Brembo Formula 1 Brake Facts for the Circuit of the Americas Grand Prix

October 20, 2022 by Brembo

Brembo engineers offer a guide to braking for this weekend's Formula 1 Aramco Grand Prix to run at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, Oct. 21-23.

​​The second event of the season for Formula 1 in the USA after the one in May in Miami. The last championship with two GPs in the USA was in 1984, but on that occasion the two races were held one after the other at Detroit and Dallas on two city tracks built specially for the occasion.

The Circuit of the Americas in Austin is different – according to Brembo technicians, it is classified as a track with a medium level of difficulty for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it is rated three, the same as the Miami International Autodrome.

Formula 1 calipers designed by Brembo ​

The Brembo group makes aluminum alloy brake calipers for all the 2022 World Championship teams. Brembo introduced monobloc calipers into racing in the second half of the 1980s on the Ferrari F187/88C driven by Michele Alboreto and Gerhard Berger.

The Brembo 4-piston radial mount calipers which consist of two mechanically coupled cast aluminum semi-calipers, on the other hand, date back to 1982. Initially, these were only used by Ferrari and then extended to the other teams. However, in modern times, the brake systems are developed independently and separately for each team to preserve industrial secrets and design strategies that characterize the various teams.

The Pista (track) caliper by name and by nature​​

Inspired by four decades of experience in racing and the increasing popularity of track days when the owners of high performance vehicles take to the racing tracks, Brembo has unveiled a range of uniquely designed forged calipers. With the Pista/FF range of calipers, Brembo offers a high performing and easy to install solution which guarantees the best braking response.

It comes in two versions, a 6-piston caliper (FF6) and a 4-piston caliper (FF4). Both have internal ducts that the brake fluid passes through which have been carefully studied to guarantee maximum bleedability of the system.

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They also have a rapid release system for replacing the pads so that they can be changed without removing the caliper. ​

Two more braking moments than MotoGP​​​​

The Formula 1 drivers use their brakes no fewer than 12 times on the Circuit of the Americas for just over 17.5 seconds per lap. MotoGP, on the other hand, due to the lower speed reached on the corners, uses the brakes 10 times per lap for a total 37 seconds.

From the starting line to the checkered flag, each driver exerts a total load of 64.5 metric tons on the brake pedal. The 141 kg (310.9 lbs.) exerted on Turn 11 and the 136 kg (299.8 lbs.) on turn 12 are impressive, and required to reduce speed on both occasions by over 200 km/h (124 mph) using the brakes for 2.3 and 3 seconds. ​

141 kg (310.9 lbs.) for a braking point​​​ ​​

Of the 12 braking sections at the USA GP, four are classified as highly demanding on the brakes, 3 are of medium difficulty and the remaining five are light.

The most demanding hard braking for the single-seaters is on the first corner where they go from over 313 km/h (194 mph) to 101 km/h (63 mph) in just 2.31 seconds and cover a distance of 114 meters (125 yards). The drivers are subjected to 4.7 kg of deceleration and apply a load of 141 kg (310.9 lbs.) on the pedal.

And what about the video games?​

Braking uphill may seem to be easier than braking downhill but the risk is braking too early. To tackle the first corner at Austin in the right way, you need to look towards the left-hand side of the track: you'll see a big screen at right angles to the track. When you reach it, slam on the brakes and downshift at least 4 gears. After a couple of seconds, grip the steering wheel and almost blindly turn to the left. It's best to avoid the inner curb so that you don't upset the single-seater and can open up the throttle without any problems. ​