British Grand Prix – Brembo Analysis: Brakes Will Not Be a Concern at Silverstone, No Need for Lift and Coast
A total of 58 editions of the British Grand Prix have been held at Silverstone, along with the special 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. In addition to that, the British GP has taken place five times at the Aintree Circuit and twelve times at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit.
This year, however, marks the 80th Formula 1 Grand Prix held on British soil, as the tally also includes two European Grands Prix at Brands Hatch and one more at Donington Park.
Race Data and Technical Insights
According to the braking system specialists at Brembo Group—which includes AP Racing and works in close technical collaboration with all ten Formula 1 teams—the 5.891-kilometre Silverstone Circuit falls into the category of tracks that place only minimal stress on braking systems.
On Brembo’s difficulty scale from 1 to 5, Silverstone scores just a 1, the lowest possible level, even though each lap includes 8 braking zones totalling approximately 11 seconds of braking time.
This low difficulty rating is due to how the braking events are spread out across the lap. The track features three braking points that are classified as “Hard,” but they are well-distributed, allowing the braking systems to cool effectively between each heavy deceleration. One corner is classified as “Medium” in terms of braking intensity, and the remaining four are considered “Light.”
No Thermal Issues Like Austria
Unlike what was observed at the Red Bull Ring in Austria—where Charles Leclerc, in particular, had to manage brake temperatures by repeatedly using lift and coast strategies to avoid overheating—Silverstone provides a much less demanding environment for the braking systems.
Thanks to its eight braking zones per lap and a balanced distribution of braking points throughout the 5.891-kilometre layout, the brakes have sufficient time to cool down between each heavy application. This thermal balance means that drivers will be able to push harder during the race without having to compromise their pace due to overheating issues, which effectively eliminates the need for conservative approaches like those used by Scuderia Ferrari in Spielberg.
The Hardest Braking Point on the Track
The most demanding braking zone at Silverstone is Turn 3. In this corner, Formula 1 cars decelerate from a top speed of 295 km/h down to 130 km/h in just 2.33 seconds, covering a distance of 115 metres in the process.
During this intense deceleration phase, drivers experience a maximum braking force of 4.5 g and apply a massive 152 kilograms of pressure on the brake pedal. The braking power required at this point reaches an impressive 2,260 kilowatts.
This data underscores just how efficient and robust modern F1 braking systems are—and why, at a circuit like Silverstone, brake management is not expected to be a limiting factor.
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