Brembo, a key player since the birth of the production-based championship (with 37 Constructors' titles and 33 Riders' titles won), has analyzed every single GP.
To determine the difficulty of a given track for Superbike braking systems, Brembo technicians—who this year will supply 12 of the 14 competing teams—considered several variables. Let’s take a look at the most significant factors and the ranking of the most demanding circuits for brakes in the Superbike World Championship.
The hardest braking zones
One of the key factors in correctly ranking circuits is braking intensity. In Great Britain, there are three braking zones classified as "High"—the highest level of stress on both the brakes and the rider. Meanwhile, Jerez, Aragon, and Cremona each feature two High-rated braking zones. On the other hand, Phillip Island does not have a single High-intensity braking zone.
High-intensity braking zones are characterized by brake usage for over 3.5 seconds, lever forces of at least 4 kg, decelerations of no less than 1.4 g, and braking system pressures exceeding 9 bar.
Another key factor that impacts the difficulty of a track is the number of braking zones per lap and the total time Superbike riders spend braking. At Aragon, for example, riders use the brakes in 13 of the track’s 17 corners, spending 31% of the lap in braking. At Jerez, brakes are engaged in 11 of the 13 corners (33% of the lap spent braking), while at Portimão, riders brake in 11 of the 15 corners (28% of the lap spent braking).
On the other hand, at Phillip Island, Superbike riders use the brakes only 7 times per lap (24% of the lap spent braking), and at Donington Park, 8 times per lap (31% of the lap spent braking). Magny-Cours also remains under double digits, with 9 braking zones per lap (28% of the lap spent braking).
Naturally, the higher this value, the more stress is placed on the braking system. However, the French circuit is far more demanding on brakes than the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve due to a third variable: the sequencing of braking zones.
The disposition of braking zones
The number of braking zones per lap can be misleading because it doesn’t indicate their spacing. Extremely hard braking zones, typical of stop-and-go circuits, significantly increase brake temperatures. However, if they are separated by long track sections, the braking system has time to cool down.
On the other hand, intense braking zones placed in quick succession hinder brake cooling, as seen at Donington Park. First, there’s the braking zone at the Fogarty Esses (Turns 9 and 10), where riders slow from 271 km/h to 103 km/h. Then, after a short straight, they encounter the Melbourne Hairpin (Turn 11), requiring another hard brake from 234 km/h to 49 km/h.
The final assessment
Brembo technicians took into account all these variables, along with others that are more difficult to quantify, to assess the demands placed on the braking systems by the 12 circuits of the 2025 Superbike World Championship. The data collected from past editions were useful, with the exception of Balaton Park (Hungarian Round), which has never been used in the Championship, as it was only inaugurated in May 2023.
For this purpose, a scale from 1 to 5 was used: the lowest value, achieved by Phillip Island and Assen, corresponds to a modest involvement for the brakes. The stress is maximum for Donington Park and high for Most, Magny-Cours, Aragon, Estoril, and Jerez.