking zones per lap, totaling 30.5 seconds of braking. Three braking zones fall under the "High" category with braking distances of at least 160 meters, four are classified as "Medium," and the remaining four as "Light."
The toughest corner
The toughest corner for braking systems at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto is Turn 6, named after Dani Pedrosa. MotoGP bikes go from 295 km/h to 65 km/h in a 4.8-second braking phase, during which they travel 212 meters.
To complete it, riders apply 6 kg of force on the Brembo brake lever, endure a deceleration of 1.5 g, and the braking system reaches a pressure of 12.9 bar.
Alberto's day
The Spanish GP thirty years ago is remembered for Alberto Puig's sole victory in the 500cc class. Mick Doohan started from pole position, but back then qualifying results mattered less because there were four bikes per row, all aligned. Puig took the lead at the first braking point, followed by Daryl Beattie in second.
In the following laps, Luca Cadalora took the lead while Puig dropped to fourth, but with two brilliant braking maneuvers, the Spaniard overtook Alex Barros and the Italian rider. He then capitalized on Mick Doohan's crash to cross the finish line in first place.
The value of monoblocks
Puig’s victory was historic, as it was the first win in the premier class by a Spanish rider at their home GP. That year, he rode the Honda NSR500 for Sito Pons’s team, which featured Brembo monobloc calipers. Introduced in 1993, these calipers were immediately sought after by riders due to their superior braking efficiency compared to two-piece calipers, thanks to their combination of rigidity and lightness.
Puig demonstrated this with pinpoint braking during the 1995 Spanish GP, around the same time the first production cars with Brembo monobloc calipers hit the market.
Latest generation monoblocks
Today, aluminum monobloc calipers are the standard in the motorcycle industry, offering high levels of braking power, control, and comfort. However, the current MotoGP calipers are distant relatives of those from the early 1990s: over time, caliper body design, hydraulic components, and manufacturing have undergone major advancements.
These improvements have allowed for reduced weight and dimensions—lowering unsprung masses—while enhancing braking performance.