When riders approach turn one at tomorrow's US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, they'll apply roughly 6.6 pounds of brake lever pressure, drop their speeds from 165 mph to just over 60 mph in about 6.5 seconds, and experience up to 1.1 Gs of deceleration.
Anyone who rides fast knows that stopping is just as important as speed, and the brake gurus at Brembo have broken down Monterey's famed 3.61 mile circuit into 8 braking zones, offering key statistics including the fact that roughly one quarter of time spent per lap is dedicated to slowing down.
"The Californian circuit is one of the more idiosyncratic venues on the MotoGP calendar," Brembo says, "not least because overtaking is especially difficult. And because the surface too is far from perfect, the Laguna Seca track can be very tricky, with hazardous bends, and bumps to be negotiated with great care, so that the performance of the brakes is particularly important."
To see more on the role braking will play in tomorrow's race, take a look at Brembo's Guide to Braking at the Red Bull US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca.
Related:
Photo © Getty Images Sport; Click to see Brembo Braking Guide
That’s a very cool article. Interesting to see it all a laid out in such a clinical fashion. One only has to watch a couple rounds of MGP or WSBK to witness braking contests on a level that excludes mere mortals – like us.
Watching the back wheel hover 4 or 5″ inchs off the ground at 160mph is jaw dropping. Lot’s of races have been won and lost going in to a corner.
Curiously enough the vast majority are using Brembo brakes too.