Welcome to the fourth installment of the 6th Gear Racing Cars Brake Series. Today we take a look at the brakes used in the FIA Formula 2 Championship (F2). Earlier, we checked out the brakes in Formula 1, Indycars, and MotoGP.
The Formula 2 Championship is a single-seater cup organized by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). The current F2 championship was founded in 2017 as the successor of the GP2 Series. F2 is commonly seen as the second-most prestigious series after F1, and is the main feeder series for F1. Some notable F1 drivers who previously raced in F2 are Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lando Norris, and Alexander Albon. The 2022 Formula 2 season compromises 13 rounds, held on F1 weekends. There are eleven teams with two drivers each.
Every team in F2 uses the same chassis, engine, gearbox, fuel, brakes, and tires. The idea behind this rule is that racing fully depends on a driver’s abilities, instead of on a mix of driver and car, like in Formula 1. The chassis is is manufactured by Dallara of Italy, the engines by Mechachrome of France, and the gearboxes by Hewland of the United Kingdom.
The carbon-kevlar chassis is 5.2 meters long, 1.9 wide, and only one meter high. Weight is 720 kilo curb. The single-turbocharged 3.4 liter V6 race engine has an output of 620 hp at 8750 rpm and 570 Nm at 6000 rpm. The motor is mated to a 6-speed sequential semi-automatic paddle-shift transmission. The low weight and high power make for a formidable racing car. An F2 accelerates from 0-100 in 2.9 seconds, from 0-200 in 6.6 seconds, and top speed is 335 kilometers per our.
The 18 inch tires are supplied by Pirelli, with O.Z. Racing magnesium rims. The 6-piston monoblock brake calipers are supplied by Brembo. These calipers are exclusively manufactured for the F2 championship. The carbon brake discs and brake pads are made by Carbone Industrie. The brake discs have a diameter of 278 millimeter and a width of 28 millimeter. This advanced braking system makes sure that a Formula 2 racing car can reach a maximum lateral acceleration of 3.9 G, . With so much braking power, it is no wonder that F2 is the last stop before Formula 1.
Next up: the brakes of Formula 3 cars.