Formula and open wheel
Super Formula Lights
Braking numbers for the Super Formula Lights in iRacing, worked out from its grip estimate. Open any example in the Brake Planner to change the speed or corner.
Example braking zones
Fastest apex speed for each corner and the braking it takes to get there, assuming a corner arc of 100 m.
| Corner | Entry | Apex | Brake before apex | Time | Lock-up at 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast sweeper | 220 km/h | 207 km/h | 16 m | 0.27 s | From the start |
| Medium 90° corner | 200 km/h | 130 km/h | 49 m | 1.12 s | after 5 m |
| Hairpin after a long straight | 240 km/h | 93 km/h | 90 m | 2.13 s | after 6 m |
How to brake in the Super Formula Lights
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.
- 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.
In a 90° corner at 200 km/h this means braking about 49 m before the apex and trailing the pedal down to 11% by the apex.