In just a few months, the 2026 Formula 1 cars will take their first steps on track, with a private testing session in Barcelona. This will mark the beginning of a new technical era, profoundly different from the current one, featuring radical changes both in aerodynamics and, above all, in the configuration of the power units.
The latter will be required to generate half of the system’s total power through the electric motor, marking a significant evolution. However, the new regulations still raise questions: many aspects are still being defined and depend on variables that are not yet fully clarified, creating a chain reaction that affects other areas of the cars.
This massive regulatory change has made the past few months extremely intense for Brembo, which is working with each team to develop components tailored to the characteristics of their cars.
The new generation of vehicles represents fertile ground for innovation: on one hand, it introduces unprecedented challenges for braking systems; on the other, it offers designers new opportunities to rethink car architecture.
2026 Regulations: the most significant impact on brakes since 2014
Today, Formula 1 car brakes have become incredibly powerful and reliable, thanks to a continuous path of improvement in which Brembo has been a tireless protagonist throughout its 50 years in motorsport. However, the regulatory changes coming in the 2026 season are set to significantly influence the teams’ choices. Key factors that will impact brake design include increased energy regeneration from the MGU-K, narrower tires, and active aerodynamics.
The way each team collaborates with Brembo Group’s engineers—who will once again supply all 11 teams on the grid next year with Brembo or AP Racing braking solutions (the British company specializing in racing car brakes and clutches, part of the Brembo Group)—to develop a system that balances the demands of these and other aspects will help determine which car will be the fastest from the start, and who will be left chasing.
The 2026 regulations arguably represent the most significant change in F1 braking technology since the start of the hybrid era in 2014. The introduction of hybrid power brought regenerative braking and brake-by-wire, making the rear braking system far more complex.
Even in 2022 there were updates, such as the switch to 18-inch wheels and larger discs, but nothing comparable to the revolution of 2014 — and to the one expected next year.
At the time, the challenge was integrating regenerative and dissipative braking. Today, Brembo is well prepared on that front, but uncertainties remain regarding the key focal points of the ongoing regulatory evolution.
If in 2014 the change was more technological, in 2026 it will be more strategic: understanding how to make the most of the new rules will take time, and not every team may find the optimal solution right away.
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What will change with the arrival of the new cars in 2026?
As for the brake discs, the main regulatory changes concern their dimensions. The front brake discs may now be larger (with the maximum diameter increased by 15 mm), while the rear discs will retain the current maximum diameter but will have a maximum thickness of 34 mm (up from 32 mm until 2025). The minimum diameter of the cooling holes in the discs will also be reduced, from 3 to 2.5 mm.
Regarding the brake calipers, the 2026 regulations provide greater design flexibility. Previously, each caliper could have up to six pistons, whereas now they may be equipped with a variable number of pistons, from two to eight, and up to four pads. The mounting system has also been revised, allowing up to three attachment points.
In addition, the rear braking system must be capable of delivering 2500 Nm of braking torque to each rear wheel without assistance from the power unit. This torque target must be achieved with a maximum caliper pressure of 150 bar, and the hydraulic pressure in the rear braking system may not exceed 1.2 times the pressure applied by the driver.
These changes address the new technical requirements linked to the evolution of the cars, particularly the increase in MGU-K power, which will rise from 120 to 350 kW; this represents nearly a threefold increase in energy regeneration, helping to slow down the rear wheels even more.
The front braking system will not change as much as the rear. The disc diameter will increase only slightly, mainly to provide more margin compared to the current situation and to keep up with the evolution of car performance, which will be significantly faster.
How much more powerful will the front brakes need to be?
“It’s hard to say,” says Almondo, Chief Operating Officer of Brembo Performance. “But perhaps a system about five percent more generous is not far from what we’ll see.”
The biggest changes will concern the rear brakes.
Greater MGU-K regeneration will reduce the workload on the rear hydraulic brakes. Their resizing will move toward much smaller discs compared to current specifications, leaving the MGU-K responsible for slowing the car.
