Braking in the Russian F1 GP

9/21/2021

All the tricks of the Sochi Autodrom for Brembo systems, their maintenance and a tip for motorists.

The third Formula 1 GP in September will be held at the Sochi Autodrom in the Olympic Park used for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Stretching 1.7 km (1.08 miles) along roads which are normally open to traffic, it tends to rubber in with each session: the increased grip is transferred into an increase in dissipated braking force.

According to Brembo technicians, the Russian track is one of the most demanding for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it is rated 4 on the difficulty index, the same as the Monza track, home to the Italian GP two weeks ago, However, the two tracks are very different as shown by turn 3 at Sochi which completes a 180° turn and extends for 650 meters and is the longest in the World Championship.

Ultra-quick Brembo pit stop

Brembo’s job in F1 does not end with delivery of the various components. During the GP weekends, Brembo engineers provide the teams with assistance, usually on the track, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they often work from the Remote Garage, located in Curno. The engineers follow the sessions live and analyze the data.

The useful life of a Brembo Formula 1 caliper does not exceed 10,000 km (6,214 mi), but after every race and test session, the caliper goes back to the factory. Specialized workers disassemble it and replace the parts subject to wear, such as, for example, the rubber parts, with new components. All in just a few days. On average, each team uses 10-15 sets of calipers, 150-200 discs and up to 600 pads.

Remanufactured calipers - what an opportunity 

Brembo recommends checking the brakes on your car every 15,000-20,000 km (9,300-12,400 mi) or sooner if any vibrations or signs of overheating arise or if radial cracks appear on the discs. For street-legal cars, the need to replace the brake calipers and the other hydraulic components of the braking system (lines, brake cylinders, brake master cylinder) does not arise because of friction wear, but because of deterioration or accidental breakage.

With close to sixty years in manufacturing OEM calipers, Brembo offers a complete range of remanufactured calipers: they are the result of a careful cleaning operation and the replacement of all the internal parts subject to wear and deterioration. The calipers are then coated with a protective, anti-corrosion layer and subjected to functional tests.

Have you ever considered the idea of a remanufactured caliper?

Seven stressful braking moments for riders 

The Formula 1 drivers use their brakes on 10 of the 18 bends on the Russian track and the braking system is called into action for a total of 15 and one quarter seconds per lap (17% of the overall race time). The amount of time the brakes are used on each lap is similar to the Mexico City track although the Mexican track is 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) shorter than the Sochi Circuit.

Of the 10 braking sections, 7 force the drivers to decelerate by at least 3.5 G but only 3 of these use the brakes for more than 1.5 seconds. Conversely, on turn 8, the braking is “just” 3.1 G for 0.97 seconds. From the start to the checkered flag, every driver exerts an overall load of 44.5 tonnes on the brake pedal, one tonne more than the race in Zandvoort.

205 km/h (127 mph) less in 109 meters (119 yards) 

Of the 10 braking sections at the Russian GP, 2 are classified as highly demanding on the brakes, 5 are of medium difficulty and the remaining 3 are light.

The most difficult is at turn 2 where the drivers come in at 336 km/h (208.7 mph) and apply the brakes for 1.85 seconds during which the vehicles travel the 109 meters (119 yards) that are needed to bring the speed down to 131 km/h (81.3 mph). The load on the brake pedal is 144 kg (317 lb) and deceleration is 6.1 G.