Like Michelin with regard to tires, Brembo obtained complete satisfaction during the first MotoGP races which took place in Jerez de la Frontera, despite temperatures much higher than on the usual date of the event. in Andalusia.
Track engineers Andrea Pellegrini and Andrea Bergami, who were on the Spanish circuit, answer Brembo's questions by providing a number of technical elements...
« The teams gathered more data and everyone, from first to last, tried to improve their lap record from the first race. This is the first time a second race has taken place at the same circuit, and in the space of just a few days, so it is interesting to see the data on temperature, track and circuit conditions. »
Can custom modifications be made to the braking system from race to race?
« Oui bien sûr. Les équipes qui ont atteint la limite en termes de température, compte tenu de l’augmentation que nous avons constatée, peuvent passer à une configuration “plus sûre” pour la prochaine course. Ou, au contraire, les équipes qui ont peut-être opté pour des solutions trop conservatrices peuvent opter pour une solution plus “extrême” le deuxième week-end, définissant peut-être une configuration de disque plus légère, car les disques plus lourds ou High Mass avaient la température sous contrôle. »
Jerez is one of the tracks that requires a lot of braking. What does this mean in practical terms?
« We don't have really high braking energies, but there are braking events very close together and that means high temperatures, not so much for the discs as for the calipers, because there is insufficient cooling time. »
How many brake pads are used during a race weekend? How long do calipers and discs normally last, and after how many kilometers are they sent back to Brembo for servicing? How many kilometers can a pair of carbon calipers and discs cover?
« For a race weekend, there is usually the break-in on Friday during free practice, but this time it was during the Wednesday test, with three new sets of brake discs and pads per driver, so that They can be used until the race. Once they have been broken in, worn disc and pad sets from last year are used: carbon is an expensive material, so they try to make the most of it until it is completely worn out. When it comes to calipers, teams typically use a new set for warmup and racing, and they will then be used in testing at subsequent events to get as many miles out of them as possible. There is no maximum mileage for the discs, but there is for the calipers, and it is 2500 km. After that, they are sent to our Curno site for maintenance and all necessary checks. A pair of discs can generally be used for 800-900 km under normal wear situations, but this depends on the conditions in which they are used and the air and track temperatures. Take Phillip Island for example. It's a track that doesn't demand much from the brakes, so the discs can work longer than usual without causing greater wear. In the case of carbon there is no average wear mileage: it all depends on the external conditions and the braking style of the rider. »
« The aspects that we need to keep under control in Jerez are the high temperatures and the configuration of the new calipers, as this leads to lever instability since the seals and fluid tend to overheat. With the new GP4 calipers, we have not had any special requests from the teams nor any problems noted by the drivers. »
The first weekend there was both MotoGP and MotoE. What are the main differences between the two braking systems?
« MotoGP has a carbon system, which means that 25 laps of the track can be completed at high temperatures while ensuring consistent lever behaviors from start to finish. MotoE, on the other hand, has a steel system typically used in Superbike racing, on a motorcycle that weighs more than 350 kg (including the rider). From the first to the sixth lap, both braking systems give the same results, but if the MotoE race was 25 laps, the braking system would be more stressed due to the weight of the bikes. It's a bit like the difference between Moto2 and MotoGP. The other difference between MotoGP and MotoE concerns the Marchesini wheels, forged magnesium for MotoGP, but forged aluminum for MotoE. »
