Formula 1 2024 Season

Braking news from Brembo on the upcoming USGP:

After nearly a month off, the Formula 1 World Championship resumes in the USA, which already hosted the Miami GP in early May. This weekend, the race will take place in Austin, Texas, at the Circuit of the Americas. It will be the 12th edition of the USA GP at this track, which for the third consecutive year has gathered at least 400,000 spectators, reaching 432,000 attendees last year. 

The GP Data 

According to Brembo technicians, the 5.513 km-long Circuit of the Americas is considered a moderately demanding track for brakes. On a scale from 1 to 5, it has earned a difficulty rating of 3, despite having 4 braking points classified as "Hard" balanced by an equal number of "Light" braking points. Over a lap, Formula 1 drivers use the brakes 10 times for just over 16.7 seconds per lap, which is equivalent to 18% of the entire race.

•          Brembo Identity Card, in PDF:  Brembo - F1 2024

•          Video Hardest Braking Point, in .mp4: https://we.tl/t-GILSWrpvOL

•          Link YT Hardest Braking Point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFCHUowF3ns

•          Link web news: https://www.brembo.com/en/company/news/2024-formula1-austin-gp-brembo-brakes

Ventilated Brake Pads 

 Brembo's long-standing experience in Formula 1, which began in 1975 with a small supply of cast iron brake discs for Ferrari, has allowed them to develop several solutions for the calipers that aid in the thermal dissipation of the entire braking system. Among these were brake pads with ventilation holes, which were difficult to manufacture due to their small size and the carbon-based materials used.

Thanks to these holes, airflow was increased, which delayed the overheating of both the pads and the caliper. However, since 2022, the FIA technical regulations have banned these holes in brake pads to limit component costs. Brembo has adapted to this ban by promoting cooling through special treatments on the back of the pad, which reduce weight and increase the heat exchange surface.

The Toughest Turn 

The hardest corner for the braking system at the Circuit of the Americas is Turn 12: cars approach it at 309 km/h and slow down to 86 km/h in 2.7 seconds, covering 123 meters. The force required of the drivers is 4.3 g, and the pressure they apply on the brake pedal is 133 kg. The braking power reaches 2,212 kW.

The Inferno of Dallas 

 Forty years ago, Texas hosted the only edition of the Dallas GP: the track was designed around the Cotton Bowl, an iconic stadium mainly used for college football. It featured several blind corners, and part of the track lacked asphalt. Braking on concrete is not the same, and some drivers complained, but eventually agreed to race. The extreme heat was a major factor, to the point where Nigel Mansell, after getting out to push his Lotus that had stopped just meters from the finish line, fainted from exhaustion. 

Move along, nothing to see here... https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-admits-front-bib-device-exists-but-plan-agreed-with-fia/10663585/

Move along, nothing to see here... https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-bull-admits-front-bib-device-exists-but-plan-agreed-with-fia/10663585/

In reply to 06HHR (Forum Supporter) :

Shocker RBR is possibly not operating above board. 😐

Sounds like kind of a non-issue unless I'm missing something....From The Athletic: 

"Red Bull has now also faced technical scrutiny from its rivals, who raised concerns ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix that it could have been able to use the front bib to alter the ride height of the car after the start of qualifying, when cars are under parc fermé conditions and the setup cannot be adjusted. The concerns over the device led to the FIA informing teams ahead of this week in Austin that there would be some extra checks to ensure the front bib could not be easily adjusted, such as adding a seal to ensure compliance. The FIA said via a spokesman that although it had “not received any indication of any team employing such a system,” it remained vigilant in its policing of the sport, prompting the addition of extra procedures. A senior Red Bull team representative confirmed to The Athletic that the device exists but said it was “inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run.” They added that “in the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward.” It is not uncommon for teams to hold regular technical discussions with the FIA over designs on their cars in the event of rivals raising questions. McLaren made a tweak to its low downforce rear wing design after Baku following similar talks. Verstappen and teammate Sergio Pérez denied that the plan over the bib would have any impact on Red Bull’s on-track performance. Pérez said it would have “zero” effect on the team. Verstappen explained that it was “just an easy tool” to help adjust the ride height when the parts were off the car. “But once the whole car is built together, you can’t touch it,” he added. “So for us, it doesn’t change (anything).” “There’s nothing we were doing with it,” Pérez added. He said he “knew it existed, but it was not available to us.” Verstappen did not even realize the clampdown was related to Red Bull. “When I read it, I was like thinking about other teams doing it, and then I found out it was related to our team,” Verstappen said. “We never even mentioned it or anything. It was just an easier tool to adjust (the ride height).”"

I'm still much more curious about what happened to the pace of the RedBull and if any of the G-force based brake bias adjustment stuff was true (as in if they had to remove a system like that that killed their pace).