What F1 Brake Science Can Teach Your SUV: Cutting Stopping Distances on UK Roads.

It’s no secret that many of the technologies that were used to build racing cars are now used to make production cars. Let’s just imagine: Max Verstappen at Silverstone reduces his speed from 320 km/h to 100 km/h in just 115 metres. If you think about it, that’s pretty impressive. Now let’s think about your family car. On a daily basis, if its brake pads are worn out, it can brake almost the same distance, but at half the speed! Doesn’t that sound interesting? And now let’s think about what would happen if the tricks and chips from the Formula 1 pit lane could help an ordinary driver save tens of metres of braking distance, potentially preventing an accident?



F1 brake technology. How does it work?



I think it’s no secret that Formula 1 cars are good at braking. After all, such things are a guarantee of safety, and therefore must demonstrate high efficiency in extreme conditions. The question remains: how is such high braking performance achieved? In fact, three key elements make this possible.



– Use of overmoulded ventilated discs. Specialised wheels with many holes and internal channels are always fitted to the cars. This ensures maximum cooling and dissipation of a large amount of heat generated during braking and when the car is picking up speed. The principle of operation is actually quite simple: the colder the disc, the more effective the braking, as there is no loss of efficiency associated with overheating.



– Use of high-friction pads. Formula 1 cars use pads made of either carbon or ceramic. This is done because these materials are able to withstand extremely high temperatures (we are talking about more than 600 degrees). This ensures stable adhesion of the pads to the discs, which provides stable braking.



– Use of telemetry and wear sensors. If you ever have a look inside a Formula 1 car, you will see that it is equipped with sophisticated telemetry systems and a bunch of different sensors. Thanks to all of this, engineers can monitor the condition of the brakes in real time, including temperature and wear, allowing them to spot signs of a sudden and dangerous decline in brake performance before the driver feels it.



Now, let’s analyse what is already available in mass-produced cars today in terms of the technologies we discussed above. For example, grooves in the brake discs that provide better cooling, copper-free ceramic pads, and wear indicators in the OBD system that warn the driver when pads need to be replaced have been adopted from racing cars. All of these technologies, which have been tested in racing, make driving your car safer today.



British reality and SUV requirements.



In order to start discussing this topic, we need to turn to statistics. According to the DVSA MOT Outcomes 2023, 13% of passenger cars failed the test because of the braking system. What does this mean? Only that brake problems are second only to lighting problems, which leads to the failure of MOTs by drivers in the UK. And, of course, you need to remember that the love of crossovers and heavy SUVs leads to increased braking risks, as these cars, quite simply, have more weight. As a result, they have more kinetic energy to dissipate during braking. As such, we may see more brake overheating in such vehicles, especially on roads with many obstacles.







It follows that SUVs require Formula 1-level maintenance. For example, a Range Rover Evoque weighing 1.8 tonnes clearly demonstrates this problem. If the rear brake pads are half worn out, the stopping distance from 60 mph (approximately 96 km/h) to 0 can increase by two car lengths. This is a critical difference in an emergency. With this in mind, Range Rover Evoque brake pads are often replaced with ceramic ones, which can fix this problem completely. However, such elements in the braking system require careful attention to their technical condition and regular maintenance. 



Five good habits to adopt from Formula 1 for British roads.







How can you quickly check the condition of your brake pads without a jack?



First, let’s look at how often brake pads and discs need to be replaced, as this is the primary reason for checking their condition. AUTODOC experts point out:



“Most mechanics recommend replacing brake pads between 25,000 and 65,000 miles. Brake discs (also called rotors) usually last longer than brake pads and may only need to be replaced every 30,000 to 70,000 miles. If you replace your car brake pads and discs together, you’ll get the best braking performance and save money in the long run. The labour cost to replace both at the same time is often slightly lower than doing them separately.”



Now let’s see how to do a quick check. Turn the car’s wheels so that you can access the brake caliper. Then look closely at the caliper’s “window” (a special hole that allows you to see the pad). If the thickness of the friction layer is less than 3 mm, this is a clear sign that it is time to contact a service center to replace the pads. You should also pay attention to the uniformity of wear between the inner and outer pads.



Useful information:



Information about Range Rover Evoque brake pads – Buycarparts



Beyond the brake test – are you taking action?
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