On the Baku circuit, drivers brake for 20 seconds on each lap with no scope for error

5/31/2021

Guide to Brembo brakes and their use in the Azerbaijan GP plus its range of brake pads for street-legal cars.

After a year’s absence, Formula One cars will once again speed through the streets of Baku for the fifth time in six years. The Azerbaijan track is classified as one of the most demanding tracks for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it earned a 4 on the difficulty index, the same as the Sakhir Circuit.

The layout includes four 90° corners at the start which are highly demanding on the brakes, followed by other turns where the angle changes continuously and, consequently, so does the use of the brakes. The track has several technical corners like turn 8 near the old town fortifications where there is no scope for error.

Half a pound of brake pads, please!

In addition to aluminum-lithium calipers and carbon fiber discs, Brembo also supplies its teams with brake pads, also made from carbon fiber: It makes 5 different types for the front brakes and 2 for the rear ones. They vary according to the specifications of the material used, the internal ventilation and the geometry.

The length of each pad ranges from 160 to 190 mm (6.3 to 7.4 in.) and the surface area from 50 to 90 cm2 (0.05 to 0.09 ft2) whereas the weight varies from 150 to 300 grams (0.3 to 0.66 lb). The pads have a friction coefficient of 0.5 and the operating temperature is the same as the discs – they both have very high thermal conductivity since they are in direct contact and made from similar materials.

An endless range of brake pads for street-legal cars

Thanks to the experience it has gained in 46 years of Formula 1 and its collaboration with car manufacturers, Brembo has developed a range of brake pads for street-legal cars which guarantee maximum safety when braking. Through constant research and extensive laboratory and road tests, it has produced over 100 different compounds.

The aim is to offer the best solution for each type of vehicle and driving style, both in terms of performance and comfort, as well as guaranteeing a low noise level. Brembo makes a total of 1,400 different products which cover over 98% of the cars in circulation in Europe.

Find the right pads for your car in the Brembo catalog.

Drivers brake for 20 seconds on each lap

6 km (3.7 mi) long with 11 braking sections, the brakes are used for just under 20 seconds per lap: This is twice as much as on the Imola track and 1.2 seconds more than Monaco. Despite this, at Baku, the load on the brake pedal from start to finish is lower, 53.5 metric tons.

In 5 of the 11 braking sections, the load does not even reach 90 kg (198 lb) even if in one of these, deceleration is just 3.8 G and braking lasts for 1.86 seconds. In 4 braking sections, on the other hand, the brake system is in use for over 2.13 seconds even if the load on the brake pedal reaches a peak of 166 kg (366 lb) and does not exceed 140 kg (308 lb) in the other cases.

5.5 G of deceleration after the starting line

Of the 11 braking sections of the Baku City Circuit, 4 are classified as very demanding on the brakes, another 4 are of medium difficulty, and the remaining 3 are light.

The most challenging one for the braking system is the first corner: The single-seaters come into it at 334 km/h (207.5 mph) and then slow down to 125 km/h (77.6 mph) in just 1.85 seconds. To do this, drivers apply a load of 131 kg (288 lb) on the brake pedal and undergo a deceleration of 5.5 G as they cover a distance of 107 meters (117 yards).