5 curiosities about Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix

3/18/2024

 It's the third race of the Formula 1 season, the only one Down Under.

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After a week-long break, Formula 1 restarts from Oceania with the Australian Grand Prix, now in its 38th edition, but only the third consecutive one due to the lack of races in the 2020-2021 biennium due to the country's lockdown. The first 11 GPs were held in Adelaide, in the state of South Australia, while the subsequent ones took place in Melbourne, about 700 km further south, in the state of Victoria.

 

The GP data


According to Brembo technicians, the Melbourne GP Circuit, with its length of 5,278 meters, falls into the category of circuits that are moderately demanding on brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it has earned a difficulty index of 3 because only 3 braking points fall into the Hard category, and brakes are used for an average of only 8 seconds per lap, which is equivalent to 11 percent of the total race duration.

 

The Greenance Kit


In the Global Liveability Ranking 2023 by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Melbourne ranked 3rd among the cities with the best quality of life worldwide, behind Vienna and Copenhagen. Melbourne held the top position from 2011 to 2017 and was in second place in 2018 and 2019, consistently remaining in the Top 10 globally. 


For a city to have high livability, it's important for air quality to be good. To effectively contribute to the reduction of PM10 and PM2.5, Brembo has developed the Greenance Kit, consisting of discs and pads designed to ensure reduced environmental impact: compared to traditional aftermarket discs and pads, PM10 and PM2.5 emissions are reduced by at least 80%.


 

The toughest turn


The toughest turn on the Melbourne GP Circuit for braking is Turn 11, where a deceleration from 299 km/h to 120 km/h occurs in 1.79 seconds, during which the car covers 95 meters. Drivers experience a braking force of 173 kg on the brake pedal and undergo a deceleration of 4.8 g, with a braking power of 2,500 kW.




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The last non-win


March 17, 2013, is a historic date for Brembo because Kimi Raikkonen won the Australian Grand Prix driving the Lotus powered by Renault with a 12-second lead over Fernando Alonso's Ferrari. That remains the last Formula 1 victory for a car without Brembo braking components. Since 2014, Brembo brakes have won all 224 GPs contested from that day onwards.



 

Lauda's rival


With nearly 59 million followers on Instagram, Chris Hemsworth is the undisputed king of social media among Australians. Fans remember him for his portrayal of James Hunt in the film Rush directed by Ron Howard. The movie depicts the rivalry between Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 season, Brembo's second season in Formula 1. That year, Brembo had only 146 employees and only supplied discs to the Ferrari team; the production of F1 calipers would come later.