According to Brembo technicians, who work closely with all riders in the MotoGP world championship, the Algarve International Circuit is one of the least demanding circuits when it comes to brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it scored a 2 on the difficulty index, the lowest in the 2020 championship.
Its continuous ascents and descents make it difficult to determine when to cut off the throttle, with the risk of arriving too late on descents or braking too early on ascents: The maximum slope is 12% on descents and 6 % on the climbs, while the transverse slope is 8% at certain points.
Brembo carbon discs in MotoGP, whatever the conditions
Over the past three years, Brembo has put an end to a long-standing taboo: Since the introduction of carbon in the 500 category, it had always been cast aside in the rain in favor of steel discs. To ensure a good coefficient of friction, the carbon must reach a temperature of at least 250°C and, until recently, this was somewhat difficult in wet and rainy conditions.
Carbon developments made by Brembo in recent years, however, have made it possible to expand the operating temperature range. This, along with improved engine and tire performance, allowed the disc temperatures to rise even in the rain, meaning the steel largely fell through.
Using the brakes during the MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix
MotoGP riders use the brakes in nine of the Portuguese track's 30 corners, one fewer than in the Superbike world championship contested here in August. The MotoGP brakes are used for 31,5 seconds per lap, while the Superbike brakes are used for almost XNUMX seconds.
However, five times per lap, braking in MotoGP results in a speed drop below 100 km/h and therefore 3,2 seconds less brake use. Except for a few turns, the average deceleration does not exceed 1 g. Therefore, from start to checkered flag, the total load on the brake lever does not reach 650 kg.
The most demanding braking section of the Portuguese GP
Of the nine braking sections at the Algarve International Circuit, only one is classified as brake demanding, one is of medium difficulty and the remaining seven are not particularly difficult.
The section just after the straight, with a length of 969 m, is the most difficult braking point in MotoGP: The prototypes go from 325 km/h to 119 km/h in 4,8 seconds, covering 282 meters . To do this, riders apply a load of 4,3 kg to the brake lever and are subjected to a deceleration of 1,5 G, while the brake fluid pressure rises to 9,2 bar.
