F1: Gilles Villeneuve Circuit poses a huge challenge on brakesMontreal’s circuit Gilles Villeneuve is undoubtedly one of the most difficult tracks on brakes on the Formula 1 schedule.
Situated on the man-made Ile Notre-Dame in the St Lawrence river, the Gilles Villeneuve circuit is a true high speed challenge with the cars averaging 209 km/h (130mph) over the course of a lap. The relatively short, 4.3km circuit combines long straights with tight chicanes and each team sets up their car to maximise straight-line speed. Each lap, the drivers need to hit the brake pedal with extreme force seven times.
According to Brembo, the hardest braking zone is the one before the pit entrance (identified as corner 13). The cars travel at 330 km/h on this straightaway. They decelerate from 330 to 120 km/h in just 122m, which translates into 395ft. The maximum deceleration is 5.6Gs, and it lasts 1.3 seconds. The braking power is 3456 Kw. Beat that. |
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