At the Monaco GP, 15 seconds of braking per lap

5/24/2022

Ultra high performance Brembo calipers for the F.1 teams and for anyone who wants aggressive braking on the road

For the first time, the Monaco GP is held on three days in a row, breaking the tradition of the first free practice sessions on Thursday and a day of rest of Friday. According to Brembo technicians, the Monaco Circuit falls into the category of tracks that present an average challenge for the brakes. On a difficulty index scale of 1 to 5, it earned a 3, exactly the same as the tracks of the last four races.

The circuit, that winds its way through the streets of the Principality, stands out for its high aerodynamic load and the considerable percentage of braking time. On top of that, in March a large portion of the track was resurfaced to ensure grip in line with the other circuits. This could increase the caliper and brake fluid temperatures, since there is a greater transfer of braking force onto the ground.

Personalized calipers in F.1

To race successfully in the Monaco GP, the teams modify the settings on the single-seaters. On the other hand, the brake calipers are not changed, the shape and dimension of which are defined over the winter for the best possible match with the specific needs of the car they equip.

The sophisticated design methods available to Brembo have led to designing a brake caliper model for each team that allows for optimization of the desired weight-stiffness ratio. There are those who prefer lighter, but less stiff calipers, whereas others opt for stiffer and heavier solutions.

The most sophisticated kit for cars 

In order to meet the demands of drivers who want aggressive braking both on the road and on the track, Brembo has created the GT/R braking kits which include radial-mounted one-piece aluminum billet calipers, two-piece floating discs, and high-performance pads.

The GT/R calipers have typically racing characteristics, from their light weight to their stiffness, as well as their ability to withstand high temperatures. They are designed to provide constant braking power and a stable pedal, but also to improve the vehicle’s dynamics and performance because they contribute to reducing unsprung weight.

Discover all the advantages of the GT/R kits.

73 metric tons per driver 

The Monaco circuit is the shortest track of the world championship with its3,337 meters (2.07 miles), but it requires 9 braking operations per lap. The Mirabeau (turn 5) and the Loews (turn 6), however, are the only consecutive corners on the track where the drivers have to brake. They don’t even reach 300 km/h (186.4 mph) and the braking distances are all shorter than 105 meters (345 feet).

On one lap, the Formula 1 drivers use their brakes for just under 15 seconds, which works out to 21 percent of the entire Grand Prix race. This is an indicator of how much temperature accumulates in the system since the average speed is low, as is the cooling time between one braking operation and the next. Three of the nine braking systems don’t even reach the one-second mark, whereas another three exceed two seconds. The overall load applied by each driver on the brake pedal from start to finish exceeds 73 metric tons.

4.3 G of deceleration on the first turn 

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

The hardest for the braking system is the one that comes after finish line, the S.te Devote: the single-seaters arrive at 283 km/h (176 mph) and drop to 113 km/h (70 mph) in the space of just 85 meters (272 feet). To do this, the drivers brake for 1.66 seconds, applying a load of 134 kg (295 lb) on the brake pedal and undergoing a deceleration of 4.3 G.

And what about the video games?

With the exception of the first lap, when the group of single-seaters should keep you from setting up the right trajectory, tackling the first corner in the Formula 1 video game without any worries is essential to keep the drivers behind you from passing. You need to stay in the central part of the lane to brake with the car straight. To achieve a good lap time, you need to use the curbs, but without staying too far to the right, otherwise you’ll be penalized for cutting the corner.