TENTH EVENT OF THE MOTOGP SEASON.
After the summer break, the MotoGP resumes in Great Britain to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the world championship. On the Silverstone circuit, all the teams in the premier category will present liveries inspired by the past, and the public will be able to admire an exhibition of braking components that have marked the history of motorcycle racing, including the Brembo brand, a key player in the 500cc category since 1978.
GP data
According to Brembo technicians who work closely with all MotoGP riders, the 5,9km Silverstone circuit falls into the category of moderately demanding circuits on the brakes. On a scale of 1 to 6, it has a difficulty index of 3 with 11 braking points, 4 of which are classified as difficult. The brakes are used for 33 seconds per lap, and throughout the GP each driver exerts a total load of 780 kg on the brake lever.
Always carbon
The British GP is often affected by bad weather: in 2018 the race did not take place because heavy rain left the Silverstone circuit unusable, while many fans remained in the stands hoping for a improvement in the weather. Until around ten years ago, in the event of heavy rain, MotoGP riders opted for steel brake discs, considered more reliable in these conditions compared to carbon.
Since 2017, more and more riders have been using carbon discs, even in extreme conditions, thanks to covers made from the same material that help maintain the temperature of the discs in the rain and reach the necessary range more easily. . Carbon is lighter than steel and therefore does not worsen the dynamic behavior of the motorcycle, while guaranteeing better performance both in single braking cases and throughout the duration of the race.
The most difficult turn
The toughest corner for the Silverstone circuit's braking system is Turn 15: MotoGP bikes go from 323 km/h to 123 km/h in 4,3 seconds, covering 249 meters as riders exert load 4,8 kg on the brake lever. The deceleration is 1,5 g, the Brembo brake fluid pressure reaches 10,3 bar and the carbon disc temperature 680 °C.
Simon's best day
From 1995 to 1998, the 500cc race of the British GP was won by Oceanian riders: the first three editions were won by Australian Mick Doohan. More surprising was the victory of New Zealander Simon Crafar in 1998, the year he started from pole position. His start was not the best, and he lost several positions, but helped by the Dunlop tires, he recovered and won by 11 seconds over Doohan. Like Mick's Honda, Simon's Yamaha also used Brembo brakes. For Crafar, this remains his only GP victory in his career.
The record-breaking selfie
In mid-June, the Silverstone pitlane was the scene of one of the most incredible selfies of all time. Valentino Rossi, who had reserved the circuit to race again after the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans, took the photo. The photo of the nine-time world champion shows members of the VR46 like Bagnaia, Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio and Morbidelli, as well as Superbike stars like Bautista, Bulega, Rea and Locatelli, an old legend like Mamola, other riders like Quartararo and Carrasco, as well as Michael Dunlop, Peter Hickman and John McGuinness, fresh from the Tourist Trophy.
MotoGP Silverstone Brembo
