A week after the incredible series of twists and turns offered by the Monaco GP, the Formula 1 World Championship moves to the Iberian Peninsula for the first of the two seasonal GPs in Spain, renamed for the occasion as the Barcelona-Catalunya GP.
There have been 35 GPs held on this circuit so far, whose layout has changed five times, although the track length has always remained between 4.627 meters and 4.747 meters.
GP data
According to Brembo engineers who work closely with all Formula 1 teams, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which is 4,657 meters long, falls into the category of circuits that are not very demanding on brakes. On a scale from 1 to 5, it earned a difficulty index of 2, thanks to only five braking points per lap, totaling less than 11.5 seconds: two are classified as High, two as Medium, and one as Light.
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The toughest curve
According to simulations, the most challenging curve for the braking system at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is Curve 1, located at the end of the main straight. At this point, the cars go from 304 km/h to 164 km/h in 1.95 seconds, covering a distance of 121 meters. Drivers experience a maximum deceleration of 3.6 g and apply a load of 96 kg on the brake pedal. The braking power reaches 1,393 kW.
Half a second
Compared to the 2025 Spanish GP, due to the characteristics of the 2026 single-seaters, braking distances and times have increased significantly. At turn 10, a year ago, cars lost 204 km/h compared to 175 km/h this year; despite this, the braking distance has risen from 125 to 151 meters and the braking time from 2.46 seconds to 2.96 seconds. On the contrary, maximum deceleration has decreased from 4 g to 3.3 g, and the load on the brake pedal has also dropped, from 133 kg to 88 kg.
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A new record
On the occasion of the Monaco GP 2026, Kimi Antonelli achieved yet another precocity record: at 19 years, 9 months, and 13 days, he became the youngest ever to achieve a Grand Chelem in Formula 1. The Italian driver secured pole position, led the entire race, won it, and also set the fastest lap. He broke Max Verstappen's record, who first achieved it at the Austrian GP 2021, at 23 years, 9 months, and 4 days. Both the previous and the new record holders accomplished this feat with Brembo brakes.
From two to three
Until last year, Formula 1 calipers could have a maximum of two mounting points to the wheel hub. Starting in 2026, the regulations will allow up to three anchoring points. Several teams have therefore asked Brembo to introduce an additional mounting point to increase the overall stiffness of the braking system and better control caliper deformation under load. Greater stiffness helps make the system's behavior more consistent and improves the pressure distribution on the brake pad, resulting in benefits in terms of efficiency and wear management.