Media Release: Brembo MotoGP Brake Facts for Gran Premio Red Bull de la Republica Argentina

2016-04-03 08:28
Brembo heads into the 2016 MotoGP season continuing its initiative of developing and providing brake facts for each of the 18 races on the MotoGP World Championship calendar. This weekend MotoGP heads to Autodrómo Termas de Río Hondo for the Gran Premio Red Bull de la República Argentina.

Inaugurated in 2007, Termas de Río Hondo Circuit is considered the most modern, safe and exciting circuit in Latin America. It is not a coincidence that since 2014, the track has hosted one of the rounds of the Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Usually, in the months preceding and following the MotoGP event, the Argentine track hosts car races. In previous years, that meant the track was dirty and abrasive, especially during the first free practice runs. The conditions improve as time passes, as demonstrated by the lap times: last year, Marc Marquez took pole position in 1:37.802 while the best rider in the first practice sessions was Aleix Espargaro registering a time of 1:40.806.

According to Brembo engineers, the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit falls into the category of medium difficulty tracks for the brakes. On a scale of one to five, it earned three on the difficulty index, which is identical to eight other tracks, including Losail where the inaugural race of the season was held.

Brake use during the GP
Contributing to this ranking are the eight braking sections per lap and the time spent braking which is quite high at about 31 percent of the overall duration of the race. The riders have to brake 200 times throughout the entire GP, but this value is lower than that of the two Spanish circuits in Jerez and Valencia. The average deceleration comes to just 1g and is among the lowest in the championship.

The most challenging stops
Turn Five is the most challenging on the circuit because the riders are just coming off a 1,076 meter (1,176 yard) straightaway and they have to reduce their speed by approximately 255 km/h (158 mph), applying a load of 12 kg (on the brake lever. Curve 1 is also very difficult with 162 kW of energy dissipated in braking because of the 12 kg (26 lbs.) load on the lever. The medium difficulty curve is at Turn 11: the riders touch the brakes for slightly more than a second to decelerate from 190 to 147 km/h (118 to 91 mph). The least difficult braking section on the track is Turn Three, where the riders brake for just 50 meters (54 yards): the track designers planned it this way so that the riders would reduce their speed as they came flying off the straightaway.

Brembo Victories
In Argentina, Brembo brakes have won seven out of the eight GP races it has competed in as of today; however, five of these successes took place on the Buenos Aires circuit where the races were held in the 1980s. On the track in the capital, the rider with the most wins was Mick Doohan, who has three victories. At the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit, both Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi have each won once.

Brembo supplied its first racing brake system to Ferrari in 1975, in the Formula One World Championship. Since then, the Italian company has invested heavily in research and development of highly innovative and technological products. Since 1975, the Italian brake manufacturer earned championships in F1 (21 Drivers’ and 25 Manufacturers’), 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 of 27 years), MotoGP (25 of 28) and four in IndyCar since returning to the series in 2012.


About Brembo SpA
Brembo SpA is the world leader and acknowledged innovator of disc brake technology for automotive vehicles. Brembo supplies high performance brake systems for the most important manufacturers of cars, commercial vehicles and motorbikes worldwide, as well as clutches and other components for racing. Brembo is also a leader in the racing sector and has won more than 300 championships. Today the company operates in 16 countries on 3 continents, with 24 production and business sites, and a pool of about 7.800 employees, about 10% of whom are engineers and product specialists active in the R&D. 2015 turnover is € 2,073.2 million (12.31.2015). Brembo is the owner of the Brembo, Breco, AP, Bybre, and Marchesini brands and operates through the AP Racing brand.

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