The 2020 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix according to Brembo

9/1/2020

A guide to the Brembo braking systems in Formula 1 single-seaters and their use on the Monza circuit

According to Brembo technicians, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza is one of the most demanding circuits for the brakes. On a difficulty index scale of 1 to 5, it earned a 4 - the same as the Spa-Francorchamps track that was the race venue one week ago.

The low aerodynamic load used to take advantage of the really long straights means highly violent throttle-off moments on the three Variants (del Rettifilo, Roggia and Ascari), making them particularly demanding for both the driver and the braking system.

The weights of a Brembo Formula 1 system

Just as with all the other components in single-seater cars, the essential characteristics for the braking system are weight, durability and guaranteed performance. As it's unsprung weight, fuel consumption drops and the car's grip and handling improve when the weight is decreased.

Unlike the braking system in a road car, which weighs about 20 kg (44 lbs) per wheel, the Brembo Formula 1 system weighs about 5 kg (11 lbs): the carbon disc makes up a quarter of the weight (1-1.25 kg or 2.2 to 2.75 lbs), whereas the aluminum/lithium caliper is heavier, ranging from 1.5 to 2 kg (3.3 to 4.4 lbs). On the other hand, the F1 carbon pad weighs 200 grams (7 ounces).

Brake use during the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix

During the qualifying rounds, the Formula 1 single-seaters do one lap at an average of over 260 km/h (162 mph). With a track nearly 5.8 km (3.6 miles) long though, the brakes are used more than on the Spielberg circuit: 10.75 seconds per lap in Monza, compared with just over 10 seconds at the Red Bull Ring. In percentage terms, that means 14% of the Monza race requires the use of the brakes, falling to 13% at the Belgian GP.

Despite there only being seven braking moments on each lap, three of these subject the drivers to a deceleration of at least 5 g but the braking system works for more than 1.7 seconds on only a couple. From the start to the checkered flag, every driver exerts an overall load of 31.6 tonnes on the brake pedal; only the two Silverstone races have a higher figure.

The most demanding braking section of the Monza Round

Of the six braking sections at the Italian GP, three are classified as very demanding on the brakes, one is of medium difficulty, and the remaining two are light.

The hardest for the braking system is the first one after the start: the single-seaters arrive at 353 km/h (219 mph) and then slow down to 88 km/h (55 mph) in just 135 meters (443 feet). To do this, the drivers brake for 2.66 seconds, applying a load of 195 kg (430 lbs) on the brake pedal and undergoing a deceleration of 5.5 g.