Charles Leclerc is set to follow Lewis Hamilton in changing brake material supplier for this weekend’s Barcelona Grand Prix.
Hamilton changed brake component supplier earlier this season and, following his troubled Monaco Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc will do the same.
Charles Leclerc changes Ferrari brake materials after Monaco struggles
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Charles Leclerc will switch brake material supplier in Barcelona, following Lewis Hamilton.
The change comes after Leclerc’s brake troubles in Monaco.
Ferrari supports the move as Leclerc seeks improved brake feel.
Leclerc will break a long-standing usage of Brembo brake materials on his Ferrari this weekend, as the Monegasque is set to follow teammate Hamilton in switching to products from Carbone Industries [CI].
With Brembo being a technical supplier to Ferrari, Leclerc and Hamilton will continue to use the Italian manufacturers’ calipers, as well as master cylinders, brake clutches and dampers, but each will now use discs and pads from CI – a subsidiary of aerospace landing gear manufacturer Safran Landing Systems.
Hamilton moved away from Brembo for his discs and pad supply at the Japanese Grand Prix and, following recent struggles with his own brake feel, Leclerc has decided to follow suit on the grounds of seeking greater feel when slowing his car.
It’s understood that Ferrari is supportive of the driver’s push for a change in the name of improved brake feel, despite Leclerc looking to try another materials supplier other than the one Ferrari has used for over 50 years.
The change comes following Leclerc crashing out of the Monaco Grand Prix, with the Monegasque revealing that he had been struggling with the brakes throughout the race.
Indeed, his struggles were such that he explained afterwards that he had only had full braking power on one corner of his car, and had had no braking power at all from the rear, resulting in him running wide at Mirabeau under the Safety Car as he lost brake temperature.
Upon the restart, Leclerc slid straight on at Antony Noghes and clouted the wall, taking to team radio to exclaim about the brakes.
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While Leclerc did not mention Brembo by name, a statement from the supplier followed promptly afterwards.
“Brembo Group is really surprised by the statements made by Charles Leclerc after F1 Monaco Grand Prix,” it said.
“The partnership between Brembo and Scuderia Ferrari has continued for more than 50 years and also extends to other brands within the Group, including AP Racing clutches and Öhlins dampers, confirming the strength and breadth of this long-standing collaboration.
“At present, the company does not know the causes of the issues experienced by Charles Leclerc and therefore considers it premature to draw definitive technical conclusions before the available data has been analysed. In cases such as this, it is necessary to examine the telemetry data together with the team’s engineers in order to accurately determine the origin of the incident.
“Today, Brembo is a benchmark in Formula 1 and is present on every car on the grid through its braking technologies. Over the years, Formula 1 teams have continued to choose Brembo solutions, recognising their reliability, innovation and world-class performance.
“The Group will continue to invest in innovation, reliability and performance, while continuing its collaboration with Scuderia Ferrari and all other Formula 1 teams.”
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