F1 Spain: 200 kg (441 lbs) of load to brake on turn 10

5/4/2021

Preview of the brakes and their use in Catalunya, including replacement of components for F1 cars and street-legal cars

According to Brembo engineers, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya falls into the category of medium difficulty circuits for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it was rated a 3, identical to the Monaco track and the Red Bull Ring.

Unlike past years, the Catalunya track did not host any winter tests. The track’s grip level is always extremely high, even though there is often strong wind, and the 1,047 meter long straight (1,145 yards) allows for efficient thermal discharge between one braking section and the next.

Ultra quick Brembo pit stop

Brembo’s job in F.1 does not end with the supply 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 operational life of a Brembo Formula 1 caliper does not exceed 10,000 km (6,214 miles), but at the end of each GP race and after a test session, the caliper returns to the factory. Specialized workers disassemble it and replace the parts that are subject to wear such as, for example, the rubber parts, with new components - all within a few days. On average, each team uses 10-10-15 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 (9,320-12,427 miles) or earlier in the event of vibration, signs of overheating or if radial cracks should appear on the discs. For street-legal cars, replacement of the calipers and other hydraulic components of the braking system (lines, brake cylinders, brake master cylinders) does not depend on wear due to friction, but from 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?

An average of 92 meters (302 feet) per braking section

The drivers use their brakes on only half of the Catalan track’s 16 turns, so the braking system is called into action for a total of 14 and three quarter seconds per lap (19 percent of the overall race time). Of the 3 previous GP races in the season, none other has registered such a high percentage.

The maximum deceleration per lap average (4 Gs) is also extremely high, but the value would be even higher without the braking sections on turns 12, 13 and 14. The average braking distance, on the other hand, comes in at 92 meters (302 feet), but for a couple of the braking sections, less than 70 meters (230 feet) are needed. Also noteworthy are the 52 and a half tons of total load on the pedal that a driver applies from start to finish.

Over 200 kg (441 lbs) of load on the pedal at turn 10

Of the 8 braking sections at the Spanish GP, 2 are classified as highly demanding on the brakes, 3 are of medium difficulty and the remaining 3 are light.

The most difficult is at turn 10, where the drivers come in at 328 km/h (203.8 mph) and apply the brakes for 3.04 seconds, during which the vehicles travel the 136 meters (446 feet) that are essential to bring the speed down to 79 km/h (49 mph). The load on the brake pedal is 201 kg (443.1 lbs) and deceleration is 5.4 Gs.