Brembo has publicly disputed Charles Leclerc’s claim that a brake failure caused his crash at the Monaco Grand Prix, calling it premature to reach any technical conclusion after a partnership with Ferrari that spans more than 50 years. The Italian manufacturer Brembo issued a rare statement after the race, saying it was surprised by the driver’s comments and that it could not identify a cause until the available data had been examined. Leclerc had been chasing a strong home result when he went off on a late restart, and he immediately pointed to his brakes rather than driver error — an unusually direct break between a driver and a long-standing technical partner.
Highlights
- Brembo has supplied Ferrari’s brakes for more than 50 years, a relationship that also covers AP Racing clutches and Öhlins dampers within the Brembo Group.
- Leclerc crashed at the final corner on a restart, moments after Lance Stroll hit the barrier at the same spot; the race was later red-flagged as the asphalt broke up.
- Leclerc said the braking problem dates back to the Canadian Grand Prix two rounds earlier.
- Brembo says it cannot determine a cause until the telemetry is reviewed with Ferrari’s engineers.
Leclerc Points to the Brakes
Leclerc was running near the front when the race resumed following a stoppage. Moments earlier, Lance Stroll had slid into the barrier at the final corner; Leclerc went off at the same point, and officials red-flagged the race as the track surface began to break up. Speaking after the race, he was emphatic about the cause.
“The brakes. It doesn’t help that the asphalt is coming apart, but the data speaks for itself,” Leclerc said. He added that he does not hide behind excuses when he is at fault: “I’ve always been very honest, and however many mistakes I make, I would hate to look in the mirror and see myself making excuses when I make a mistake. That’s why I’m always straightforward when I’m in front of the camera, but today I take no responsibility for this.”
According to the driver, the braking problem is not new and traces back to the Canadian Grand Prix two rounds earlier.
Brembo Pushes Back
Brembo responded within hours, an unusual step for a supplier whose work with Ferrari runs more than five decades. The company said it was surprised by Leclerc’s remarks and stressed that no fault had been established. It described the situation as “premature to draw definitive technical conclusions before the available data has been analysed,” adding that the telemetry would need to be examined alongside the team’s engineers to determine the origin of the incident.
The company also pointed to the breadth of its relationship with Ferrari, which extends beyond brakes to AP Racing clutches and Öhlins dampers — both brands within the Brembo Group.
A Rare Public Split
Public disagreements between a driver and a technical partner are uncommon, particularly across a relationship of this length, and Brembo’s rapid rebuttal signals irritation at being tied to a brake-failure claim before any investigation has taken place. Brembo supplies braking technology across the current Formula 1 grid, and being named as the cause of an incident before the data is in carries weight beyond a single race. For Leclerc, the crash was another setback at a circuit where Ferrari has struggled to convert pace into results. Teammate Lewis Hamilton finished on the podium, while Leclerc retired from the crash.
Whether the telemetry supports Leclerc’s account or points elsewhere remains open. For now, the dispute has placed unusual public strain on one of motorsport’s longest-running supplier partnerships, a collaboration that stretches back more than 50 years.
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