Key F1 supplier highlights their priority for 2026 era of the sport

F1's brake supplier, Brembo, is working towards creating a brake powerful enough to handle the energy of the 2026 Formula 1 cars. With the new regulations, there is going to be a massive change in the power unit and the overall design of the cars, which is set to affect all the different elements within the car.

One of these crucial elements is the brakes. The brakes in a Formula 1 car sustain tremendous pressure when used. Bringing a car running at over 190 mph to a complete stop within a matter of seconds generates excessive heat, peaking at a little over 1,000°C. Owing to this, the regular testing of new materials for brakes is a challenging task.

With the F1 power units going through a massive change in 2026, Brembo Racing's Andrea Algeri explained that the engine configuration would also have an impact on the brake's development.

Speaking to Formula Passion, he explained that the brakes on the rear end of the car are much more complicated than the front.

"Especially at the rear, teams are making choices directly related to energy recovery strategies, which are quite different," he said (via FP). "At the front, braking is more classic and everyone tries to size the system according to torques and temperatures, while at the rear it depends a lot on the type of power unit that will be created. We have quite disparate solutions."

This means that the braking system would have to be developed through simulations provided by teams regarding the size and configuration of the 2026 F1 power units. This is one of the key areas Brembo Racing is trying to work on to deliver teams with the perfect brakes.

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Brembo aims to deliver F1 teams with 2026 brakes near the end of this year

The 2025 F1 season will conclude within the first week of December. This would be around the same time when Brembo aims to deliver teams with their new brakes for the next season.

Shortly after the season ends, teams will shift their complete focus to the next generation of cars. They would be running simulations based on their research and design the cars accordingly.

Encompassing this, Algeri revealed that Brembo would try to supply the team with brakes by the end of the year.

"We are studying solutions that will be implemented after the summer for a delivery more or less between the end of November and the beginning of December. Our customers have a fairly clear trend at the front, while at the rear there are some fairly obvious counter-current choices."

He added:

"If these teams had guessed the way, everyone else should follow later, because they are very compact and lightweight solutions. If they didn't get it right, they should be the ones to realign with most of the group."

The 2026 F1 cars will be quite complicated at first. Apart from the changes in design, which will see them getting smaller and lighter, and be equipped with active aerodynamics and different modes of driving, the engines will also be largely changed. There will be an equal distribution of power between the ICE and the electrical components, delivering a massive workload on the PU section of teams.