Urgent updates after Hamilton’s Singapore brake issue
Ferrari is fast-tracking efforts to strengthen its systems to prevent a repeat of the brake failure that affected Lewis Hamilton at the Singapore Grand Prix. The Italian team is focusing on ensuring its cars remain reliable ahead of the “critical” Mexico City GP, where high-altitude conditions place extreme demands on cooling systems and brake performance.
During the Singapore Sprint, Hamilton was positioned seventh, holding a gap of more than a pit-stop to the car ahead. Ferrari made the strategic choice to pit him for a second set of soft tyres, aiming to close in on and overtake Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes as both teams continued their tight battle with Red Bull for second place in the Constructors’ Championship. Unfortunately, as Lewis Hamilton approached the Italian driver, his front-left brake failed, ending his immediate challenge.
Meanwhile, teammate Charles Leclerc spent much of the race in “LiCo” mode – lifting and coasting – to protect the brakes and prevent similar failures. After Lewis Hamilton’s brake issue, Fernando Alonso quickly closed the gap, reducing nearly all of Lewis Hamilton’s advantage over the final three laps. Although the Briton crossed the line first, he received a five-second penalty for cutting a corner, demoting him to eighth place.
Ongoing brake management challenges
The SF-25 has required careful lift-and-coast management throughout the season to avoid brake overheating. However, the upcoming Mexico City GP presents a heightened challenge. At 2,240 meters above sea level, the thinner air results in significantly lower density, reducing cooling efficiency for both brakes and engines. Teams are often forced to implement extreme measures to maintain critical components within safe operating temperatures.
Ferrari has confirmed that Maranello is now accelerating its internal processes to ensure that its systems can predict and prevent brake failures like the one experienced by Lewis Hamilton. Matteo Togninalli, Ferrari’s head of track engineering, explained that Singapore demanded maximum performance from the brakes and required a delicate balance between risk and pace. He acknowledged that the team had pushed Lewis Hamilton’s car aggressively, ultimately miscalculating brake endurance in the final laps.
Engineering improvements underway
Matteo Togninalli emphasized that Ferrari is reviewing its data collection, analytical methods, and predictive tools to better forecast brake life under race conditions. The team is learning from critical cases, recognizing that mistakes in high-pressure scenarios offer the most valuable insights. The goal is to improve the ability to predict brake performance and overall race completion without compromise.
He noted that the Mexico City GP will be particularly challenging due to the reduced air density, requiring faster and more precise predictive capabilities. Ferrari is prioritizing the acceleration of this development process to ensure reliability when cars are pushed to the limits of tyres, fuel, and brakes. Matteo Togninalli described this approach as a reasonable and necessary strategy, stressing that understanding brake performance under extreme conditions is crucial for avoiding similar setbacks.
Looking ahead to Mexico
Ferrari’s focus on engineering refinement and predictive accuracy is aimed at safeguarding race results in high-demand environments. By learning from the brake failures at Singapore, the team hopes to maintain peak performance while avoiding critical errors in Mexico City. The accelerated process will combine telemetry, predictive modeling, and real-time race data to ensure Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc can compete at maximum pace without risking component failures, particularly in conditions where cooling efficiency is drastically reduced.
Ultimately, Ferrari’s proactive approach demonstrates the team’s commitment to reliability and performance under pressure, highlighting the importance of precision engineering and strategic foresight as the season enters its most challenging races.
Leave a Reply