One of the big challenges of the French GP was warming up. But we are not only talking here about the riders and their teams, but above all about the brakes and tires of the MotoGP prototypes. We observed many variations on the different bikes in the MotoGP field in terms of how they keep their brakes and tires warm. One of the main high-tech pieces of equipment used by teams is...duct tape!
It's good to know that even the simplest engineering ideas still work and are relevant today, even in such a complex competitive world.
The front disc cover of the Yamaha was seen much of this weekend. In Friday's wet conditions, 3 of the 4 ventilation holes on the one on Fabio Quartararo's bike were blocked, allowing only a quarter of the usual air to pass through the disc.
With the cool and wet conditions, Fabio was keen to maintain as many temperatures as possible at the brakes, as they are also essential for maintaining heat in the tyre. In fact, residual heat from the brakes radiates towards the rim and the tire.
Another notable thing here is the strip of duct tape on the radiator. The engine doesn't need as much cooling at cooler temperatures, so teams "block off" a small portion of the radiator surface area by partially sealing it off.
Valentino Rossi was also seen on track with the front disc cover, but with only two of the vents blocked. This photo was taken when the drivers were using slick tires at the end of FP2.
Fabio Quartararo felt confident enough to remove the tape completely as he began chasing the dry track time during FP2 on Friday.
Interesting fact spotted on track this Saturday: Yamaha used a new version of its front disc cover, without vents. This may have been done in preparation for Le Mans, with teams knowing they would face cold and possibly wet conditions.
Franco Morbidelli used it during qualifying, probably to ensure he had as much temperature as possible in his brakes. We thus observe many small differences depending on the preferences of each pilot.
Duct tape was also spotted on the Honda. So it works!
Alex Marquez and Honda decided to cover the vents on Friday during free practice when the conditions were cooler and slightly wetter.
Similarly to Yamaha, the tape disappeared on Saturday as conditions warmed slightly.
Aprilia also used its disk cache this weekend. They haven't used it much this year, but this weekend's cooler conditions at Le Mans convinced the Noale factory that it was a necessary addition.
KTM also had the leitmotif of keeping the discs warm. Their full disk cache was in high demand from drivers this weekend. It is vital for teams to keep heat in the carbon brakes. With an operating range of between 200 and 800°C, the cold wind should not blow on them for too long and cool them down too much.
