The latest update to the technical regulations has sparked various discussions, particularly with the explicit prohibition of asymmetric braking force distribution between the right and left sides of the car. Mid-season regulation changes often raise suspicions that they aim to ban an ambiguous solution already exploited by one or more teams. So far, asymmetric braking has been considered a gray area in the regulations, but one specific article suggests it may have been, or could have been, against the rules all along. This realization could either prove that no team benefited from it in the first part of the season or open the door for an appeal.
The Gray Area
As specified by the technical regulations, a Formula 1 braking system consists of two hydraulic circuits, one controlling the front brakes and the other the rear brakes. The ambiguity arises from Article 11.1.2, which states: “The braking system must be designed such that in each circuit, the forces applied to the pads are equal in intensity and opposite for each brake disc.” The last four words, “for each brake disc,” allowed for an alternative interpretation of the rule. By specifying that the braking forces must be equal within a single wheel, it did not explicitly prohibit differentiating the forces between the right and left wheels.
It was thus speculated that some teams might use hydraulic valves whose opening and closing were activated by lateral accelerations. By doing so, it would be possible to apply asymmetric braking forces between the two sides, helping the car rotate in corners. This led the Federation to add a clause to the same rule: “Any system or mechanism that can systematically or unintentionally produce asymmetric braking torques on the same axle is prohibited.”
Grounds for Appeal
Given that asymmetric braking was explicitly banned at the end of July, one might think that if any team had used such a system before, they would not have violated the previous regulations. However, another rule already present in the initial regulations suggests otherwise. According to Article 11.1.4, “Any change or modulation of the braking system while the car is on track must be actuated by a physical input from the driver or by the system described in Article 11.1.6 [the brake-by-wire actuator] and cannot be pre-set.”
A continuous variation of braking forces between the inner and outer wheels in a corner would still constitute a modulation, albeit lateral rather than longitudinal. Therefore, at the start of the season, there was no room for implementing an asymmetric braking system, with the recent rule amendment likely reflecting the Federation’s caution. If this interpretation holds, the same rule could provide grounds for anyone intending to file an appeal to demonstrate a technical infringement by supposed beneficiaries of the system earlier in the year.
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