F1 cars can travel over 200 miles per hour and yet they come to a stop faster than a road car traveling at much lower speeds. You can’t help but wonder how they manage this incredible feat.
So, what brakes do F1 cars use? F1 cars use a hydraulic braking system very similar to that found in road cars with some pointed differences including the quality of parts used, and the fact that the front brakes and back brakes have separate hydraulic circuits.
The differences in these brake systems are what allows these super fast cars to slow down and stop so quickly and in relative safety. Continue reading to find out more about the brake system used in F1 cars.
Formula 1 Braking Systems
Except for the fact that they both have four wheels, Formula 1 racing cars look nothing like the cars we drive on the road every day. F1 cars have open wheels, a cockpit, and a rear engine for starters.
And yet, despite the many differences between F1 cars and road cars, the braking systems are fairly similar.
Both road cars and F1 cars use friction between a brake disc and brake pads to slow down the car, and both use a hydraulic system to transfer the force the driver applies to the brake pedal to the brakes themselves.
The differences are what allow the brake system we use in road cars to stop a car traveling at much higher speeds than we would ever dream of.
Superior Brake Discs
The brake discs used in F1 cars are specially designed to provide superior braking and withstand extremely high temperatures.
Below is a chart that compares the stats of a brake disc used by an F1 car and a brake disc used in your everyday road car.
| Formula 1 Discs | Cast Iron Discs | |
| Material | Carbon carbon | Cast iron |
| Weight | 1.2 kg | 14 kg |
| Life | 800 km | 80,000 km |
| Temperature (range of use) | 350-1000 degrees Celcius | -50-500 degrees Celcius |
| Thickness | 28 mm | 40 mm |
| Ventilation Holes | Over 1,400 | Usually none |
| Cost | $1000-$2000 per disc | About $50 |
(Source)
The F1 brake is lighter, thinner, and better ventilated than your standard brake disc. It also can withstand extreme temperatures and is made of carbon carbon. On the downside, it does not last as long as a standard brake disc and is considerably more expensive.
Superior Brake Pads
The brake pads used by F1 racers may not last as long as the brake pads on a sedan, but they are lighter and provide greater friction than your standard brake pad.
They can also withstand temperatures up 1,000 degrees Celsius. The ability to handle high temperatures is exceedingly important for F1 race cars, as the heat created in the brakes can reach a point where the actually set on fire.
Superior Brake Calipers
Like the brake pads, the brake calipers do not last as long as those in a road car, but they are lighter than a standard brake caliper, and they are able to withstand immense heat.
High-Quality Brake Fluid
Most road cars use DOT 4 brake fluid which has a dry boiling point of 230 degrees Celsius and a wet boiling point of 155 degrees Celcius, and it costs about $4 (source).
Endless RF-650, a brake fluid used in F1 cars, has a dry boiling point of 323 degrees Celsius and a wet boiling point of 218 degrees Celsius, and it costs about $40 (source).
The entire brake system of F1 cars gets incredibly hot during a race. The last thing a driver wants is for his brake fluid to boil. This is not a problem that a road car run into very often in most circumstances.
Two Brake Systems
In order to race, F1 cars must meet precise regulations enforced by FIA, and the braking system is no exception.
Each car must have a twin-circuit hydraulic braking system, and it must have a reservoir dedicated to the front tires and another dedicated to the rear tires.
The twin-circuit system allows the driver to adjust the brake bias using an electronic control in the cockpit which leads to more control in the braking.
The twin-circuit system also provides more safety than a single circuit system. If one set of brakes fail completely, the other should still be able to slow the car to a safe stop.
Beyond the fact that there are two circuits to this brake system, it works very much like the brake system in road cars. It also is not so different from how a motorcycle brake system works.
Brake by Wire
The term “brake by wire” brings up images of a brake cable system, but that is not at all what this kind of system is about. Brake by wire uses electrical systems and sensors to control the brakes.
According to regulations, the front brakes cannot be controlled by an electronic control unit (ECU), but the rear brakes are a different story.
The rear brakes are controlled by an ECU that takes information from sensors all over the car including the driver’s pedal and the driver’s brake bias control. The ECU uses this information to determine how much pressure to apply to the brake calipers.
This system may sound like some crazy future technology, but it is still based around a hydraulic system like road cars, and a similar brake by wire systems can be found in many hybrid cars on the road today.
Anti-Lock Brakes
Anti-lock brakes used to be permitted in F1 racing, but they were banned in 1994 with another of other braking features. Brake pressure can only be controlled by the driver’s input.
Energy Recovery System
The brake system in Formula 1 race cars has something that many road cars do not: an energy recovery system.
The energy recovery system uses heat energy from the brakes and turns it into electrical power This power is stored in a battery which it stores until the racer needs the extra boost. A similar system can be found in eco-friendly, hybrid vehicles.
How long does it take an F1 car to stop?
Formula 1 race cars can go from 0 to 62 miles per hour in under 2 seconds, but how fast can they stop?
If an F1 car is traveling at 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour), it can come to a complete stop in 4 seconds.
An F1 car traveling at 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour) can come to a complete stop in 2.9 seconds over 65 meters or 213 feet.
If it is only traveling 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour), a speed any driver can relate to, it will stop in 1.4 seconds over 17 meters or 46 feet. (Source)
For the purpose of comparison, your typical car traveling at 96.6 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour) takes 4.5 seconds over 83 meters or 271 feet to come to a complete stop. (Source)
This means that an F1 car can stop in a similar time over a similar distance from triple the speed of a road car.
In addition, it only takes 1.4 seconds to come to a complete stop from 62 miles per hour, while it takes 2 full seconds to reach the same speed. This means F1 cars can come to a complete stop even faster than they can accelerate.
I don’t know about you, but my mind is blown by the stopping powers of these cars as much as by their speed.