The 2020 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix according to Brembo

9/22/2020

A guide to the Brembo braking systems in Formula 1 single-seaters and their use at the Sochi Autodrom.

According to Brembo technicians, the Sochi Autodrom is one of the most demanding circuits for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it earned a 4 on the difficulty index, the same score as Monza and Spa-Francorchamps.

Part of the Olympic Park built for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, turn 3 is a 180° bend which is 650 meters (711 yds) long, making it the longest curve in the World Championship. Extending for 1.7 km (1.08 miles) over roads which are normally open to the public, it tends to rubber in with each session: the increase in grip is transformed into increased dissipated braking force.

The Brembo brake pads for Formula 1

The friction material used for Brembo Formula 1 pads is CER. This material guarantees optimum warm-up times (in other words, it reaches the most efficient operating temperature as quickly as possible), a wide range of use both in terms of pressure and temperature, and a very linear friction response.

The friction coefficient between disc and pads is 0.7-0.9 compared to 0.4 reached by a sports car with pads in organic material. A pad weighs about 200 grams (7 ounces), a quarter of the weight of a pad for road use. It lasts 800 km (500 miles), with repeatable performance from start to end.

Brake use during the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix

The drivers use their brakes on 10 of the 18 bends on the Russian track, so the braking system is called into action for a total of 15 and one quarter seconds per lap (17% of the overall race time). Even if the Sochi circuit is 600 meters (656 yds) longer than the Mugello track, the braking system is used for 2 seconds less on each lap than the circuit in Tuscany.

The average peak deceleration per lap is very high (4.2 G), only exceeded by the 4.3 G of the Belgian GP. On half of the braking sections in Sochi, deceleration exceeds 4 G and in a couple of cases, always on right turns combined with a drop in speed of over 200 km/h (124 mph), this increases to over 5.5 G. No other world championship track has two decelerations of at least 5.5 G.

The most demanding braking section of the Sochi Round

Of the 10 braking sections at the Russian GP, 2 are classified as very demanding on the brakes, 5 are of medium difficulty and the other 3 are light.

The most formidable is on bend 2, where the drivers come in at 336 km/h (208.8 mph) and apply their brakes for 1.85 seconds, during which the vehicles travel the 109 meters (119.2 yds) that are needed to reduce the speed to 131 km/h (81.4 mph). The load on the brake pedal is 144 kg (317.5 lbs) and the deceleration is 6.1 G.