Dutch F1 Grand Prix: watch the banked corners

8/31/2021

The Brembo monobloc caliper’s debut at Zandvoort and similar solutions for road cars.

After a 36-year wait, the Netherlands returns to Formula 1 Grand Prix racing on the Zandvoort Circuit with most of the turns redesigned compared with the version used up until 1985. According to Brembo engineers, it is one of those tracks with a medium level of difficulty for brakes.

On a scale of 1 to 5, it is rated 3 on the difficulty index, matching the score of other tracks such as Budapest and Spielberg. One of its distinctive features is turns 3 and 14 banked at around 19 degrees, more than double the corners at Indianapolis. This has a significant effect on the single-seater set-up which also affects the brakes.

Monobloc calipers, an all-Brembo invention

Brembo makes aluminum-lithium brake calipers with six pistons (the maximum established by the regulations) for eight teams in the 2021 World Championship. Brembo introduced monobloc calipers into racing in the second half of the 1980s on the Ferrari F187/88C driven by Michele Alboreto and Gerhard Berger.

For the 2021 season, based on the specific vehicle requirements, each team - together with Brembo engineers - identifies the optimum weight-rigidity ratio for the brake calipers. For each team, the development of the braking system takes place independently and separately to preserve industrial secrets.

Calipers with internal ducts for road cars too

After verifying the quality of its monobloc calipers on the track, Brembo transferred them to the production line for today's most prestigious and popular sports cars. The large quantities of calipers to be produced and a duration equal to the lifespan of the car, represented an additional challenge. This high quality distinguishes the B-M family of Brembo calipers, designed for drivers who want the very best from their car.

Machined from a single billet of cast aluminum, using a 4D technology casting process and with internal fluid channels rather than conventional external rigid tube connections, these calipers ensure outstanding rigidity and minimized deformation. This technology means that the technical characteristics of the B-M4, B-M6 and B-M8 are similar to those of billet or forged racing calipers.

See all the advantages of the B-M braking systems.

Braking takes 2 football pitches

F1 drivers use their brakes on 9 of the 14 corners on the Dutch track. The last corner is not one of these due to its banking and the over 90 km/h lost on the previous corner. On average, the braking system is used for 12.3 seconds on a whole lap, the equivalent of 17% of the entire GP.

The smoothness of the track is confirmed by the presence of only 2 turns with braking distances of over 100 meters. With the exception of Imola, no other circuit used this year has had so few braking sections of this type. From the starting line to the checkered flag, each driver exerts a total load of 43.3 metric tons on the brake pedal.

Two and a quarter seconds to brake 

Of the 9 braking sections on the Zandvoort Circuit, 2 are classified as highly demanding on the brakes, 4 are of medium difficulty and the remaining 3 are light.

Turn 11 is the most feared even if the top speed is lower than the first turn after the starting line. However, deceleration is higher because the single-seaters go from 313 km/h (194 mph) to 99 km/h (61.5 mph) in just 105 meters (115 yards). This takes 2.25 seconds during which the drivers apply a load of about 139 kg (306 lbs) and sustain 4.8 G in deceleration.