Formed in 1961, Brembo is the leader in producing braking systems for high-performance cars and motorbikes. Boasting revenue of €1.8 billion in 2015, the company is headquartered out of Bergamo, which is 40 km from Milan.
Its products are supplied to customers in 70 countries and Brembo has facilities in 16 nations around the globe. The Italian giant employs over 7,000 people, who are engaged in supplying brake systems to passenger cars, ranging from the Volkswagen Polo to the Ferrari LaFerrari, and competition series like Formula 1 (F1), MotoGP, Formula 3, IndyCar, GP2 and GP3.
So what makes Brembo so good? GTspirit looks at some of the reasons.
Racing Heritage
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAzbbID6BZ0[/youtube]
During the 2015 motorsport calendar, all 18 MotoGP races were won by bikes equipped with Brembo brakes. Over the past 31 years, teams like Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki as well as drivers like Valentino Rossi, Eddie Lawson, Jorge Lorenzo and Mick Doohan have placed their faith in Brembo.
Brembo also has a 40-year history in F1, being associated with past greats such as Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda, and present icons like Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen. Currently Brembo supplies brakes to the top two teams: Ferrari and Mercedes as well as a whole host of other motorsport competitions that help to enhance the companies a great racing heritage.
It’s worth mentioning the role of Brembo’s subsidiary, AP Racing here. Acquired by Brembo in 2000, the UK-based company’s braking system is used in F1, F3, NASCAR, GT1, LMP1, LMP2 and WTCC classes. In 2014, AP Racing had over 30 champions across the motorsport world.
Quality and Innovation
With over four decades of experience and vast resources for research and development, Brembo’s products are top notch- after all that’s why so many automotive companies trust the brand.
It is continually innovating, be it using aluminium for brake discs instead of iron, or launching the famed carbon-ceramic brake rotors in passenger cars with the Ferrari Enzo. Carbon ceramic rotors are 50 percent lighter than the cast iron discs and also more heat resistant. Although this means a lack of ‘pedal feel’ when the brakes are running cold and a lot of squealing, the technology has been a game changer. Brembo’s audacious move of colouring the calipers in different colours won it the Golden Compass award, “Italy’s Oscar for design” and its pads are made using advanced material that only Brembo possesses.
Marketing
Brembo’s marketing potential is unparalleled in the industry. As aforementioned, it has presence in leading motorsport competitions and since 1980’s, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Pagani, McLaren, Porsche, KTM and MV Agusta have all benefited from Brembo brakes.
Some of the supercars equipped with the Brembo systems include the Pagani Huayra and Zonda F, the Porsche 918 Spyder, the Ferrari 488 GTB, Lamborghini Aventador and the Lexus LFA. A report by German bi-weekly magazine Auto Motor und Sport had 40 of the 50 best-braking cars equipped with Brembo, including the winner: the Porsche 993 GT3. Sebastian Vettel’s visit to the company’s facility last year was well-documented and with such an incredible array of clients and users, Brembo will always garner interest in the auto industry.
Research and Development
Brembo’s spends five percent of its total turnover on R&D and has around 700 people working in this segment alone, which is more than rival EBC Brakes’ total workforce of 600.
Great article, very interesting.