Cadillac brake problems continue to disrupt its first season in F1: despite several updates in Hungary, Valtteri Bottas was again a victim of a brake fire.
Since the start of the season, the American team has regularly faced overheating of its braking system.
The problem had already caused the retirements of both cars at the Austrian Grand Prix, and the new front brake ducts introduced in Hungary have not definitively solved the situation.
Recurring problem
In Formula 1, brakes are cooled by a significant airflow captured by the ducts located at the front of the car. This air then passes through more than a thousand holes drilled in the brake discs to lower their temperature, which can exceed 1,200 °C during full use.
According to Bottas, Cadillac simply cannot get enough air flowing through its system, despite new brake ducts introduced in Budapest: “The new front ducts were precisely intended to solve this problem and prevent it from happening again. But it is obvious that we still need more cooling at the brakes.”
The Finn acknowledges, however, that the Hungaroring is one of the most demanding circuits for the braking system: “The conditions were particularly extreme, as were the characteristics of this track.”
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Asked about the exact origin of the fires, Bottas gave a very clear explanation: “The brakes simply become too hot. At a certain point, everything starts to burn inside. It ends up destroying the entire system. During the in-lap, I completely lost the brakes. The brake lines probably burned, which forced me to stop the car against a wall.”
Critical situation
As Formula 1 now enters its traditional 14-day summer break, during which teams must suspend their activities, Bottas does not expect major new developments to appear at the Dutch Grand Prix.
“I don’t think we will have many new parts at Zandvoort,” he regrets. I just hope we will have a solution for the brakes, but I do not expect any upgrades aimed at improving performance.”
The Finnish driver also reminds that a time will come when Cadillac will fully focus its resources on the next season: “At some point, we will devote 100% of our efforts to next year’s car.”
Despite the modifications already made, Cadillac still has not found a definitive solution to its brake cooling problem. The team hopes to use the summer break to identify the exact origin of this weakness before the championship resumes at Zandvoort.
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