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Tech Analysis: How F1 teams coped with Singapore's brakes challenge

Marina Bay poses many challenges to engineers and drivers alike, not only because it's a street circuit that requires bravery, but also because its night time setting provides a unique set of temperatures and humidity parameters.

Mercedes brake ducts, Singapore GP

Mercedes brake ducts, Singapore GP

Giorgio Piola

Giorgio Piola's F1 technical analysis

Giorgio Piola is the preeminent Formula 1 technical journalist. View our full selection of Giorgio's technical illustrative content

During the race it seemed like a permanent channel was open between the pitwall and the Mercedes drivers, with both marginal on brakes from the get-go. So, let's take a look at the various solutions and see if there was a reason why Mercedes was struggling.

Mercedes AMG F1 W07 Hybrid, detail front wing
Mercedes AMG F1 W07 Hybrid, detail front wing

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Mercedes, having struggled with brake and tyre management at the Singapore GP last year, would have undoubtedly been nervous about its performance on the lead-up to this year's GP.

However, as has been the case when it suffered issues in the past, it was unwavering in its approach, with no real further concessions in terms of cooling being offered up compared with previous GPs this year.

Given these previous issues, you may have expected to see a more aggressive cooling solution adopted but instead it chose to run with the same open-ended drum solution that it had on occasion opted for earlier in the season.

With this configuration, heat being generated by the brakes is dispersed immediately, allowing it to escape out of the wheel's face, rather than being encapsulated within the drum and used to help manage brake and tyre temperatures.

Where perhaps the approach seems most marginal in these situations is the amount of air being passed through the brake duct to cool the components, with Mercedes using a relatively small inlet to collate airflow.

Although the exposed inlet isn't the only form of exposure, with inlets placed between the inner surface of the vertical fence and the drum, allowing airflow to be captured between it and the tyres sidewall.

Of course, this is because from an aerodynamic point of view it doesn't want to have too large an exposed inlet as it simply reduces efficiency in quite a sensitive position.

Mercedes brake ducts, Singapore GP
Mercedes brake ducts, Singapore GP

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Interestingly, the team didn't use the enlarged inlet we've seen it use at other races this season, even though it tested the solution in practice on Friday.

Red Bull Racing RB12, brake comparison
Red Bull Racing RB12, brake comparison

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Red Bull introduced a new brake drum solution at the preceding round in Italy but this didn't stop the team from making refinements for the challenges faced in Singapore.

A small but perhaps rewarding change saw the crossover pipework exposed, granting the gap created between the drum and wheel rim more cool airflow.

This changes the way in which the wheel and tyre are heated when applying the brakes, having a direct impact on performance and also degradation over the stint.

Ferrari SF16-H, brakes
Ferrari SF16-H, brakes

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Ferrari, perhaps always prepared to play it a little safer when it comes to brake set-up, also tried various brake drum solutions during free practice.

Whilst Mercedes and Red Bull always seem eager to reduce weight, be it the disc, caliper or carriers, Ferrari keeps things a little more robust forsaking a little performance for reliability and so we don't often hear it struggling.

Brake duct comparison
Brake duct comparison

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

In terms of airflow through the brakes there are several pathways to consider for each and every solution. Caliper and disc cooling being a priority as this impacts on the brakes mechanical performance.

However, like every other component on the car one must also consider the aerodynamic impact of both the structure and the airflow that passes through it.

Whilst Mercedes doesn't use one, both Red Bull and Ferrari have a blown axle, which ejects airflow out of the end of the axle that is taken in by the main inlet.

This often makes Mercedes look like it is running less brake cooling than its opposition but if we take the blown axle into account they're all relatively similar solutions, as we can see in the highlighted comparisons above.

Mercedes may have appeared to be struggling with temperatures from the start of the race, but given how marginal all of the teams are in Singapore, it simply boiled down to a vocal reminder that the drivers must pace themselves in order to prevail over the opposition.

This is just another shining example of how teams are trying to win a race in the slowest and most managed fashion.

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