The Malaysia MotoGP according to Brembo, Oct. 28-30

2016-10-27 10:20
The Sepang International Circuit will host the 17th race of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship from October 28 - 30. Inaugurated in March 1999 by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the circuit is located 52.8 miles (85 km) from Kuala Lumpur within an oil palm plantation measuring 260 hectares.

The track was designed by German architect Hermman Tilke and the first 500cc World Championship race was held there in 1999 when this circuit took the place of the Shah Alam and Johor tracks, which had been the stages for the first eight editions of the Malaysia GP.

Measuring 3.44 miles (5,543 meters), this is the longest track in the Motorcycle Grand Prix and it is one of the most challenging on the bikes' braking systems. Managing the temperatures is quite critical due to the numerous braking sections, the significant amount of time spent braking and the tropical climate. Indeed, during last year's race, the air temperature was 95 F (35 C) and that of the asphalt was 116.6 F (47 C).

According to Brembo technicians, who work with all of the MotoGP riders (Brembo is supplier to 100% of the premium class riders), the Sepang International Circuit is indubitably one of the most challenging tracks on the brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it earned a five on the difficulty index, the same value assigned to Motegi and Barcelona.

Brake Use During the GP
The presence of 15 turns along the track requires very frequent use of the brakes, which not coincidentally are employed for more than 37 seconds per lap or 30% of the overall duration of the race.
A rather high figure results from summing up all of the force applied by a rider on the brake lever from the starting line to the chequered flag: almost 1.1 tonnes, which is equivalent to the weight of about one hundred macaque monkeys.

The Most Challenging Stops
Of the 11 braking sections on the Sepang International Circuit, only two are considered highly challenging on the brakes, but 4 present mid-level difficulty and five are light. However, on this same track there are five very difficult braking sections for the Formula 1 cars.

The most challenging curve is identical for both types of races: the Pangkor Laut (Turn 1). This turn is taken by the MotoGP bikes going 41.6 mph (67 km/h) after braking for 6 seconds to drop from 205.6 mph (331 km/h). At this point, the drivers apply a load of 17 lb (7.7 kg) on the brake pedal and undergo a deceleration of 1.5 g. To accomplish this, the bikes travel 948ft. (289 meters), the same length as 120 Malayan tigers placed one after another.

Another tough turn is Turn 15, which comes immediately after the Penang Straight: the MotoGP bikes go from 193.2 mph (311 km/h) to 42 mph (68 km/h) in 5.5 seconds by applying a 16 lb (7.3 kg) load on the brake lever. The braking space is registered at 856 ft. (261 meters). Curve 4 is the only one of the remaining turns to require braking for more than 656 ft. (200 meters).

Turn 2 is limited to just 111.5 ft. (34 meters), which is equivalent to approximately 1000 USB flash drives, yet the bikes arrive in second gear going 54.6 mph (88 km/h) and they shift to first gear to go 38.5 mph (62 km/h).

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 15 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. Visit us at ww www.brembo.com.

Source:

Click here to visit our forums to discuss this story