Brembo determines cause of German GP brake failure
Italian brake manufacturer Brembo and Mercedes AMG F1 have jointly announced they have found the reason for Lewis Hamilton's brake failure during qualifying for the German Grand Prix.
Released on the morning of the Belgian Grand Prix, the joint statement notes that the cause of failure does not lie with a single part, but rather originates in the specific mounting of the disc onto the rotary.
"Following extensive joint analysis of the previously unseen failure mode experienced by Lewis Hamilton during Q1 at the German Grand Prix, Brembo and Mercedes AMG F1 have reached definitive conclusions concerning the cause of the failure.
"First of all, both parties can now confirm that the quality of the disc material was not a contributory factor. Instead, extensive analysis and experimentation has demonstrated that the specific interaction between the structure of the brake material in question and the brake mounting on the F1 W05 Hybrid was at the root of the failure.
"Countermeasures have already been applied to both the disc geometry and the mounting to ensure there can be no repeat of the failure.
These developments allow the team to once again run Brembo brake disc material, should it choose to do so, in race conditions."
Both parties stated they were satisfied with the way investigation proceeded, and they remain committed to "a close working relationship in the future".
