At Monaco 12 braking moments per lap for F1

5/24/2023

It’s eighty years old but doesn’t show its age. This year the Monaco GP celebrates its 80th GP even if the first one was held back in 1929.

It’s eighty years old but doesn’t show its age. This year the Monaco GP celebrates its 80th GP even if the first one was held back in 1929. According to Brembo technicians, the Monaco Circuit is classified as a track with a mediumlevel of difficulty for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it is rated 3 on the difficulty index, exactly the same as the tracks where the last two races were held.

The circuit, that winds its way through the streets of the Principality, stands out for its high aerodynamic load and the high percentage of braking time. What is more, various sections of the track have been reasphalted over the last few weeks including the Louis 11 Tunnel with a total 15,000 square meters of asphalt being used. This could increase the temperatures of the calipers and the brake fluid since there is a greater transfer of braking force onto the ground.

F1 versus Formula E: non-identical twins 

Three weeks ago Formula E raced on this track: during the qualifying round, the best drivers managed to complete the laps in under 1 minute 29 seconds, a good speed but 19 seconds slower than Formula 1. After all, the power, weight and tires are different as well as the brake system even if both categories use carbon fiber discs.

The Brembo discs for Formula 1 have a 328 mm (12.9 in.) diameter at the front and 280 mm (11.02 in.) at the rear, compared with Formula E discs with a diameter of 258 mm (10.1 in.) at the front and 228 mm (8.9 in.) at the rear which are made of steel and provided only for safety reasons. The differences in thickness are even greater: 32 mm (1.26 in.) for Formula 1, with 18 mm (0.71 in.) at the front and 4 mm (0.15 in.) at the back for the electric category. The difference in ventilation is also striking: over 1000 holes per disc for Formula 1, whereas for Formula E the discs are solid and not ventilated.

100 as a barrier for stopping distances and load

The Monaco Circuit is the shortest track in the World Championship, stretching over 3,337 meters (2.07 miles), and yet on each lap the drivers use their brakes 12 times, the same number of times as Baku, which is over 6 km (3.7 miles) long, for a total 18 seconds. The lack of long straight sections in the Principality means that the drivers cannot go over 300 km/h (186 mph) and consequently, the stopping distances are all less than 100 meters (109 yards).

The loads on the brake pedal, on the other hand, are very different because in some places the drivers exert a force of roughly 60 kilograms (132 lb), in others approximately 100 (220 lb), and in others still, they exceed 140 kilograms (308.6 lb). From the start to the checkered flag, the overall load on the brake pedal is 97 tons (107 metric tons) per driver, a considerable force which is only exceeded by the Singapore GP.

Mind the tunnel 

Of the 12 braking sections on the Monaco Circuit, 2 are classified as highly demanding on the brakes, 4 are of medium difficulty, and the remaining 6 are light.

The hardest section for the brake system is the one as you come out of the tunnel, turn 10: the single-seaters come onto it at 283 km/h (176 mph) and drop their speed to 85 km/h (52.8 mph) in just 96 meters (105 yards).

To do this, the drivers brake for 2.18 seconds, applying a load of 142 kg (313 lb) on the brake pedal and undergoing a deceleration of 4.7G.

And what about the video games?

In order not to get the braking wrong on turn 10, do not move sharply over onto the right after the tunnel because you may hit the guard rail.

Start braking when you reach the plants on the wall on the right.

Once the speed has dropped to below 120 km/h (74.5 mph), you can steer into the turn without oversteering so that you do not lose too much speed on the chicane. The double turn should be tackled in second gear.