The 'Brakes' Of Wrath

With so much talk in the 2011 season being focused on the tyre supplier Pirelli and their compounds as well as all the new technology for the drivers to use, many fans and media alike are forgetting about, or not paying full heed to what is really going on underneath.

Yes we have the 107% Grid Rule which is set to disqualify teams and drivers. There is also the reintroduction of KERS and the  Drag Reduction System and not to forget the  54-46 weight distribution all brought together in the 2011 Formula One season.  What many people are forgetting about is the brakes...

We love to watch the cars and drivers through the speed trap but remembering back to Valencia last year with the Lotus have a larger braking distance than the Red Bull, the teams have had to completely rethink about it in the current season. With the minimum car weight being upped by 20kg to 640kg and the loss of the Double Diffuser and the downforce that comes with it by many teams, the brakes are going to be put through a rigorous test this season. It will not just the back markers have to readjust their breaking distance anymore.

Watching a video found of infrared viewer on the cars at the Montreal Grand Prix in 2010 with the brakes glowing red hot and knowing that a safety car at the Canadian Grand Prix can spell disaster for a lot of the teams, it is a concern. With the Malaysia Grand Prix just days away and teams dressing the drivers in new overalls, the brakes under the immense pressure and heat may need some work too.

Most of the thrill of Formula One is the unexpected.  With title's being won in the last few laps of the final race or the first time a 'rookie' driver steps onto the podium with the world speechless, we love it.  We just don't like it when our thrill is upset by a tragedy. Being of a less technologically advanced mind than that of an engineer or designer like Newey, I am sure that these concerns have been well though out and planned for.