After a one-week break, Formula 1 gets back underway in Brazil for the fourth-to-last round of the season: a potentially decisive weekend in the battle for the Drivers’ Championship, as the presence of the Sprint will put a total of 33 points up for grabs.
The Autódromo José Carlos Pace will host the fifth edition of the São Paulo GP, although it had previously staged 37 Brazilian Grands Prix. In total, 51 GPs have been held in the country, 10 of which in Rio de Janeiro.
The GP data
According to the Brembo technicians who work closely with all Formula 1 teams, the 4.309-km Autódromo José Carlos Pace falls into the category of medium-demand circuits for braking. On a scale of 1 to 5, it scores a difficulty index of 3, as the brakes are used for less than 12 seconds per lap.
There are seven braking zones in total: 3 classified as High, 2 as Medium, and 2 as Light. Only one of them exceeds 100 metres in braking distance.
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The toughest corner
The most demanding corner for the braking system at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace is Turn 1: cars approach at 325 km/h and drop to 123 km/h in 2.39 seconds, covering 126 metres under braking.
Drivers experience 4.6 g of deceleration, with 139 kg of brake pedal force applied and a peak braking power output of 2,493 kW.
Number 1
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The driver with the most pole positions at the Brazilian GP is Ayrton Senna, with 6 starts from pole, twice as many as his closest followers: Mika Häkkinen, Rubens Barrichello, Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton.
His first home pole came in 1986 at Jacarepaguá, at the wheel of the Lotus, which was equipped with Brembo calipers — the same brand Ayrton insisted on having later at McLaren as well.
Senna used to say that at the end of the 900-metre straight he would brake at the 100-metre board while travelling at 310 km/h, downshifting to fourth gear. With today’s braking systems, drivers would be able to brake dozens of metres later.
Cooling fins
Since 2022, Formula 1 regulations have banned the use of holes in brake pads — a technical advantage that Brembo had been able to offer for several years.
To meet brake pad cooling requirements (with pads available in different compounds) and prevent heat transfer to the caliper, Brembo’s carbon pads are now equipped with multiple cooling fins.
Over the course of a full season, Brembo supplies each team with between 280 and 480 brake pads.