Bigger brakes for 2017 F1, greater brake torque and deceleration over 6g

3/20/2017

With the new 2017 regulations, Brembo has increased the number of ventilation holes and the thickness of the discs. A 25% increase in brake torque is expected

The important regulatory developments planned for the 2017 Formula One World Championship resulted in a new technological challenge for Brembo. As the world leader in the production of braking systems, the company is preparing for its 42nd season in the premier motorsport series with a substantial change of brake systems supplied to the top teams participating in the Championship.

4 MM IN ADDED THICKNESS

With wider tires for 2017, F1 cars will be able to develop greater braking torques. Brembo engineers have focused on the redesign of the individual elements composing the systems, starting from the brake calipers, which have to adapt to the increased thickness of the discs, from 28mm to current 32mm, to maximization of the Brake-by-Wire (BBW) components.

The increased size of the carbon discs has allowed the technical team to strengthen the design of the discs pressure point, increasing the overall braking capability

Schumacher vs Vettel: many similarities between them, from their approach to braking to the braking system setting

Deutschland über alles. In the last quarter of a century, Germany is the nation that has won the most Formula 1 Grand Prix. From 1990 to today, the German drivers have won a total of 156 races, while Great Britain garnered 116 victories and Brazil 56.

200 MORE VENTILATION HOLES

Furthermore, the greater thickness allows more space for ventilation holes, causing further evolution of the braking cooling system.

The teams supplied by the Italian Company can then count, even this year, on a personalized cooling design, with an average increase of about 200 ventilation holes for each disc, compared to over 1,200 in 2016 leading to an improvement of heat dissipation, remembering that the temperature of the discs in F1 can exceed 1,000 ° C during braking.

25% INCREASE IN BRAKE TORQUE

Thanks to the exchange of information with partner teams, simulations related to the behavior of the new cars and the dynamic bench tests, the engineers have been able to estimate an increase of braking torque of around 25%, which will bring the braking to over 6Gs in deceleration.

The cars will be able to transmit greater braking force on the ground in a shorter time, with a possible decrease in the average lap time spent braking.

1 UNIQUE SOLUTION FOR EACH TEAM

As no one yet knows the level of grip of the new generation of Pirelli tyre, Brembo technicians continue to work closely with the teams in order to give the drivers optimum friction performance, effective braking modulation and contained wear.

Formula 1 requires an extensive customization of braking systems resulting in the different design solutions of F1 cars. Each team supplied by Brembo requires a brake system that is increasingly "tailor-made", closely integrated with the design of the car and subject to continual development throughout the season.

For this reason the brake calipers have been totally redesigned for each supplied team, to integrate with the aerodynamic solutions developed by each team, trying to keep optimal lightness and stiffness, despite the increased size of the disc.

F1 W08 EQ Power+ for the 2017 season is equipped with totally redesigned and customized Brembo brake calipers

The differences and similarities in brakes on an LMP1 car and a Formula 1 car. Brembo compares the braking systems supplied to the teams of the two competitions.

For years, Formula 1 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans have been the two most important competitions in the world for 4-wheel prototypes. The massive investments made by Manufacturers in recent years have led to these single-seaters being equipped with engines that register up to one thousand horsepower.

3 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH BRAKE-BY-WIRE

Brembo continues the development work of the individual components of the Brake-by-Wire system. The engineers further broadened their skills in order to produce a variety of different BBW components in response to the requisites of each individual team and further working on the assembly of the parts within the system and the miniaturising of the components themselves.

As happened in 2016, the majority of the teams will chose rear discs of small diameter, in line with the energy recovery system.

For certain teams, the Company developed only some BBW components; for others Brembo conducted more extensive work concerning the entire system: from the simulator that operates the rear brake master cylinder, to the actuator controlled by the control unit which drives calipers on the rear axle, to the safety valve system that controls the switching in case of system malfunction.

Significant decrease in the brake system wear level with CER

During the winter technicians worked on carbon brake disc material (named CER) to improve performance continuity and operating range.

CER has considerably reduced wear while ensuring more effective heat conduction, reducing the warm-up time needed to reach operating temperature, and offering a broader operating range in terms of both pressure and temperature, together with very linear friction characteristics.

All of these features contribute to giving the driver precise control over the braking system. Furthermore, the incredibly low wear rate of this material ensures consistent, repeatable performance from the start of the race to the chequered flag.

You might also be intersted in:

The Brembo inscription does not guarantee that the product is official: here are all of the tips to figure out when you've got a fake on your hands.

Everybody wants them, everybody is asking for them: Brembo brakes have millions of admirers all over the world. Precisely because they are much-loved among the most competent drivers, the Brembo systems for automobiles are sometimes copied by counterfeiters who affix the Brembo brand on their products.

800 KM WITH ONE SET

In the 2017 season, all teams equipped by Brembo will use the same brake disc material, while the Company continues its research in this field to produce composite materials that continue to offer greater performance.

Track mileage recommended by Brembo for the use of brake discs, due to the extreme design now reached, is 800 km in optimal temperature conditions.

1 YEAR OF SUPPLY

In a complete season, on average Brembo supplies the following materials to each team running two race cars:

• 10 sets of calipers

• From 140 to 240 discs

• From 280 to 480 brake pads

9 MONTHS AND 14 HOURS

The manufacture of each brake caliper constructed of aluminium/lithium requires over 14 hours of consecutive machining to achieve the perfect balance between weight and stiffness.

Brembo recommends the revision of brake calipers after 2,500 km of normal use. Production and mechanical process of a brake discs require nine months.

Brembo Racing structure includes more than 100 technical specialists for the various stages of simulation, calculation, design, engineering and testing. A staff of race engineers is available for the teams for all tests and races.