The 2019 Formula 1 Singapore GP according to Brembo

9/17/2019

An in-depth look at the braking systems on the Formula 1 single-seaters at Marina Bay Street Circuit

Finishing the European tour with the Monza race, Formula 1 moves to Asia for the 15th competition in the 2019 World Championship, being held September 20 to 22 on the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore.

Stage for the first night-time GP held in Formula 1 in September 2008 and the 800th GP overall, the track is carved out of Marina Bay streets that are usually open to busy traffic.

The track was designed by architect Hermann Tilke and was changed first in 2009 then in 2013 when the chicane at turn 10 was eliminated.

A third and final revision took place in 2015 when corrections were made to turns 11, 12 and 13.

Compared to the other street circuits, this one stands out for its length (5,063 meters that is 3.136 miles against 3,337 meters that is 2,074 miles in Monaco) and speeds (the average speed per lap is 190 km/h, that is 118 mph, 19 km/h that is 11.8 mph more than Monaco), besides the inconsistencies on the tarmac due to manhole covers and painted lines that can cause a loss of grip.

The quick pace and lack of space to cool down (the longest straight measures just 832 meters, 0.52 miles), make this one of the most difficult circuits on the braking systems.

Wear of the friction material is only one of the channels that has to be constantly monitored via telemetry.

According to Brembo technicians, who classified the 21 tracks in the World Championship, the Marina Bay Street Circuit falls into the category of tracks that are extremely demanding on the brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it earned a 5 on the difficulty index.

The demand on the brakes during the GP

The 23 corners on the track require drivers to use their brakes 15 times per lap, which is the record for the championship.
Of all the other 20 tracks, only Monaco, Baku, Budapest and Abu Dhabi get close with 11 braking sections per lap. And the rest of the circuits have even fewer.
Another record is the time spent braking: almost 24 seconds per lap. The brakes are used for 25% of the overall duration of the race.
Just think, two weeks ago the Formula 1 cars raced in Monza using their brakes only six times per lap, which equals 13% of the overall race.

The energy dissipated in braking is high too: 275 kWh.
The extreme windy nature of the track keeps the average peak deceleration per lap at 3.4 G
From the starting line to the checkered flag, each driver exerts a total load of almost 70 tons on the brake pedal. In other words, the force is more than 630 kg (1,389 lbs) for every minute of the race.
This physical exertion is significant especially when considering the high levels of humidity that distinguish this race, along with the elevated air temperatures.

The most demanding braking sections

Of the 15 braking sections at Marina Bay Street Circuit, three are classified by Brembo technicians as very demanding on the brakes, four are of medium difficulty and the remaining eight are light.

The most challenging over all is Memorial Curve (turn 7, the name comes from the nearby park that commemorates the victims of World War II): the single-seaters go from 335 km/h (208 mph) to 128 km/h (80 mph) in 2.06 seconds, traveling barely 118 meters (387 feet). At this point, the drivers are subjected to a deceleration of 5.4 G and they apply a 144 kg (317 lbs) load on the brake pedal.

A great force is also put on the drivers (5.2 G) and on the braking systems at Sheares Curve (turn 1, named in memory of Benjamin Sheares, former President of Singapore). The cars drop from 326 km/h (203 mph) to 154 km/h (96 mph) in 105 meters (344 feet) and 2.08 seconds thanks to a load of 114 kg (251 lbs) on the brake pedal.

Slightly less demanding is braking at turn 14 because the single-seaters arrive going less than 300 km/h (186 mph): they go from 299 km/h (186 mph) to 93 km/h (58 mph) in 107 meters (351 feet) with 4.9 G in deceleration and 139 kg (306 lbs) applied to the pedal.

Brembo performance

Single-seaters with at least one Brembo brake component have won the last 9 GP races in Singapore. In seven of these races, the driver who won had also earned pole position.

Four of the victories went to Sebastian Vettel: Three in a row with Red Bull and in 2015 with Ferrari.