The 2020 Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix according to Brembo

11/10/2020

A guide to the Brembo braking systems in Formula 1 single-seaters, and their use at Intercity Istanbul Park

According to Brembo technicians, Intercity Istanbul Park falls into the category of circuits that present an average challenge for the brakes. On a difficulty index scale of 1 to 5, it earned a 3 - the same as the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari that was the race venue two weeks ago.

These two tracks share the same counterclockwise direction and have both been absent from the World Championship calendar for a long time: F1 is coming back to Turkey after 9 years in fact, but on the 7 previous occasions the competition was always held between May and August so this year the temperature will be lower. The Istanbul circuit is particularly undulated, which obviously means a risk of overrunning when coming into a downhill bend, or braking too hard on the uphill ones.

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

Brake use during the Formula 1 Turkish GP

According to the simulations, F1 drivers should use their brakes for 14.53 seconds per lap, corresponding to 17% of the overall race time. Ten years ago, that figure was 13%. Not because they used to brake less, but because the lap times were longer and that increased the braking effect.

Intercity Istanbul Park is characterized by its 5 braking stretches of more than 4.2 G, where the single-seaters slow down after copiously exceeding 300 km/h (186 mph). There are also 3 stretches, however, where the speed drop is less than 40 km/h (25 mph). From the starting line to the checkered flag, each driver exerts a total load of 54 metric tons on the brake pedal.

The most demanding braking section of the Istanbul Round 

Of the 9 braking sections at the Turkish GP, 4 are classified as very demanding on the brakes, 1 is of medium difficulty, and the remaining 4 are light.

The most challenging for the braking system is on bend 12, as the cars come into it after accelerating since bend 9: the single-seaters start braking at 345 km/h (214 mph) and then slow down to 97 km/h (60 mph) in just 138 meters (150 yd). To do this, the drivers brake for 2.86 seconds, applying a load of 140 kg (302 lb) on the brake pedal and undergoing a deceleration of 4.9 G.