As per a well-established tradition, the Formula 1 World Championship concludes with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: this marks the twelfth consecutive time it has happened, although the final round was already held in the United Arab Emirates in 2009 and 2010.
Last year, 192,000 spectators attended over the four days, a record that, according to local organizers, seems likely to be surpassed this year.
The GP data
According to Brembo Group engineers, who work closely with all Formula 1 teams, the Yas Marina Circuit, measuring 5,281 meters, falls into the category of tracks that are moderately demanding on the braking system. On a scale from 1 to 5, it earned a difficulty rating of 3, despite featuring 9 braking points per lap, 4 of which are classified as Hard and 2 as Medium. However, only in 2 corners are the brakes used for at least 2 seconds and, as a result, over the course of an entire lap they remain active for less than 13 seconds.
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The toughest corner
The most demanding corner for the braking system at Yas Marina Circuit is Turn 6: cars approach it at 321 km/h and slow down to 78 km/h in 2.67 seconds, covering 114 meters in the process. During this braking phase, drivers experience a deceleration of 4.7 g, with a brake pedal load reaching 148 kg. The braking power delivered is 2,403 kW.
Lucky 13
Last year, Ferrari placed two cars on the podium in Abu Dhabi, but couldn’t claim the top step, which went to Lando Norris with McLaren: Carlos Sainz finished 2nd and Charles Leclerc 3rd. Despite having competed in 16 Abu Dhabi Grands Prix and collecting 12 podiums, Ferrari is still chasing its first victory on this track: Leclerc has 4 podiums, Sebastian Vettel 3, Sainz and Fernando Alonso 2 each, and Kimi Räikkönen 1 — all, of course, with Brembo brakes, which here celebrates 50 seasons in Formula 1.
Find the best solution for you car
All editions of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix have finished in under one hour and 40 minutes, and in the last three, the winner completed the 306.183 km race in less than one hour and 28 minutes. The only exception was the 2012 GP, which saw two safety car deployments for a total of 10 laps: during neutralization, due to the low speeds, brakes can easily overheat because the airflow that cools them when drivers can push freely is reduced. That race was won by Kimi Räikkönen driving for Lotus.
The future of Brembo brakes
In January, the single-seaters will return to the track in Barcelona for a testing session featuring narrower tires, active aerodynamics, and increased energy recovery from the MGU-K. The front brake discs may increase in diameter by 15 mm, while the rear discs can grow in thickness up to 34 mm, but also reduce their diameter to as little as 260 mm. The minimum diameter of the cooling holes will also be reduced from 3 mm to 2.5 mm. For calipers, the range of options will be wider than in recent years: they may have between 2 and 8 pistons and up to 4 pads. Ultimately, brakes will become an even more important strategic variable.