Formula and open wheel

Single-seaters from Formula Vee to Formula 1. No ABS, so holding too much pedal locks a wheel. The faster cars gain a lot of grip with speed, so the first metres of the zone take far more pedal than the end.

Braking in Formula and open wheel

Open-wheel cars have no ABS, so too much pedal locks a front wheel and flat-spots the tyre. The faster cars gain so much grip with speed that the pedal at the top of a long straight is far more than the car can take a few seconds later.

The result is a falling pedal line even in a straight line: hit the pedal very hard, then bleed it off steadily as the speed and the downforce drop.

Tips

  • Big initial hit, then a steady release; holding the first pressure locks a wheel at low speed.
  • Small cars like the Formula Vee and FF1600 behave more like entry cars: grip barely changes with speed.
  • Watch the lock-up zone in the planner. It shows where holding full pressure would lock.

Plan a corner in a Formula and open wheel car

Formula and open wheel cars

CarGrip low speedExtra at 200 km/hSource
Dallara F31.70 g+0.80 gEstimate
Dallara IR18 INDYCAR1.90 g+1.10 gEstimate
FIA F41.45 g+0.35 gEstimate
Formula Vee – Classic1.10 g+0.02 gEstimate
Indy Pro 20001.55 g+0.50 gEstimate
Mercedes-AMG F1 W13 E Performance2.10 g+2.40 gEstimate
Ray FF16001.20 g+0.03 gEstimate
Skip Barber Formula 20001.30 g+0.08 gEstimate
Super Formula Lights1.75 g+0.85 gEstimate
Super Formula SF23 – Honda1.95 g+1.30 gEstimate
Super Formula SF23 – Toyota1.95 g+1.30 gEstimate
USF20001.45 g+0.35 gEstimate