Red Bull Motorsports
Red Bull Motorsports
MotoGP vs Formula 1: The duel of the top classes
Acceleration, top speed, downforce or passion - which of the two racing series has the higher "wow factor"? We clarify that.
Motorsport is a religion with different creeds - Formula 1 or MotoGP! And rightly so, the question arises: which of the two racing series has more to offer motorsport fans? This topic has been causing heated discussions for ages - we want to settle this debate. Here and now.
Here is the duel between technique and passion:
01
Power
F1 can currently call up around 1000 hp at a minimum weight of 752 kilos, MotoGP comes to just under 300 hp at a minimum of 157 bike kilos. In relation, this means: Formula 1 currently has around 1.3 hp per kilo, MotoGP 1.9 hp per kilo.
- 1 point for MotoGP = 0 : 1
02
Top-Speed
MotoGP may look extremely fast, but the top speed on the track comes from Formula 1. The current record holder is Valtteri Bottas, who reached 378 km/h on the 2.2-kilometre start-finish straight in Baku in 2016. In MotoGP, the officially highest measured top speed is 362.4 km/h - ridden by both Johann Zarco (Ducati) in Qatar and Brad Binder (KTM) in Mugello.
- 1 point for formula 1 = 1 : 1
03
Contact pressure and traction
You don't win a race on the straights, but in the curves - and in this area, the F1 cars are incredibly fast thanks to their aerodynamics. Take the Rindt curve at the Red Bull Ring, for example: Formula 1 reaches 190 km/h here, while MotoGP reaches a maximum of 120 km/h. In addition, Moto drivers have to brake up to 200 metres earlier than their colleagues in Formula 1. In total, this results in a time difference of more than 20 seconds per lap at Spielberg or an average winning speed of around 225 km/h for Max Verstappen and 183.5 km/h for Miguel Oliveira (2020).
- 1 point for formula 1 = 2 : 1
04
The passion of the world champions
Lewis Hamilton (7 world championship titles) versus Marc Marquez (6 world championship titles in the royal class) - what do the kings actually say about their discipline. Is there perhaps a hint of doubt that their own world championship title could still be topped in terms of coolness factor?
In MotoGP, the rider is much more important than the bike, in Formula 1 it's the other way round. That's why MotoGP is more interesting than Formula 1 and pure emotion.
When you're in Formula 1, you're the centre of attention. You've reached the top of the world - there's nothing better, nothing beats it.
Max Verstappen: the king of the Red Bull Ring
© GEPA pictures / Red Bull Content Pool
- 1 point for each = 3 : 2
05
Acceleration
0-100 km/h: A question of good grip - on the F1 racer the tyres want to spin and the MotoGP bike cannot keep its front wheel on the ground. Both machines have the same performance in this respect and need an average of 2.5 seconds.
0-200 km/h: Is a question of technology and electornics - at around 180 km/h, the vehicle electronics take over full control in an F1 car, while the MotoGP rider can still go full throttle. Since this season, the F1 does it in 4.6 seconds, the motorbike in 4.8 seconds.
0-300 km/h: Here, the MotoGP machine needs 11.8 seconds, while the F1 car needs just 10.6 seconds. However, the car needs long straights to reach top speed, while the bike can go full throttle all the time.
- 1 point for formula 1 = 4 : 2
Brad Binder: Record holder in MotoGP with 362.4 km/h
© KTM Images
06
Sound
The engine makes the noise. So the duel is called: 1.6-litre turbo V6 with 15,000 revolutions in F1 against four-stroke naturally aspirated engines with a maximum of four cylinders, 1000 cc displacement and 19,000 revolutions in MotoGP. The noise level: 118 decibels in F1, a much more throaty 128 decibels in MotoGP. For comparison: a jackhammer provides 104 decibels.
- 1 point for MotoGP = 4 : 3
07
Spectacle
Marquez, Rossi & Co. deliver a guaranteed thrill from the first to the last corner, while Formula 1 not infrequently resembles a procession. The negative highlight was the 2017 Russian Grand Prix with a single (!) overtaking manoeuvre. The number of overtaking manoeuvres in F1 fluctuates noticeably - at the Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring there have been 66 overtaking manoeuvres, but also only 12...
- 1 point for MotoGP = 4 : 4
08
And the winner is.... Time for the final account
When it comes to purely technical facts, Formula 1 is ahead in many categories. However, if you take into account the physical commitment and the quality of the spectacle, MotoGP takes the crown.
Conclusion: The duel ends in a draw - both racing series are rightly regarded as the premier class and are actually incomparably spectacular. The discussions about the higher "wow factor" will probably go on forever. And that's a good thing...
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