The debate about modern Formula 1 is a perennial topic in paddocks and on social media: are the heroic and "messy" battles of thirty years ago better, or does the surgical precision of today take the crown? While opinions on the quality of the spectacle remain subjective, the data provides an undeniable certainty: contemporary F1 is an unprecedented global phenomenon in terms of following and popularity.
The analysis of technological evolution reveals a radical paradigm shift. While the world championship was once an elimination race, today it is a test of millimetric consistency. Two distinctive traits define the modern era: a dramatic drop in the retirement rate and the ease with which elite drivers manage to string together consecutive world titles. In this transformation, a silent yet decisive role is played by the evolution of braking systems, with Brembo taking center stage as a key player capable of turning brakes from a critical variable into an absolute certainty.
The Brembo group, in fact, develops customized solutions for each team and has been supplying all teams for several years with calipers from the group and most of the single-seaters with hydraulic material (pumps and by-wire units) and friction components (carbon discs and pads).
From "A Roll of the Dice" to the Certainty of the Finish Line
In 1950, at the birth of the World Championship, a mechanical failure was an almost expected travel companion. Reliability was the true "invisible hand" that could cripple even the greatest talent. It is no coincidence that, before the 2000s, only the immense Juan Manuel Fangio managed the feat of winning three titles in a row (1954-1957). After him, there was little to no continuity: even legends like Stewart, Lauda, or Piquet struggled to maintain their dominance year after year, often betrayed by their own machines.
The numbers of the pioneers are impressive today for their excess:
• Jack Brabham: (Jack Brabham, world champion in 1959 and 1960 with Cooper) 57 retirements out of 123 GPs (46.34% of the races).
• Jackie Stewart: (Jackie Stewart, champion in 1969, 1971, and 1973, but runner-up in 1968 and 1972) 37 retirements out of 99 starts (37.37%).
• Niki Lauda: (champion in 1975 and 1977 with Ferrari equipped with Brembo cast iron discs) lost the 1976 title by one point, influenced by the Nürburgring fire.
The Revolution of Computer Technology and Materials
Music changed in the 80s with the advent of computer technology applied to design, but also with the introduction of Brembo's innovative brake calipers. With Alain Prost, the retirement rate already dropped to 29%. But it was with Michael Schumacher (The German was a 7-time world champion, the first 2 with Benetton, the next 5 with Ferrari, but always with Brembo brakes) that we entered the era of perfection: In 307 GPs, he retired 68 times, 22.15 percent. In 2002, the German stood on the podium in all 17 GPs of the season.
His successors raised the bar to near infallibility.
Sebastian Vettel: The German, a four-time Formula 1 champion from 2010 to 2013 with Red Bull equipped with Brembo calipers, did even better: 44 retirements in 299 GPs, equivalent to 14.72 percent. In 2018, despite the 21 GPs of the season, he missed the finish line only once, due to a driving error in his home race.
With Lewis Hamilton, a 7-time champion with Mercedes from 2014 to 2020, the figures are even more striking: from 2007 to 2025, the Englishman competed in 380 GPs, retiring only 34 times, equal to 8.95 percent. He even completed 48 consecutive GPs, from the 2018 British GP to the 2020 Bahrain GP.
In 2025, we reached the paradox of perfection: in as many as four Grands Prix (Japan, Belgium, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi), all 20 cars that started crossed the finish line. Reliability akin to road cars in a context of extreme performance.
The Braking Factor: The Foundation of "Winning Streaks"
Why is it so "easy" to win consecutive titles today? The answer lies in the reduction of external variables. By minimizing breakdowns, the strongest teams capitalize on their technical superiority without the fear of random failures.
In this context, Brembo has led a structural revolution. If in the past brakes, besides not being immune to failures, offered less consistent performance throughout the race, forcing the driver to manage their effort, modern systems ensure consistent effectiveness for the entire race duration. Brembo innovations such as the monobloc caliper and sophisticated disc ventilation systems have allowed drivers to push to the limit from the first to the last meter.
Each team, based on the specific requirements of the car, collaborates with Brembo's engineers to define the optimal balance between weight and stiffness of the new brake calipers. Brembo's advanced design, digitalization, testing, and simulation methodologies enable the creation of a customized brake caliper model, achieving the desired balance. A delicate equilibrium that leads Brembo to develop tailor-made solutions for the braking system of each single-seater. Thanks to the sensors located in the wheel corners, team engineers can constantly monitor the temperature of discs and calipers and, based on the collected data, can support the driver in optimally managing the temperatures and braking balance of the single-seater.
The numbers of dominance: From 2000 to today, Schumacher (5 consecutive titles), Vettel (4), Hamilton (4), and Verstappen (4) have rewritten history. Before 2000, only Fangio had achieved this feat.
Today, those who win their first title statistically have enormous chances of immediately repeating the success: in the third millennium, only four drivers (Raikkonen, Hamilton in his first title, Button, and Rosberg) failed to secure back-to-back championships the following year. Formula 1 is no longer just a speed challenge but a demonstration of technological prowess where errors, whether mechanical or human, have become the exception that proves the rule.