Third seasonal round for Formula 1 before the over-a-month-long break, due to the cancellation of the two GPs scheduled for April. In China, Kimi Antonelli became the 5th Italian driver to win in F1 with Brembo brakes.
The focus is now on the 40th edition of the Japanese GP: 4 were held at Fuji and the remaining 35, including the last 15, at Suzuka. Additionally, there were 2 editions of the Pacific GP held at the Aida circuit, in Okayama Prefecture, in 1994 and 1995.
GP Data
According to the engineers of the Brembo group, who work closely with all Formula 1 teams, the Suzuka Circuit, 5.807 km long, falls into the category of circuits that are not very demanding on brakes. On a scale from 1 to 5, it has been assigned a difficulty index of 1, as Formula 1 drivers use the brakes for just over 9 seconds per lap, equivalent to about 10 percent of the total usage during the race, one of the lowest values in the championship. Of the 4 braking points, only one is classified as Hard, 2 are Medium, and the remaining one is Light.
The toughest corner
From the simulations carried out, the toughest corner of the Suzuka Circuit for the braking system is Turn 16, as Formula 1 drivers have to decelerate from 283 km/h to 104 km/h. The entire operation takes 2.81 seconds with a brake pedal load of 99 kg. Meanwhile, the cars cover 135 meters, and drivers experience 3.7 g of deceleration. The braking power is 1,413 kW.
The reduction of BBW
The minimum weight of F1 single-seaters, including the driver, has dropped this year to 768 kg. The reduction compared to 2025, when it was 800 kg, is 32 kg, equal to 4 percent. For this reason, Brembo has also committed to reducing the weight of some braking components: the Brake by Wire, which the Brembo group supplies to most teams, has gone from 800 grams a year ago to the current 650 grams, saving 18.75 percent. Its implementation remains hydraulic, while the power supply is electric with a maximum of 12 Volts and 1 Ampere.
The end of abstinence
The 2000 Japanese GP was a historic milestone for the Ferrari universe: it was the penultimate round of the season, and Michael Schumacher arrived with an 8-point lead over Mika Hakkinen. The German secured pole position by just 9 thousandths and won the race with a 1.8-second margin over his rival, crowning himself champion. Ferrari hadn't won the Drivers' title since 1979, while Schumacher had already been champion in 1994 and 1995 with Benetton, which used Brembo radial monobloc calipers—the same, albeit more advanced, ones he would later find at Maranello.