Posted by Brembo engineers offer a guide to braking for this weekend’s Formula 1 Crypto.com Grand Prix of Miami to run at the Miami International Autodrome, May 5-7.
Thanks to record viewings for the US market of the 2022 race (2.6 million viewers), Formula 1 will be held in Florida for the second year running. It will take place once again at the Miami International Autodrome which is located at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
It is a 5.41 km (3.36 mile) long street circuit with three straight sections and 19 turns but with various differences in height especially between turns 13 and 16. According to Brembo technicians, the Miami International Autodrome falls into the category of circuits with a medium level of difficulty for brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it is rated 3 on the difficulty index, the same as the other US track, the Circuit of the Americas.
At Miami where Brembo has dominated for forty years
In the 1980s, Miami gained worldwide fame with the TV series Miami Vice which perfectly captured the spirit of that decade. One of the two protagonists of Miami Vice, Sonny Crockett, drove a very striking white Ferrari Testarossa with a single mirror.
Fewer than 10,000 examples of the Testarossa have been built, all with a Brembo brake system consisting of ventilated calipers and discs which were vital for controlling the 12 cylinder boxer engine with four valves per cylinder, at the time the most powerful engine installed on a series production sports car which could go as fast as 290 km/h (180 mph).
Over 5G
On the 19 corners on the Miami International Autodrome, the Formula 1 drivers use their brakes at seven points, but only on two consecutive turns, 16 and 17, which are separated by a 1.3 km (0.8 mile) long straight section. On the first half of the track, which has more sweeping turns, there is only one demanding braking section.
From turn 11 to turn 17, on the other hand, there are four braking sections with half of them lasting over 2.6 seconds with a declaration of over 5G. On one lap, the brakes are used for 13.2 seconds which amounts to 15 percent of the race. The total load on the brake pedal is also low: 42 metric tons per driver from the starting line to the checkered flag.
Watch out for turn 17
Of the seven braking sections at the Miami GP, three are classified as very demanding on the brakes and four are light.
Turn 17 is the hardest on the brake system because the single-seaters come onto it after a very long straight section.
The cars go from 311 km/h (193.3 mph) to 66 km/h (41 mph) in just 2.7 seconds while covering a distance of 113 meters (371 feet) and the drivers experience 5.3G of deceleration.
And in the video games?
To tackle Turn 17 at the Miami International Autodrome correctly, you must keep a sharp eye because the rich vegetation and walls obstruct your view of the white signs with the distance from the turn.
Brake just before you reach the 100 meter sign and slowly move the right-hand wheels onto the curb.
This makes the turn easier and you should take it on once you have moved down into second gear.
- The circuit identity card with all the information on all the braking sections, in .pdf format: https://mediakit.brembo.com/index.php/circuits/f1-2023
- The video of the hardest braking point of the GP, in mp4 format (low and high resolution): https://we.tl/t-cnMIndivN7
- The video can also be consulted at the YT link: https://youtu.be/7RcnXw9Ucbs
- The comment of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix according to Brembo, in web format: www.brembo.com/en/company/news/2023-formula-1-miami-gp-brembo-brakes
- The video that presents in detail the characteristics of the Brembo braking systems functionality on a Formula 1 single-seater, that you can download at the following link: https://mediakit.brembo.com/index.php/brembo-continues-to-be-the-braking-systems-leader-in-the-2023-formula-1-championship#videos
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