The bikes’ 1000cc engines produce 270hp but their tiny contact patches and lack of downforce relative to cars costs them dearly in lap time when compared to a Formula 1 machine.
For example, Valtteri Bottas lapped his 2019 F1 Mercedes in 1m32.029s in qualifying for the US Grand Prix at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, compared with Maverick Vinales’ 2m00.864s in MotoGP qualifying there in 2024.
However, a few years ago Red Bull pitted Dani Pedrosa’s KTM RC16 against Liam Lawson in an RB8 over a quarter of a mile from a standing start, and the bike won hands-down – mainly thanks to its superior power-to-weight ratio (the RB8 weighing in at 640kg compared to the KTM’s 157kg).
Their narrow nature also means very little drag, allowing MotoGP bikes to max out at around that 220mph mark. Which is all well and good in a straight line, but how do you get them slowed down for the twisty bits?
Source: Autosport