BRAKE DISC GUIDE FOR MALAYSIAN MOTOGP AND BREMBO DISCS FOR ROAD USE
Penultimate round of the season for MotoGP which returns to Malaysia after missing the last two seasons, although the prototypes tested at the Sepang International Circuit in 2020 and this year in February. According to Brembo technicians who work closely with all riders in the MotoGP World Championship, this track is one of the most demanding circuits for the brakes.
On a scale of 1 to 6, it is ranked 5 on the difficulty index due to its critical temperatures due to the tropical climate and the high number of braking episodes and their duration. To solve this problem, Brembo this year introduced a 355mm ventilated carbon fiber disc which increases heat exchange and therefore improves disk cooling.
A dozen Brembo discs for MotoGP
Brembo provides teams with a wide range of brake discs: each MotoGP rider can choose from six disc geometries and two different carbon compounds are available for each of them. The 320mm and 340mm discs are available in High Mass and Standard Mass geometries, while the 355mm disc only exists in the finned High Mass version: there would have been no point in creating a disc of 355 mm with a standard brake band, as this would have reduced its advantages. The finned disc is also available in a 340 mm High Mass version, which is also used on the most demanding circuits for the braking system.
A different material but the same care and attention for road motorcycles
Road bikes and bikes used for track days obviously don't have carbon fiber discs. This does not mean, however, that the experience gained in MotoGP has not had a positive effect on factory production. The T-Drive disc, with its steel braking band and machined aluminum housing, is a good illustration of this. The T-Drive system gets its name from the eight T-shaped pins on the drive which, along with the same number of contours on the housing, eliminate the need for mounting studs. This results in both axial and radial floating, which increases resistance to thermomechanical stresses and transmitted braking torque.
Discover the different varieties of sports discs for the most popular motorcycles
More time only in Losail
MotoGP riders use their brakes 11 times per lap for a total of 38 seconds, or 32% of the entire GP. These 38 seconds are only less than the 40 seconds at Losail, but there the brakes are used 13 times per lap. At Sepang, 4 braking moments last at least 4 seconds and a few last more than 5 seconds: 5,7 seconds are needed in the last corner to reduce the speed from 255 km/h in just 258 meters.
Deceleration varies a lot but in 4 places it does not drop below 1,5G, including in turn 9 where drivers have to apply 5kg of pressure on the brake lever. If we add up all the force that the drivers apply on the brake lever from the start line to the checkered flag, the result is more than 770 kg, a fairly low value compared to the 1200 kg of the GP of Saint -Marine.
Six seconds of adrenaline
Of the 11 braking sections on the circuit, 4 are classified as very demanding on the brakes, 1 is of medium difficulty and the other 6 are light.
The most difficult corner is the Pangkor Laut (turn 1): the MotoGP riders approach it at 323 km/h and after 6 seconds of braking where they cover a distance of 264 meters, they approach the corner at 72 km/h. Riders apply 1,5 G of deceleration and exert 5,7 kg of pressure on the brake lever while the Brembo HTC 64T brake fluid pressure reaches 12,3 bar.
And what about video games?
Taking the first corner of the Sepang International Circuit in MotoGP isn't as difficult as in real life: the brakes are applied when you see a red mark on the guardrail on the left side of the track. If you're looking to the right, on the other hand, you have to start braking as soon as you pass the pit wall. Still on the left there are black billboards: as soon as you pass the penultimate one, lean into the bend until you touch the inside edge. The turn is actually a hairpin, so you have to wait before opening the throttle again.
