F1 trick revealed: Teams brake longer in Shanghai to harvest more energy
Shanghai poses a balanced braking challenge
Formula 1 returns to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix, the second round of the 2026 season and the first Sprint weekend of the year.
According to Paolo D’Alessandro of AutoRacer.it, engineers at Brembo classify the Shanghai International Circuit as a moderately demanding track for braking systems. The 5.451 kilometre circuit features seven braking events per lap.
Drivers spend roughly 16.3 seconds using the brakes during a lap, which corresponds to about 18 percent of the total lap time. On Brembo’s severity scale from one to five, the circuit receives a rating of three.
Three braking zones are considered hard, one medium and three low intensity, requiring teams to balance braking stability with careful thermal management after long acceleration sections.
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Turn 14 remains the circuit’s toughest stop
The most demanding braking zone on the circuit arrives at Turn 14.
The corner follows a straight of roughly 1.2 kilometres where Formula 1 cars can reach about 314 km/h before heavy braking begins. According to the analysis reported by AutoRacer.it, drivers slow to around 77 km/h in just over three seconds.
During this deceleration phase the cars travel about 158 metres while drivers apply approximately 105 kilograms of force to the brake pedal. Peak deceleration reaches around 3.9 g while braking power can climb to roughly 1,665 kW.
Because of the long straight leading into the corner, Turn 14 has traditionally been one of the most important overtaking opportunities at the Shanghai International Circuit.
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2026 cars change how drivers approach braking
The characteristics of braking zones at Shanghai are expected to shift with the arrival of the 2026 generation of Formula 1 cars.
Simulations suggest the difference between entry and exit speeds in braking zones will be slightly smaller because the new cars achieve lower top speeds compared with previous seasons.
However, the time spent in the braking phase is expected to increase by roughly 20 percent.
According to the report by Paolo D’Alessandro for AutoRacer.it, teams are intentionally extending the deceleration phase to maximise electrical energy recovery. Harvesting energy for the battery has become a crucial part of race strategy under the updated technical regulations.
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As a result, drivers apply less peak pressure to the brake pedal and experience slightly reduced deceleration forces compared with earlier seasons.
Smaller ventilation holes return to brake discs
Another regulatory change affects the design of carbon brake discs.
In 2022 the introduction of 18 inch wheels brought a rule requiring ventilation holes with a minimum diameter of three millimetres. That regulation prevented the use of smaller 2.5 millimetre holes that Brembo engineers had previously considered more effective for cooling.
For the 2026 season the smaller holes have been authorised again. According to the analysis cited by AutoRacer.it, this allows engineers to return to brake discs containing as many as 1,440 ventilation holes.
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The configuration improves heat dissipation and helps teams manage brake temperatures more efficiently during long runs.
Grid position has historically shaped the Shanghai race
Historical results also underline how important starting position has been at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Out of 18 races held at Shanghai, 13 were won by drivers starting from the front row. Eleven of those victories came from pole position and two from second place on the grid.
Only five races have been won by drivers starting further back, and none from fourth place on the grid.
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Lewis Hamilton remains the most successful driver at the Shanghai International Circuit and recently added another victory at the venue by winning the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint with Ferrari, a car equipped with Brembo braking systems.
Sources: AutoRacer.it
