The Race F1 Podcast Tech Show: What caused Ferrari's Singapore brake problems?
18 snips
Oct 8, 2025 Gary Anderson, a veteran Formula 1 engineer, and Joss Rolls, head of A2RL, dive into the intriguing challenges of Ferrari's brake issues during the Singapore Grand Prix. They discuss the impact of temperature management on performance and what led to Hamilton's timing mishap. The conversation also highlights Mercedes' unexpected pace, Red Bull's adaptable car design, and the innovations emerging from the autonomous racing sector. Joss elaborates on the tech upgrades in A2RL, including AI advancements in vehicle dynamics and real-time sensor data processing.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Brake Cooling Was The Root Problem
- Ferrari's problems in Singapore came from insufficient brake cooling and compromises across the car package.
- Gary Anderson says lift-and-coast is a band-aid that slowed cars and hid deeper design compromises.
Brakes Work Only Within A Tight Temperature Window
- Brake performance depends on a temperature window from ~350°C to ~850–900°C.
- Exceeding ~1000°C causes catastrophic pad wear and visible black dust, as seen on Hamilton's car.
Design To Realistic Operating Specs
- Design teams must define expected operating conditions (e.g., 30°C ambient) and build cooling and systems to match.
- Avoid relying on mid-race mitigations like lift-and-coast instead of fixing thermal spec and packaging.