Let’s Talk About the FIA's Ban on Asymmetric Braking

The FIA has recently made some important changes to the regulations for the 2024 season. We're going to unpack all of them, starting with the new ruling on brakes.

Here’s what the new rule say about brakes:

“The braking system must be designed so that, within each circuit, the forces applied to the brake pads are of the same magnitude and act as opposing pairs on a given brake disc. Any system or mechanism that can systematically or intentionally produce asymmetric braking torques for a given axle is prohibited.”

Basically, this means the brakes must apply the same amount of force to both wheels on the same side of the car, ensuring they slow down evenly, resulting in a little trick called "asymmetric braking” being effectively banned.

What is Asymmetric Braking?

In a regular car, when you press the brake pedal, the car slows down because the brakes apply force evenly to all the wheels, and this even distribution of braking force helps the car stop smoothly and in a straight line.

Asymmetric braking, on the other hand, is when the brakes apply different amounts of force to the wheels on the same side of the car. This means one wheel can slow down more than the other, which can affect how the car behaves, especially when turning.

How Does Asymmetric Braking Work?

To understand asymmetric braking, let's look at a historical example from Formula 1:

In 1997, the McLaren team came up with a clever idea called "brake steer." 

They added an extra pedal to their car that allowed the driver to apply more braking force to one of the rear wheels. 

Here’s how it worked:

When a driver wanted to turn the car, they could press the extra pedal. This would slow down the inside rear wheel more than the outside rear wheel.

By slowing down the inside rear wheel, the car could pivot or rotate more easily around the corner. This helped the car turn more sharply and quickly.

Understeer is when the front of the car doesn’t turn as much as the driver wants, causing the car to go wide in a turn. 

The brake steer system reduced understeer, allowing the car to maintain better speed through corners.

This is no longer allowed.

Why Did the FIA Ban Asymmetric Braking?

One of the main reasons for the ban is to make sure all teams compete fairly, as asymmetric braking can give a car a significant advantage in turning and handling. 

By banning it, the FIA ensures that no team can gain an unfair edge over others.

Asymmetric braking also poses safety risks – if the brakes apply uneven force, it can make the car unstable and harder to control, especially at high speeds. 

This can be dangerous for the drivers and other cars on the track, which we obviously want to avoid wherever possible, no matter how cool and clever the loophole may seem.

But… Why Ban it NOW

The FIA likely discovered a potential loophole in the rules or was informed that some teams might be trying to develop asymmetric braking systems. 

By updating the rules mid-season, the FIA is closing this loophole before any team can use it to gain an advantage, making sure that all teams follow the same rules, keeping the competition fair and the cars safe to drive.

It’s all Fair Game

Formula 1 is a sport where teams are constantly pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation, and sometimes, teams come up with new ideas that can dramatically improve performance, and the FIA has to monitor these developments closely to ensure they align with the spirit of fair competition, even if the innovations teams come up with are admittedly pretty cool :)