Hypothesis in Method 1 obtained intense throughout the summer season break within the wake of a change the FIA made to the technical laws outlawing asymmetrical braking techniques.
Off the again of the newest FIA World Motor Sport Council assembly that ratified a number of revised and future guidelines, an added clause relating to braking techniques set tongues wagging.
The modified Article 11.1.2 of F1’s Technical Laws had some recent textual content which is in daring under.
“The brake system have to be designed in order that inside every circuit, the forces utilized to the brake pads are the identical magnitude and act as opposing pairs on a given brake disc. Any system or mechanism which may produce systematically or deliberately, uneven braking torques for a given axle is forbidden.”
Brembo F1 brake pistons element
Photograph by: Brembo
The character of the mid-season change to the technical laws, one thing which isn’t quite common, fuelled a wave of hypothesis that the FIA was responding to a tool that a number of groups could have been utilizing this season.
There have been even wild accusations thrown at Purple Bull that its drop of kind for the reason that Miami Grand Prix was linked to a possible banning of a system it might have been utilizing – with some even suggesting that Max Verstappen’s retirement from the Australian Grand Prix may have been linked to this.
Nevertheless, the truth of the state of affairs may be very completely different as high-level sources on the FIA have defined that the change was not prompted in any respect by something groups had been doing in the meanwhile – it was extra about future-proofing laws.
An FIA spokesman instructed Motorsport.com: “There isn’t a fact that any crew was utilizing such a system.”
So what was happening?
Finally the tweak alters little or no in the case of the legality of uneven brake techniques. The adjustments made by the FIA to 11.1.2 of the technical laws are supplemental to the unique textual content, which solely implies that the forces being utilized to the brake pads are equal on both facet of the calliper.
The brand new and extra textual content forbids the braking circuit, both entrance or rear, to have the ability to produce uneven braking torques.
It subsequently prohibits what would extra generally be known as a brake steer system, whereby one wheel, normally the within wheel, is braked with extra bias than the skin, as a way to assist steadiness and steer the automotive.
Nevertheless, in accordance with FIA sources, the wording that was initially in place was already sufficient to make any uneven braking system unlawful anyway.
The actual motivation in altering the principles as a substitute got here from efforts to tidy up the laws for 2026, and make it clearer within the subsequent guidelines period what was and was not allowed.
As a part of the continued discussions to border the 2026 laws, a particular clause has been added to the principles to outlaw uneven brake techniques fully.
And, following a request from groups to make sure that no person tried to use the tiniest of gray areas earlier than then, it was requested that the brand new clause be added to each the 2024 and 2025 laws.
McLaren historical past
Brake steer gadgets should not a brand new factor in F1. Famously, McLaren had such a system on their automobiles in 1997/98, often known as a fiddle brake, which employed an extra brake pedal within the cockpit to use braking power to only one facet of the automotive.
McLaren MP4-13, third pedal
Photograph by: Giorgio Piola
Such a tool is, after all, nonetheless outlawed, having been prohibited by regulation adjustments on the time and now coated in 11.1.3.
The principles state: “Any powered machine, apart from the system referred to in Article 11.6, which is able to altering the configuration or affecting the efficiency of any a part of the brake system is forbidden.”
Had there been any nefarious behaviour by a crew in working a braking system that was towards the unique laws, then throwing in a mid-season regulation change wouldn’t have been the primary plan of action.
As an alternative, the FIA would doubtless have issued a Technical Directive, which might have gone to all groups and alerted rivals to one thing being amiss elsewhere.
