Styrian Grand Prix: seven 10-second braking sections, but what strength guys!

6/22/2021

Deceptive braking sections at the Red Bull Ring and the secrets of Brembo's B-M calipers for road cars

According to Brembo engineers, the Red Bull Ring is one of those tracks with a medium level of difficulty for brakes. On a scale of one to five, it earned a three on the difficulty index, matching the score of other tracks such as Budapest and Zandvoort.

The Austrian track is the only one in the World Championship where a lap takes less than 64 seconds, although last year, thanks to the rain, pole was won with a time of over 79 seconds, something not seen since 1998. Only three braking sections require more than one second of braking.

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.

Two 5-seconds braking sections, the other five seconds

Only at turns two, five and eight of the Austrian track do F1 drivers not need to use the brakes. On average, over an entire lap, the braking system is active for 10-and-a bit seconds. Only Imola has recorded a lower value, despite having eight braking sections compared to seven at the Red Bull Ring.

The difference between the two tracks is due to the braking sections in turns three and four, which require more than two and a half seconds, while on the Italian track, even the most demanding braking does not take more than 1.9 seconds. From the start to the checkered flag, drivers deploy the brakes in Austria for 11:56 minutes, or 16% of the race.

For drivers a load on the pedal of more than 100 kg (220 lbs) their weight 

Of the seven braking sections of the Styrian GP, three are considered highly demanding on the brakes, and the remaining four are light.

The most feared is turn three as drivers face a slowdown of just under 250km/h (155 mph), dropping from 331km/h (206 mph) to 84km/h (52 mph). To do this, they need 2:067 seconds, during which they exert a load of 176 kg (388 lbs) and undergo a deceleration of 5.3 g (0.19 oz) while the single-seaters travel 130 meters (142 yards).