Over the past two weeks, we've taken a close look at Fabio Quartararo's Yamaha YZR-M1 and noticed one important detail: he only uses Yamaha's brake disc cover in one session. , Q2. But why does Fabio only use it during the qualifying session, and not during practice sessions or even in the race?
We imagine that the main reason is due to his personal feelings and his sensations with the bike when he pushes it to the extreme limit on a qualifying lap.
The part we're talking about is the brake disc cover which you can see at the front wheel of Fabio's Petronas Yamaha SRT team machine.
This image was taken during the Q2 session this Sunday at the Emilia Romagna GP. We imagine the reason Fabio uses this brake cover in Q2 is because of the confidence and feeling he gets when pushing his prototype to the absolute limit.
The essential role of this cover is to prevent fresh air from passing in front of the brake disc. This way, the cool air does not reach the film of hot air created by the disc, which prevents it from cooling down too quickly. Simply put, the brake disc cover keeps the discs at a higher temperature.
Maybe that's exactly what Fabio appreciates when he's looking for a perfect ride. We know that carbon discs require high temperatures to bring them into their optimal temperature window so they can perform at their best, which is around 800°C. If their temperatures drop below this threshold, the disks can lose performance very quickly! So it may be that Fabio uses the brake cover during Q2 to ensure they stay within their optimal temperature window, giving him the confidence he will always have, the feeling he wants and has need the brakes when he pulls the lever!
Here is Fabio during free practice for the Emilia-Romagna GP, note the absence of this front disc hubcap.
So the question remains, why not use the hubcaps during free practice and races? Well, it's quite likely that Fabio would risk overheating the front discs if he had to use them on many consecutive rounds. On a single timed lap, however, there is very little chance that Fabio will overheat the discs.
Here is Fabio during Q2 of the San Marino GP, 10 days ago, and here too the front disc covers have been installed
But the day before, during free practice, they were absent again. So it seems that Fabio has found something in Misano: this device simply allows him to have absolute confidence in the performance of his bike when he pushes to the limit during qualifying.
