The new engines also revolutionize the brakes: great diversity is expected between the teams

The advent of the new power units is responsible for a series of cascading changes that affect all areas of the single-seater. The braking system is among these, where Brembo finds great diversity between the teams, whose choices are directly linked to the concept of the engine. Furthermore, the regulation opens up new opportunities for calipers and discs, which however the teams are unlikely to seize due to the exasperated search for the minimum weight. The theme of temperatures One of the big news for 2026 is the increase in the power of the electric motor from 120 to 350 kW, valid not only for the thrust in acceleration, but also for its contribution in braking. This is a change that has various consequences for the other braking system, the hydraulic one that operates the disc brakes, with the two coordinating through the brake-by-wire system. The greater contribution of the hybrid during braking, in fact, implies less work for the hydraulic system, reducing the heat dissipated by the calipers and discs and with it their temperatures. However, much depends on energy management strategies, depending on how much you want to recharge the battery when braking or when driving straight. Depending on these, in fact, the electric brake would take on more or less work, with the calipers and discs being subjected to little or a lot of stress. The challenge is to develop a hydraulic system that can slow down the car on its own in an emergency, but at the same time be equipped with carbon and friction materials that already work at low temperatures, for scenarios in which the electric motor would carry out most of the braking work on the rear. “Carbon needs a certain temperature to work best,” Andrea Algeri, F1 customer manager for Brembo Racing, explained to FormulaPassion in the summer. “For this reason, modifications will be needed so that it can be used like any road brake, which after 50 kilometers on the motorway is ready as soon as you activate it. This will be a bit of a hot topic.” The brake comes from the engine. The design of the braking system is therefore closely connected to the concept chosen for the power unit, in particular the way in which it is designed to work and recharge energy. “Especially at the rear, the teams are making choices directly linked to energy recovery strategies, which are quite different,” Algeri always observed. “At the front, braking is more classic and everyone tries to size the system based on torque and temperatures, while at the rear it depends a lot on the type of power unit that will be built. We have quite disparate solutions.” The great diversity found by Brembo in the choices on the braking system testifies to how the teams and engine engineers have worked on different concepts for the power units. Everyone prioritized certain aspects of performance, making it very difficult to predict who was on the right path. However, one aspect common to all is the different classification of the circuits in terms of severity for the braking system. In the past, the most demanding tracks included Monza, Bahrain, Singapore and Montreal, full of violent braking, but with the new regulations a lot also depends on how much it is necessary to manage the energy on each track and how the individual teams intend to do so. New opportunities When designing new braking systems, teams and suppliers enjoy greater margins of maneuver than in the past. The new regulation in fact increases the maximum diameter for the front discs from 330 to 345 mm, while the limit of 280 mm remains unchanged at the rear. On the other hand, on both axes the thickness allowed for the discs goes from 32 to 34 mm, which is accompanied by a reduction from 3 to 2.5 mm in the minimum diameter of the ventilation holes. These then potentially increase in number, offering a greater cooling surface area. Another great innovation is the opening of the calipers to up to 8 pistons, compared to the 6 previously allowed. This is an important change, since a greater fractionation of the hydraulic system improves the distribution of braking forces against the pad and the disc, improving the performance of the friction material. Finally, it is also worth mentioning the possibility of providing up to 3 attachment points to the hub holder for each caliper, unlike the 2 contemplated by the old regulation, an opportunity to increase rigidity and prompt response. However, in this field it is unlikely that the teams will push themselves to the limits of the regulations, given the widespread difficulty in reaching the minimum weight, as revealed by Andrea Algeri: “In 2026 the search for the minimum weight will be frantic. Everyone is trying to have a system with sufficient performance from the point of view of torque and cooling, but at the same time as light as possible. With the diameter of the discs it will not go beyond 330-335 mm in diameter, although it can reach 345 mm from regulation. We see truly extreme solutions from the point of view of weight saving.” In 2026, therefore, the game will be played a lot on the engine and aerodynamics, but the braking system is no different.