The 2020 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix according to Brembo

12/7/2020

A guide to the Brembo braking systems in Formula 1 single-seaters, and their use on the Yas Marina Circuit

The 2020 Formula 1 season reaches the finale, which takes place in the United Arab Emirates as in 2014. According to Brembo technicians, the Yas Marina Circuit is one of the most demanding for the brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it earned a 5 on the difficulty index, the only one in this abnormal year.

The first half of the track – up to turn 12 – is very fast, with two straights where the DRS is used, while on the next section the sharp turns get more and more intense, with top speeds clearly lower. This prevents thermal discharge on the second part of the track, especially for the part of the race that takes part in sunlight.

The evolution of Brembo Formula 1 disc cooling 

In the last decade, the evolution of Brembo braking systems for Formula 1 has been astonishing. The number of ventilation holes in the discs almost increased fivefold, reaching as much as 1,500 units per disc in the Very High Cooling versions for the front thanks to a 7-row arrangement: on High Cooling it's 6 rows, on Medium Cooling 5.

The increase in the disc's carbon surface exposed to ventilation guarantees greater heat dispersion, reducing the operating temperature which, in an F1 braking system, can reach more than a thousand degrees (1832 °F).

Brake use during the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi GP

Even though there are 21 corners, the drivers only use their brakes 11 times each lap. Only the track in Budapest featured so much braking this year, but the Hungaroring measures just 4,381 meters (4,791 yards) compared to the 5,554 (6,074 yards) of the Yas Marina Circuit. The brake use time is also similar: 18.6 seconds a lap in the Emirates, 17.8 in Hungary.

The average deceleration per lap on the Yas Marina Circuit is 3.8 G, but if you consider only the first 5 braking sections, the first 11 turns on the track, the average is more than 4.7 G, and the rest of the turns never get close to this figure, reaching 4–4.1 G. From start to checkered flag, each driver exerts a total load of more than 54 tons on the brake pedal.

The most demanding braking section of the Yas Marina Round 

Of the 11 braking sections at the Abu Dhabi GP, 4 are classified as very demanding on the brakes, 1 is of medium difficulty, and the remaining 6 are light.

Preceded by the almost 1.2 km long straight (0.75 mi), the most challenging braking section is turn 8: the single-seaters arrive at it going 344 km/h (214 mph) and then brake for 2.52 seconds to slow to 84 km/h (52 mph). They manage to do this in 125 meters (137 yds) by applying a load of 186 kg (410 lb) on the brake pedal and undergoing a deceleration of 5.6 G.