Stopping power: San Donato and the brakes

The deceleration into Turn 1 at Mugello will push the brakes to the very limit

This weekend the MotoGP™ paddock heads to Tuscany for the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, a track where the premier class riders will brake from over 350km/h down to 90km/h.

To traverse the 5.2km circuit, the riders use their Brembo brakes 10 times per lap, for a total of 28 seconds, which translates into 26% of Sunday’s race. Interestingly, this is the lowest percentage so far this season, with Jerez having a 33% brake usage and Le Mans 32%.

Somewhat more unsurprisingly, the first corner at the Italian venue is the most critical and is the only corner that is rated ‘demanding’ by Brembo. As they rise over the brow of the hill - one of the fastest parts on the MotoGP™ calendar - the riders will then brutally deacelerate for around 5.2 seconds, travelling 288 metres in the process.