Brake discs with up to 1,480 ventilation holes, lighter calipers and lower braking torque for new season
DETROIT, (March 12, 2019) – Brembo reconfirms its commitment to the Formula 1 World Championship that will start with the Australian Grand Prix, March 14-17.
Brembo designed braking systems personalized for each team thanks to the knowledge and experience accumulated over 43 Formula 1 seasons, during which the single-seaters with Brembo brakes won 25 Drivers World Championships and 28 Manufacturers World Championships with.
Three options of carbon discs for 2019
The introduction of a new wing on all the single-seaters, simpler and with lower load at
The increase of energy, even if contained, results in an increase in temperatures. To overcome this issue, Brembo has optimized the brake discs cooling with almost 1,500 ventilation holes in the most advanced version.
The majority of the cars will use front discs that are 32 mm thick and rear discs that are 28 mm. Depending on the temperatures expected during a Grand Prix and the specific race strategy, each driver can choose between three different options of Brembo discs, considering the front system the options available are medium cooling with 800 holes, high cooling with 1,250 holes and very high cooling with 1,480 holes.
Furthermore, in order to optimize the carbon performance, Brembo engineers are working to provide all teams with an option of a smaller diameter disc for the rear to use at the tracks that are less demanding for brakes, such as Le Castellet or Silverstone.
More extreme research of lightness
Brembo continues to work on the braking system with a specific focus on the maximum miniaturization of the elements composing the Brake-by-Wire (BBW) system and the further lightening of
At the same time the Bergamo-based company has tried to increase the system promptness of response and thus the reactivity of BBW units. The integration level with the cars is always greater and in 2019 there will be four teams to use Brembo BBW.
Customization, telemetry
Each team, according to their specific needs, together with Brembo technicians, defines the optimal ratio between weight and stiffness that the brake calipers must have. The sophisticated design methods available for Brembo engineers will make it possible to design for each team with a brake caliper model that will optimize the desired weight to stiffness ratio. In this situation, some teams will prefer lighter but also less stiff calipers, while others will opt for more conservative solutions characterized by greater stiffness, but also greater weight. This delicate balance allows Brembo to develop the braking system autonomously.
Using the sensors, the teams know at every moment the operating temperature of the discs and calipers. In this way they, are able to calculate instantly discs and pads wear. Evaluating the data, technicians are able to give the driver any indications to adjust the brake balance of the car to maximize braking performance and handling as well as when anomalies are found.
On average each team orders from 10 to 15 sets of Brembo calipers per year. This number allows for the proper amount of spares over the season. Some teams proceed initially to a reduced order, foreseeing further development during the season and then a subsequent order of even more optimized Brembo calipers.
On circuits with a lot of braking, the temperature of the calipers reaches 392°F (200°C). The useful life of a Formula 1 caliper is recommended not to exceed 6,200 miles (10,000 km), during which periodic servicing is scheduled and carried out directly by Brembo inside of its production departments. In regard to friction material, during the season Brembo supplies each team from 150 to 300 discs and up to 600 brake pads sets.
