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Charles Leclerc has committed to running Carbon Industries brake discs at the Spanish Grand Prix, the same specification Lewis Hamilton has been using over recent rounds as he chases the consistent pedal feel that has eluded him throughout 2026.
Hamilton wasn’t phased by his team-mate’s change of mind after Leclerc blamed his Brembo brake rotors for his crash during the Monaco Grand Prix.
“Both of us tested the option that I’m racing [with] and Charles didn’t want it in the end and chose the one he’s racing on,” Hamilton said. “Now he’s changed his mind. It doesn’t make a difference to me. That’s not the single factor that’s made the difference [for me].”
Hamilton’s recent resurgence has been linked to several factors, not just brakes. Team principal Fred Vasseur has, by the Briton’s own admission, “moved mountains” to accommodate his requests since arriving at Ferrari.
But the brake disc change is real and verifiable.
According to information from AutoRacer, Hamilton has been running a preferred configuration since the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka: retaining Brembo calipers but swapping to discs from Carbon Industries.
It’s a setup he knew well before the Ferrari move, having spent his Mercedes years on Carbon Industries discs.
Talking on Thursday ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton said:
“Both of us tested the option that I’m racing [with] and Charles didn’t want it in the end and chose the one he’s racing on.
“Now he’s changed his mind. It doesn’t make a difference to me. That’s not the single factor that’s made the difference [for me].
“I changed my brakes in Japan. It’s something I asked for a long time ago. I look at every element of what we have and look to see how we can make it better. Ultimately, it’s down to driver preference and feel.”
Leclerc chose not to use the new rotors at Monaco. Testing an unfamiliar friction material around barriers on the most unforgiving street circuit on the calendar was, on paper, a reasonable call. It backfired badly.
Leclerc crashed out of his home race after struggling with the brakes throughout, ultimately reporting that he had only had full braking power at one corner of his car, with no rear braking at all following the safety car restart.
Brake systems this season have been complicated by the new hybrid power units, which harvest considerably more energy than before, meaning teams rely less on conventional braking forces, and discs are more prone to dropping out of their operating temperature window.
Carbon Industries discs are understood to offer strong initial bite peaking at higher temperatures, while Brembo’s products are more progressive across the full temperature range. These are characteristics that, in 2026’s energy-recovery environment, may now matter differently than they once did.
The switch is not a judgment on one supplier’s quality over the other, it instead comes down entirely to the different characteristics each product delivers.
Continue reading...
Hamilton wasn’t phased by his team-mate’s change of mind after Leclerc blamed his Brembo brake rotors for his crash during the Monaco Grand Prix.
“Both of us tested the option that I’m racing [with] and Charles didn’t want it in the end and chose the one he’s racing on,” Hamilton said. “Now he’s changed his mind. It doesn’t make a difference to me. That’s not the single factor that’s made the difference [for me].”
Hamilton’s recent resurgence has been linked to several factors, not just brakes. Team principal Fred Vasseur has, by the Briton’s own admission, “moved mountains” to accommodate his requests since arriving at Ferrari.
But the brake disc change is real and verifiable.
According to information from AutoRacer, Hamilton has been running a preferred configuration since the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka: retaining Brembo calipers but swapping to discs from Carbon Industries.
It’s a setup he knew well before the Ferrari move, having spent his Mercedes years on Carbon Industries discs.
Talking on Thursday ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton said:
“Both of us tested the option that I’m racing [with] and Charles didn’t want it in the end and chose the one he’s racing on.
“Now he’s changed his mind. It doesn’t make a difference to me. That’s not the single factor that’s made the difference [for me].
“I changed my brakes in Japan. It’s something I asked for a long time ago. I look at every element of what we have and look to see how we can make it better. Ultimately, it’s down to driver preference and feel.”
Why Leclerc Waited – and Why It Cost Him
Leclerc chose not to use the new rotors at Monaco. Testing an unfamiliar friction material around barriers on the most unforgiving street circuit on the calendar was, on paper, a reasonable call. It backfired badly.
Leclerc crashed out of his home race after struggling with the brakes throughout, ultimately reporting that he had only had full braking power at one corner of his car, with no rear braking at all following the safety car restart.
Brake systems this season have been complicated by the new hybrid power units, which harvest considerably more energy than before, meaning teams rely less on conventional braking forces, and discs are more prone to dropping out of their operating temperature window.
Carbon Industries discs are understood to offer strong initial bite peaking at higher temperatures, while Brembo’s products are more progressive across the full temperature range. These are characteristics that, in 2026’s energy-recovery environment, may now matter differently than they once did.
The switch is not a judgment on one supplier’s quality over the other, it instead comes down entirely to the different characteristics each product delivers.
Continue reading...
