Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website Brembo unveils the use of its braking systems at the 2018 Formula 1 Canada Grand Prix
june 08, 2018 - Brembo Racing

Brembo unveils the use of its braking systems at the 2018 Formula 1 Canada Grand Prix

Montreal: THE MOST CHALLENGING TEST BENCH FOR THE #brembo BRAKING SYSTEMS ON SINGLE-SEATERS EXPLAINED BRAKING POINT BY BRAKING POINT

From June 8 to 10, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve will host the 7th race of the 2018 World #formula1 Championship. Named for the legendary Ferrari driver, this circuit celebrate in the 2017 the 50th anniversary of its first #formula1 Canadian GP. The first ten editions were held however at Mosport Park (8) and Mont-Tremblant (2).

The track is located on the Isle of Notre Dame, an artificial island built in 1965 on the Saint Lawrence River as the Montreal underground was being constructed.

Characterized by alternating straightaways, chicanes and hairpin turns, this track is without a doubt the toughest test bench for the braking systems on the single-seaters, which usually show up here with a low aerodynamic load.

The braking points, all hard and very close together, cause soaring operating temperatures of the discs and pads, which don't have enough time to cool down on the straight stretches. 

Grip increases as rubber is laid on the track, and, as we expect the single-seaters to experience in 2018, this will lead the braking torque to be higher compared to the 2017 season.

To deal with the changes adopted this season, #brembo has increased the thickness of the carbon discs from 28 mm to 32 mm, and has added holes to cool them, taking the total from 1,200 to 1,400.

Another problem for the braking systems is the tailwind on the two main straightaways: when it pushes from behind, the straight line speed is increased, putting the brakes to an even more rigorous test.

According to #brembo technicians, who classified the 20 tracks in the World Championship, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve falls into the category of highly demanding circuits for the brakes.

The demand on the brakes during the GP

As demonstrated by the Monaco GP, the number of braking points is not indicative of how hard the brakes have to work. At Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, the drivers turn to their brakes only seven times per lap, compared to nine times in Melbourne, ten in Sochi and twelve in Monaco.

In #canada, the brakes are used for 11.8 seconds every lap, which is equivalent to 17% of the overall duration of the race. The time spent braking may not be exceptional, but six points on the track are because their peak deceleration reaches at least 4.6 G and the load applied to the pedal surpasses 141kg.

These figures contribute to the average peak deceleration hitting 4.4 G. The energy dissipated in braking by each race car during the entire GP is 124.5 kWh, the same amount as the hourly energy consumption of 42 families in Quebec.

From the starting line to the checkered flag, the #brembo technicians forecast that each driver will exert a total force on the pedal of approximately 66 tons, which is the same as the total weight of 118 Canadian moose.

The most demanding braking sections

Of the seven braking sections on Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, a good five are considered very demanding on the brakes, one is of medium difficulty and one is light.

The most critical is the brake at turn 8, the single-seaters arrive going 297 km/h and brake for 1.66 seconds to reduce their speed to 138 km/h. They manage to do this in 97 meters yards, which is about 118 ft longer than the length of an ice hockey rink. The drivers are required to apply a remarkable amount of force: 149 kg are applied to the brake pedal and the deceleration measures 4.9 G.

Braking on the last turn is also very difficult, the chicane that precedes the famous "Wall of Champions" where control going into the turn is essential to avoid launching the car over the kerb, because the speeds drop from 313 km/h to 153 km/h in just 98 meters and 1.59 seconds.
The load on the pedal measures 154 kg and the deceleration reaches 4.8 G, a figure that surpasses what the first astronauts will experience when they land on Mars.

In terms of braking distance, turn 10 is beyond comparison. Drivers often use this corner for overtaking: the single-seaters have 126 meters to go from 285 a 70 km/h in just 2.44 seconds.

Brembo performance

Single-seaters with #brembo brakes have won 20 of the 40 Canadian GP races they have participated in, including the last five. The first driver to win three GP races in a row with #brembo calipers was Michael Schumacher with Ferrari, from 2002 to 2004.

This is a result that Lewis Hamilton have repeated, having been victorious at the last three editions. Ferrari on the other hand hasn't won in Montreal since 2004.

Related news

march 27, 2024
march 25, 2024
march 22, 2024

Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez went head-to-head in an Aussie surf lifesaver challenge, but it wa...

KICK Sauber F1 Team didn’t just go Down Under – it also went fully sideways, as Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu joined KICK for a ...

Work to do overnight after first day of running in Melbourne• The team experimented throughout Friday’s track action to continue i...

You might be interested in

march 20, 2024
march 19, 2024
march 12, 2024

Daniel Ricciardo #3"Alright, Australia race week! I’m home, feels great, it’s warm, it’s sunny, can’t wait, let’s get the season g...

KICK Sauber F1 Team heads to Australia for the third round of the Formula One World Championship. Against the backdrop of Albert P...

AMNA AL QUBAISIVisa Cash App RB Academy Programme, Operated By MP MotorsportRace 1 – Finish Position: 13, Start Position: 15Race 2...