As we approach the last round of the season, in Valencia, where the title will be decided between Fabio Quartararo and Pecco Bagnaia, during the last race in Malaysia we were able to observe some details on the MotoGP prototypes, on which he is interesting to linger over.
It is always interesting to study MotoGP prototypes and their details in detail, in order to learn a little more about these power monsters.
Honda's new ducts that appear to direct airflow downward are intriguing to many at the moment. At first glance it would appear to be a copy of Ducati's design, and although it may be a copy exploring the same effect, the design is quite different. They have a similar opening height to the Ducati but just as wide. The radius is also larger, giving them a much larger overall surface area than Ducati's and the other intriguing point is the opening in the middle of the duct itself.
This shows that Honda didn't just make a complete copy of Ducati, they did their own calculations on this and came up with a design that they think is going to help them more. Whatever they came up with, Marc Marquez has been using them since he tried them, so they must provide a considerable benefit. According to the Spanish rider, they add some stability to the Honda in corners and this is something that Honda needs at the moment because their grip on the side of the tire is not as good as they would like.
We can see the Ducati duct in this photo, as well as a multitude of other elements.
In this photo, we see a part spotted on Bastianini's Ducati, which has already been seen once on track before but which did not reappear until this weekend.
On the lower half of the radiator, Ducati engineers placed these angled fins that appear to direct air downward. It's hard to guess what exactly this is for, but the main desired effect seems to be to be able to maximize engine cooling. However, there has also been talk of similar clever aerodynamic details on Aprilias this year, to direct air into the bottom of the crankcase, passing it under the engine and exhausts, then up and out over the rear wheel, the concept being to make the bike more aerodynamic and also to help with cooling.
Additionally, with these angled fins, the idea is to force air out the back of the radiator as quickly as possible to help make the bike more aerodynamic and improve cooling. Perhaps that's what Ducati is aiming to do here, trying to manage the airflow as much as possible to make it just as efficient as possible.
Electronics are one of the most important parts of technique in MotoGP. Here, we can see only a small part of the electronic connectors that extract data from the sensors on the prototype. These boxes are installed in easy to access areas as it is often likely that they will need to be replaced either due to damage in an accident or simply because they have reached the end of their life cycle.
Aside from the carbon brake rotors and Brembo calipers, there is a small carbon piece that attaches to the same point as the caliper and extends all the way around the back of the front wheel.
This room houses temperature sensors, four to be precise. Thanks to them, Ducati technical teams can monitor the temperature of all areas of the front tire surface, and analyze how it reacts in different situations.
From there, they can judge what a driver should do to make the tire last longer and also which tire to use during the race. This information can also be useful to Michelin to help guide the development of its tires.
Underneath the Aprilia, all that shiny surface isn't just there to look pretty. Heat reflective material is widely used around the exhaust, largely because the exhaust runs alongside the fuel tank. It's important to keep the fuel cool because the hotter the fuel is, the more it expands, meaning less fuel can fit into the tank, and with such limited space on MotoGP bikes, everything helps.
Additionally, heat from the exhaust can cause problems at the fuel pump, with the gases not allowing the fuel to flow smoothly.
MotoGP teams do some very smart things to protect their fuel tanks from heat, heat reflective material is just one example. Another way is to pipe the air right next to the fuel tank as a buffer so that the cooling air flows right next to it and prevents heat from outside from reaching the fuel tank so easily.
Photos: Dorna Sports
