Energized by the twists and turns of the Canadian GP, Formula 1 returns to Europe for the first of seven summer rounds.
The Austrian GP has been held 37 times, starting in 1964 when the race was contested at Zeltweg. However, the second edition had to wait until 1970, and from then on it became a regular event until 1987.
It then moved to the A1 Ring, later renamed the Red Bull Ring. Unlike MotoGP, F1 cars do not tackle the chicane located just past the midpoint of the straight between Turns 1 and 3.
The GP data
According to Brembo technicians who work closely with all Formula 1 drivers, the 4.318 km Red Bull Ring is classified as a medium-demand circuit for braking systems. On a scale of 1 to 5, it earns a difficulty index of 3 because each lap features 6 braking zones, with a total pedal load of just under 650 kg.
Only the first 3 braking zones are categorized as Hard: 2 are Medium and 1 is Light. Over the course of one lap, drivers use the brakes for 8.6 seconds, equivalent to 13 percent of the race.
The toughest corner
The most demanding corner on the Red Bull Ring for the braking system is Turn 3, where cars decelerate from 306 km/h to 78 km/h in just 2.58 seconds, covering 112 meters. This phase requires significant effort from drivers: they experience a peak deceleration of 4.6 g and must apply a 142 kg force on the brake pedal. The braking power reaches 2,355 kW.
The only one by a home hero
Austrian drivers have won 41 Grands Prix, ranking 9th among nations, a list topped by the United Kingdom with 319 wins. However, only once has an Austrian driver claimed victory in his home race. Unsurprisingly, that driver was Niki Lauda, who won in 1984 thanks to an overtake on Nelson Piquet on lap 40.
Shortly after, Lauda's McLaren lost fourth gear, and he seemed on the verge of retiring. Nevertheless, by shifting from third directly to fifth, Lauda managed to finish in first place, also taking the lead in the championship standings.
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Never a letdown
In 1984, Niki Lauda secured the World Championship title by just half a point over teammate Alain Prost. It was the third title for the legendary Austrian, following his 1975 and 1977 championships with Ferrari, during which he was the first Formula 1 driver to use Brembo cast iron discs, along with teammate Clay Regazzoni.
Lauda knew how to extract the best performance from Brembo discs—braking hard when chasing positions and managing the system when leading. Over his entire F1 career, Lauda retired due to brake issues only five times—and never during his Ferrari years—testament to Brembo’s reliability even then.
Modern brake discs
Today’s Formula 1 brake discs are made from carbon, a material that ensures short stopping distances while maintaining consistent performance from lights out to the checkered flag. The discs have a diameter of 328 mm at the front and 280 mm at the rear, both with a thickness of 32 mm.
Brembo’s front discs feature between 1,000 and 1,100 ventilation holes, while rear discs have up to 900 in the most extreme cooling configuration. They offer various cooling levels and attachment systems to the bell, using an inner diameter machining technique known as spline.