Formula 1 Versus MotoGP: Who Wins When Braking?

Part of Brembo's media information for last weekend's Grand Prix of the Americas MotoGP event at Circuit of the Americas in Texas was an interesting comparison of the braking characteristics for MotoGP and Formula 1 machines. CotA in Austin is one of two tracks that the two series share, and Brembo compared data from the top MotoGP bikes from 2015 with the top Formula 1 cars in the same corners, at the same circuit.

Brembo's press information follows:

DETROIT, (Apr. 10, 2016) - MotoGP or Formula 1: Which vehicle is faster? Which has better braking? The Austin circuit is the testing ground to help answer the question on the minds of every enthusiast.

The Texas track is only one of two (the other being Sepang) to host a competition for the two- and four-wheel World Racing Championships at the same circuit (3.427 miles / 5.513 kilometers).

MotoGP will take to the Circuit of The Americas this weekend while Formula 1 will race October 23, of this year.

Backed by its experience as supplier of the leading teams of the two, Brembo is able to provide some extremely interesting information.

Below are the technical specifications of the two prototypes:

Excluding the drivers or riders, a Formula 1 vehicle weighs four times more than a MotoGP bike and boasts a much more powerful engine (also for the presence of electric motors). The tires are a whole different story: in comparison with a bike, Formula 1 single-seaters have more tires (four instead of two) and a more generous tread. Furthermore, aside from tread width, the biggest difference between F1 and MotoGP is on the ground contact, meaning the contact surface of the tire with the asphalt is extremely different due to the make of car and bike tires. While in F1 the width of the tire coincides with the footprint on the ground, in MotoGP this is only a fraction of the total tread width.

Let's compare their performance over a lap at the Austin circuit in 2015:

Comparing the best lap during the 2015 competition obtained respectively by Rosberg and Iannone the gap between Formula 1 and MotoGP is somewhere around 20 seconds.

Maximum speeds place MotoGP ahead of Formula 1.

The limits of MotoGP are essentially two: The time required to reduce speed when facing a curve Speed while in a curve

Both are attributable to several factors mainly including: the different dynamics of the two vehicles, where MotoGP must take into account the tilt limit of the vehicle. the substantial difference due to the aerodynamic load, non-existent on a MotoGP bike, but heavily influencing the deceleration values of an F1 car. the significant difference of the footprint left by the tires of both vehicles.

To clarify, point one refers to three situations derived from the data taken by Brembo in the past at Austin.

The braking speeds below, always at Austin, are representative of point two:

Obviously, even bike braking distances are longer at Austin:

Not surprisingly, according to the Brembo engineers that assist the competitions in the field, Austin MotoGP riders spend 23 percent of the race braking while F1 drivers only 18 percent. A difference that determines significantly different lap times.

The explanation is rather simple: the Formula 1 vehicles can immediately discharge the entire braking torque to the ground as they do not have issues with balance while MotoGP riders are required to dose the force as the risk of flipping over a two-wheel vehicle is high.

In addition, the single-seaters have a ground footprint of the four treads that is well over four times that of a MotoGP bike: naturally, the greater the footprint, the greater the opportunity to discharge the braking torque to the ground.

This is why the decelerations that the riders and drivers face are in line with the characteristics of the vehicles that they command.

The only aspect in common between the two categories at Austin is the effort required by the braking systems: Brembo engineers have classified both as medium difficulty.