PlanZFerrari

I think this is who Lewis is now. Really good raw pace but will probably lack either exec or some race pace, with the occasional mistake. Don’t think it’s enough to be as good as LEC max or ANT over a full szn but for 41 it’s still crazy impressive

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

🔴 Ferrari éligible à l'ADUO d'au moins 4%, ce que ça signifie : - 2 upgrades moteur autorisés en 2026. - 2 upgrades moteur supplémentaires en 2027. - Liberté quasi totale de développement moteur. - Jusqu'à 4,65 M$ de marge supplémentaire sous le budget cap moteur. - +110h d'essais banc moteur. Maintenant reste à savoir quand Maranello va introduire ses mises à jour moteur. Toujours Spa-Francorchamps ou changement de stratégie ?

"of the 4 brakes, 3 weren't working. in the front left worked well, the front right worked partially, and the two rear brakes didn't work at all. when i say not at all, i mean that there was absolutely no deceleration on the data. it was as if the brake calipers weren't even engaging. That is a minor problem," Leclerc says cynically.

The stupidity and shamelessness of this fanbase to celebrate when their driver got a penalty that was going to concede him behind his teammate at MONACO if Ferrari didn’t favor lewis and now another possible upcoming penalty…. Embarrassing performance

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.

Hopefully Charles Leclerc has an exit clause in his contract, because Ferrari really seems to favor another driver.

I remember last season Hamilton said they were running different elements in their cars. Leclerc’s fans responded by calling him a liar. How the tables have turned