For the first time, the MotoGP season kicks off in Thailand, which has already hosted five GPs, all held in October.
To allow riders to adapt to the different weather conditions, the Buriram circuit hosted a two-day test on February 12 and 13, which Jorge Martin and Fabio Di Giannantonio missed due to injury. All premier class bikes will use Brembo brakes, which this year celebrates 50 years in world championship racing, just as in previous editions of the Thailand GP.
The GP data
According to Brembo technicians who work closely with all MotoGP riders, the 4.554 km-long Chang International Circuit falls into the category of highly demanding tracks for brakes. On a scale from 1 to 6, it has earned a difficulty rating of 6 due to the presence of four High-category braking zones, all with braking distances exceeding 190 meters. Each lap, the brakes are in use for 27 seconds, equivalent to 30 percent of the race duration.
The toughest corner
The toughest corner for the braking system at Chang International Circuit is Turn 3, due to a speed reduction of 249 km/h, from 325 km/h to 76 km/h. To achieve this, MotoGP riders apply a force of 5.8 kg on the brake lever and experience a deceleration of 1.5 g. During braking, the bikes cover 277 meters, while the braking system pressure reaches 12.4 bar.
The 2018 trio reunites
The first edition of the Thailand GP took place in 2018, and with 222,535 spectators over the weekend, it surpassed the attendance of the other 18 rounds. The Moto3 race was won by Fabio Di Giannantonio on a Honda, the Moto2 race by Francesco Bagnaia on a Kalex, while in MotoGP, Marc Marquez with the Honda beat Andrea Dovizioso by 115 thousandths of a second. Marquez, Bagnaia, and Di Giannantonio are the only ones using the Desmosedici GP 25 this year.
The brake setup of the time
At the time of the first Thailand GP edition in 2018, MotoGP riders used less sophisticated four-piston monoblock calipers with radial mounting compared to the current models: the calipers did not yet have the cooling fins on the outer body, which would only be introduced in 2021. Also in 2021, carbon discs with cooling fins were launched, which were far from being conceived in 2018. Both solutions helped reduce the temperature of the braking system.
The giant disc
Starting from 2023, riders at Buriram are required to use carbon discs with a diameter of 340 mm or 355 mm, in the case of a dry race declared by the Race Director. Discs with a 320 mm diameter are therefore prohibited on this track because they are not considered sufficiently adequate for the braking system's required effort and heat dissipation. Furthermore, to aid in heat dissipation and surface area for air exchange, the 355 mm discs are also available in the finned version, meaning they are equipped with cooling fins.