Right - here is the awaited thread on Hamilton’s brakes. It’s a long story, so be patient 🧵:
I’ll start by saying, in F1 there are a few major components that make up braking systems. These are the discs, the callipers, the master cylinder as well as the pedal setup (stiffness, modulation).
Every F1 driver has a unique preferred setup regarding these components - and Hamilton’s was to use Brembo callipers (supplied to all teams) mixed with discs and the master cylinder from Carbone Industrie.
He used these at McLaren, and when he moved to Mercedes in 2013 he initially adopted a full Brembo system which he initially struggled with.
Why? This is where it gets interesting, and what you see in 2026 is quite similar.
CI discs are much larger and more powerful than Brembo discs. A lot more powerful, so much so that for 6 months Brembo were unable to replicate this on Hamilton’s 2013 Mercedes - that he made the switch to CI and the rest was history
Now, onto 2026.
According to reports, Hamilton has pushed for his normal brakes to be used on his car since the day he arrived, but this process seemed to take nearly 18 months.
Essentially, Hamilton was left using Sainz’s brakes in 2025 and could only make minor adjustments due to the cost-cap and the focus on 2026 (according to Brembo themselves).
In terms of what the CI brakes are doing to the car, as mentioned above, the more powerful discs no doubt play a role in giving him those front tyre temps he is so sensitive about.
Here’s where it gets interesting - will it solve Leclerc’s issues?
Well, if the issues stem purely from the brake system themselves - he’ll swiftly have those issues eradicated at Barcelona.
However, Hamilton is the only driver to use CI discs on the current grid, and his choice comes from 20 years of feedback, honing in a style he developed when he was coming through the ranks.
Simply taking his brakes and getting them to work without the nuance of how they were developed is no easy task - and a dangerous rabbit hole t fall into if not careful.
Jérôme d'Ambrosio : « Charles a eu un problème au moment du restart, il était inévitable de toucher le mur. Les freins arrière ? Ils n’ont pas fonctionné comme ça devait et Charles était clairement un passager par rapport à ça.
Il y a des différences entre la configuration frein de Lewis et celle de Charles ? Oui, mais je n’entrerai pas dans le détail technique.
Charles va copier la configuration de Lewis à Barcelone ? On va retourner à l’usine ces prochains jours et, clairement, on prendra les choix qui soutiennent le pilote le plus possible. »
#F1
Warum so viele Fahrer beim #MonacoGP eine Speeding-Strafe kassiert haben:
2025 gab es mit 10 Teams mehr Platz in der Boxengasse. Die Fast Lane verlief in einer leichten Kurve und führte direkt aus der Box, sodass die Fahrer keinen Grund hatten, die Linie zu cutten (hier grün).
Le condizioni dell'asfalto alla Noghes è un cratere per un "tracciato dove hanno corso F3 F2 Porsche e F1.
Assurdo e inaccettabile.
#F1#MonacoGP
Grazie a Cri per le foto
@TheTalkRacing
@Scuderiascoop Let's look at it like this. We get 2 more upgrades than Mercedes. We should out them to good use with the extra budget. Already we have a new component coming for Austria I believe. Let's start there.
👀 Lewis Hamilton: “Arada hala 66 puan var ama sadece kovalamaya devam etmeliyiz.”
“Hayatta hep kovalamak savunmaktan daha kolay derim. Bu yüzden bu adamlar çok hızlı ve harika bir takım olsalar da, zorlamaya devam edeceğiz ve bir noktada oraya ulaşacağımızdan şüphem yok.”
🔎 A closer look at the ADUO verdict, as The Race understands it:
Manufacturers whose power unit is more than 2% below the benchmark can make one upgrade in 2026 and another in 2027. If the gap is 4% or more, they can make two upgrades in each season.
@GazzettaFerrari That's why you don't have the job mate. Thinking like thag doesn't help. Let's just say Xharles stayed out, he would have caught the safety car, lost time to probably gasly or Russell when he boxed next time.
It was the right call to box them both.