Brembo Brake Facts for Formula 1 at the Circuit De Barcelona-Catalunya

May 7, 2021 by Brembo

Brembo engineers offer a guide to braking for this weekend's Formula 1 Aramco Gran Premio De Espana to run at the Circuit De Barcelona-Catalunya, May 7-9.

According to Brembo engineers, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya falls into the category of medium difficulty circuits for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it was rated a three, identical to the Monaco track and the Red Bull Ring.

Unlike past years, the Catalunya track did not host any winter tests. The track's grip level is always extremely high, even though there is often strong wind, and the 1,047 meter long straight (1,145 yards) allows for efficient thermal discharge between one braking section and the next.

Ultra quick Brembo pit stop

Brembo's job in F1 does not end with the supply of the various components. During the GP weekends, Brembo engineers provide the teams with assistance, usually on the track, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they often work from the Remote Garage, located in Curno. The engineers follow the sessions live and analyze the data.

The operational life of a Brembo Formula 1 caliper does not exceed 10,000 km (6,214 miles), but at the end of each GP race and after a test session, the caliper returns to the factory. Specialized workers disassemble it and replace the parts that are subject to wear such as the rubber parts, with new components - all within a few days. On average, each team uses 10-15 sets of calipers, 150-200 discs and up to 600 pads.

An average of 92 meters (302 feet) per braking section

The drivers use their brakes on only half of the Catalan track's 16 turns, so the braking system is called into action for a total of 14 and three quarter seconds per lap (19 percent of the overall race time). Of the three previous GP races in the season, none other has registered such a high percentage.

---

Trending News

• PVGP Welcomes The Historic Stock Car Racing Association To 2024 Historics At Pitt Race
• Bonhams|Cars Presents An Unmissable Grid For Its Inaugural Miami Auction At The Formula 1 Crypto.Com Miami Grand Prix
• Carlisle Auctions Concludes First Auction of 2024 – Sells More than 50% of Consignments
• RM Sotheby's Announces Further Incredible Competiton And Rally Greats Coming To Monaco On 10 And 11 May
• BONHAMS|CARS SPRING STAFFORD MOTORCYCLE SALE ACHIEVES £3 MILLION WITH AN INDUSTRY-LEADING 95% SELL THROUGH RATE

---

The maximum deceleration per lap average (4 Gs) is also extremely high, but the value would be even higher without the braking sections on turns 12, 13 and 14. The average braking distance, on the other hand, comes in at 92 meters (302 feet), but for a couple of the braking sections, less than 70 meters (230 feet) are needed. Also noteworthy are the 52 and a half tons of total load on the pedal that a driver applies from start to finish.

Over 200 kg (441 lbs.) of load on the pedal at Turn 10

Of the eight braking sections at the Spanish GP, two are classified as highly demanding on the brakes, three are of medium difficulty and the remaining three are light.

The most difficult is at Turn 10, where the drivers come in at 328 km/h (203.8 mph) and apply the brakes for 3.04 seconds, during which the vehicles travel the 136 meters (446 feet) that are essential to bring the speed down to 79 km/h (49 mph). The load on the brake pedal is 201 kg (443.1 lbs.) and deceleration is 5.4 Gs.

The circuit identity card with all the information on all the braking sections, in .pdf format:

http://www.mediakit.brembo.com/index.php/circuits/f1-2021#english

The video of the hardest braking point of the GP, in mp4 format (low and high resolution):

https://we.tl/t-6MIlOievoJ.

The video can also be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c8PgYUcie4

The comment of the Formula 1 Barcelona according to Brembo, in web format:

https://www.brembo.com/en/company/news/2021-formula1-spain-gp-brembo-brakes