Brembo developing bigger MotoGP brake discs after Barcelona test
Following productive running at the post-Catalunya MotoGP test, Brembo’s new and bigger brake discs will be used at this year’s Austria double-header to avoid a repeat of Maverick Vinales’s crash last year.

With the Red Bull Ring putting extreme demand on brakes, Brembo has designed a new system of ventilated carbon discs and pads using the larger 340mm brake discs, which have been upgraded with small holes to generate a ventilation that helps prevent rising temperatures and keeps it in the maximum working range of 700-800 degrees.
Brembo’s brake developments come after Vinales had to jump off his Yamaha midway through last year’s Styrian GP, having run out of brakes, which caused a red flag after his M1 caught fire in the inflatable barriers.
Although Yamaha initially claimed the crash was caused by a brake failure, it was later revealed in addition to not using the recommended brake discs from Brembo for the Red Bull Ring (Vinales was on the 320mm rather than the 340mm), the Spanish rider was also on already used and worn brake discs having not followed advice from the MotoGP brake supplier.
In the Styrian GP Suzuki’s Joan Mir, who was leading before the red flag, was also running the small brake discs but did not suffer any problem.

Maverick Vinales, Yamaha Factory Racing crash
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Despite having no responsibility for the crash, Brembo has developed a new braking system to improve safety on demanding tracks like the Red Bull Ring, while the new parts are expected to also be used at the Motegi, Thailand and Sepang rounds later this season.
At the post-Catalunya MotoGP test on Monday, most riders had the opportunity to test them and give their feedback to the Brembo engineers.
"We have tested the new brakes for Austria, where they are subjected to great stress, and the feeling has been good, I liked them and of course I will use them there," Valentino Rossi said after the test.
A track engineer for one of the top MotoGP riders explained to Autosport/Motorsport.com: “We tested these brakes for the first time this Monday. After the incident last year we need to have a temperature margin, they do not provide performance, they are only to improve safety.
"After testing them, we have seen that it gives us a safety margin before reaching 1000 degrees", which would be the limit the braking system can work at before the carbon disc can start to oscillate.
360mm brake discs for 2022
With both speeds and braking demands increasing in MotoGP, Brembo is aiming to produce larger 360mm discs from 2022.
“With the maximum 340mm disc, MotoGP is reaching the limit,” Andrea Pellegrini, Brembo engineer and customer manager for MotoGP, told to Autosport/Motorsport.com.
“We have evolved the ventilation, the mass of the disc and the contact area is greater, with an air intake larger to cool it down. We have also worked on the geometry of the disc and the pads.
“In Austria, very high temperatures are reached in the system and there are very high-energy braking points. With these new discs we hope to be able to offer the same performance with a lower temperature range of use."
Read Also:
Brembo had already brought the new braking kits to the Qatar pre-season test, but given the Losail circuit’s characteristics and lesser demands on braking, the first representative test for the new brakes took place in Barcelona on Monday.
"Almost all the riders were able to test them on Monday, only two or three did not ride it. The general feedback has been very good,” Pellegrini said.
“Nowadays, practically all teams use 340mm discs, because MotoGP run more and more with aerodynamics, so greater stopping power is needed.
“Looking ahead to next year we are working on a larger disc, 360mm, that Dorna and IRTA will have to homologate.”
The size of the rims and the current design of the MotoGP front wheel would accommodate a 360mm disc, but it would the maximum size in the current configuration, so Brembo is aiming to be able to implement the larger brakes as early as 2022 to increase braking and improve the safety standards.
Related video

Zarco “missing something” to claim maiden win in MotoGP
Espargaro says Honda MotoGP troubles mirror early KTM years

Latest news
Bagnaia grateful for British GP advice from MotoGP legends Rossi, Stoner
Silverstone race winner Francesco Bagnaia says he asked MotoGP legends Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner for advice after struggling in practice for the British Grand Prix.
Quartararo “disappointed” to “not lose more” with Silverstone MotoGP penalty
Fabio Quartararo says he is disappointed with his race because he thought he’d “lose more” with his MotoGP British Grand Prix penalty than he did, but could only finish eighth.
Espargaro FP4 crash pain 'no excuse' for Silverstone MotoGP struggles
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro says the pain he felt from his 115mph crash in MotoGP practice for the British Grand Prix is “not an excuse” for his difficult Silverstone race.
Backtracking on tyre gamble led to Zarco’s “hero or zero” Silverstone MotoGP crash
Pramac’s Johann Zarco's decision to change to a medium front tyre before the start of the MotoGP British Grand Prix led to his “hero or zero” crash from the lead.
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success