However, reducing the rear brakes will not always be possible. In some conditions, the batteries will saturate quickly, and the braking effort required on the rear axle will remain significant.
The minimum rear disc diameter will be 260 mm, while the maximum remains 280 mm. This will provide more sizing options than today.
Overall, it is likely that in 2026 we will see more extreme choices for rear brake discs, aiming primarily to save as much weight as possible, assuming that in most cases braking on the rear axle will be generally reduced. Resizing will still need to consider scenarios where the stress is higher. Brembo expects that on certain corners of particular circuits, the rear brakes may not be used at all, while on other circuits they will be heavily stressed.
Energy recovery requirements and the strategies implemented by the teams could also influence how circuits are assessed in terms of brake demand: tracks that are highly demanding on brakes today might become less critical, and vice versa.
Rear calipers will not have similar dimensional restrictions, so they can be adapted according to the specific needs of each car.
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“Long live” the rear brakes
As introduced in the previous paragraph, Brembo expects that rear braking systems could be up to 20% smaller.
The proportion of total rear braking handled electrically will be much higher in 2026, but this does not necessarily mean that the size of the rear brakes can be significantly reduced.
There will still be scenarios where, for performance reasons, it will be necessary to find a balance between hydraulic and regenerative braking. Much will depend on the regeneration strategy, which will evolve as teams gain a better understanding of the new power units.
Another regulatory change concerns the thickness of the rear discs, which may increase by up to 6%, allowing for a higher number of cooling holes. Currently, a rear disc contains about 900 holes, while a front disc has slightly more than 1,000.
However, increased thickness also means added weight, and with the minimum car weight being reduced by 76 kg in 2026, every gram will be crucial. For this reason, teams will seek to minimize the impact on weight, also considering the possibility of using the same set of rear discs for two consecutive races.
Many uncertainties: teams develop guided by different philosophies
The brakes will operate on a car using active aerodynamics (front and rear wings that open on straights to reduce drag and close in corners to increase downforce). However, some believe this will not have a major impact on braking, and that narrower tires will have a “minimal effect” because they offset the lower aerodynamic load levels of the car.
“The 2026 rules will be completely different from the current ones in terms of braking systems,” said Mario Almondo, Chief Operating Officer of Brembo Performance, guest on the TV program The Tech Formula. “We won’t have a single piece of metal that is the same as what we have now.”
What is emerging at the moment is how teams are developing substantially different ideas and approaches, especially regarding the rear brakes, where Brembo has received specific targets from each team concerning the braking behavior and effect produced by the discs. Each team, based on the configuration of its power unit, has provided Brembo with very different parameters for sizing the braking systems.
More than ever before, some teams are taking different directions, pursuing varied philosophies and simulations. This divergence of approaches could result in either winning solutions or major miscalculations. Not surprisingly, Brembo does not rule out that some teams may need to redesign the entire braking system after the first tests or even after the first races of 2026.
Materials and budget cap
Brake materials are not expected to change radically in 2026. The discs will still be made of carbon-carbon, while the calipers will remain aluminum, with a small percentage of lithium to maintain component strength at high temperatures.
Currently, brake calipers are already very close to the maximum material stiffness allowed by the FIA. This means it is objectively difficult to push the limit further by working solely on materials. However, a competitive advantage can be found in the design approach or by getting as close as possible to the stress limit.
The introduction of the F1 budget cap in 2021 has also contributed to a stagnation in material development, at least regarding brakes. Current materials are strong, reliable, heat-resistant, and offer extremely high performance.
“I don’t see, even in the coming years, materials better than carbon-carbon and aluminum-lithium,” says Mario Almondo. “Perhaps there could be a new alloy for calipers, but the cost has to make sense. You can’t use something that costs ten times more for only a small 5% increase in stiffness. F1 has always been expensive, but not ten times more, because it’s not sustainable.”
Due to all the regulatory changes, F1 will grant teams three pre-season tests in 2026, but it will still be difficult to get the final designs right from the start.