Alpine has revived an unusual Formula 1 braking concept for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, fitting the A526 with a set of Carbon Industrie carbon brake discs featuring four radial grooves. The design returns after earlier trials involving Williams and Alpine in 2024, although those experiments did not lead to its continued use at the time.
The grooved carbon discs are not an entirely new idea. Carbon Industrie first tested the concept with Williams at Monza in 2024 before trying it again with the Enstone-based Alpine team at that year’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
Alpine revives grooved carbon brake discs in Hungary
Little had been heard about carbon-composite discs with radial grooves since those initial trials, making their reappearance in the Hungaroring paddock something of a surprise. Carbon Industrie has evidently not abandoned the idea and now intends to evaluate it with the more agile 2026 Formula 1 cars, after the earlier tests were conducted with the previous generation of ground-effect machinery.
The objective is to improve the initial bite by increasing the friction between the brake disc and pad, while also refining temperature management. Brembo material is known to provide a stronger initial response at the beginning of the braking phase, whereas the French system is generally associated with greater modulation.
Every driver has an individual braking style, but temperature control has become particularly important with the 2026 cars. At the rear, teams must manage brake temperatures carefully to prevent excessive heat from contributing to tyre overheating. At the front, engineers sometimes need to develop specific strategies to generate enough heat to bring the tyres into their correct operating window.
Brake temperatures play a major role in tyre management
Formula 1 engineers devote considerable effort to separating the hot air produced by the braking system from the cooler airflow teams attempt to direct into the chamber between the two assemblies that form each wheel corner.
The approach can vary significantly depending on the desired result. In some circumstances, teams want heat from the brakes to radiate towards the wheel rims and influence tyre temperature. In others, they work to minimise that transfer and isolate the tyre as much as possible from the braking system’s thermal energy.
Alpine’s latest experiment features four distinctive radial grooves on the external surface of each disc. The next question is whether this will again remain a standalone test or whether the team will retain the solution for qualifying and the race.
The Hungaroring provides a demanding environment in which to assess the concept because the circuit has traditionally placed significant stress on Formula 1 braking systems. Its repeated braking zones, limited cooling time between corners and expected temperatures make brake performance and thermal management especially important throughout the weekend.
Carbon Industrie revisits an experiment from 2024
The return of the grooved discs also allows Carbon Industrie to evaluate whether the concept behaves differently on the new generation of Formula 1 cars. Compared with the previous ground-effect machines, the 2026 single-seaters are lighter and more agile, potentially changing how loads, temperatures and braking forces are managed through a lap.
The four grooves are intended to alter the interaction between the brake pad and disc surface. By modifying that contact, Carbon Industrie is exploring whether it can improve bite without sacrificing the progressive control that drivers require when modulating braking pressure.
That balance is particularly important because drivers do not always want the strongest possible initial response. A more manageable braking system can help them control weight transfer, avoid locking a wheel and carry the car smoothly towards the apex, especially through sequences where stability matters as much as outright stopping power.
A similar idea was tested by Alex Zanardi in 1999
A comparable concept was tried in 1999, although that experiment involved steel rather than carbon brake discs. Alex Zanardi tested the solution on the Williams FW21 during practice for the Austrian Grand Prix.
The attempt 29 years earlier failed badly because the theory did not translate successfully to the circuit. The additional weight of the metal increased the car’s unsprung mass, while the different level of friction also worked against the concept. Those factors ultimately led to the rejection of the idea tested by the Bologna-born champion.
Radial grooving has now returned to Formula 1 in a modern carbon-disc application. The remaining question is whether Alpine and Carbon Industrie are conducting another isolated evaluation or whether the distinctive discs have a genuine chance of appearing on the A526 during qualifying and the Hungarian Grand Prix itself.
Factual note: The source describes Alex Zanardi’s 1999 test as taking place 29 years earlier. Relative to the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, the correct interval would be 27 years.
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