Reducing the weight of your car is one of the most effective ways to improve performance on track. Less mass improves acceleration, braking, cornering speed, handling, and thermal behaviour – all at the same time.
It’s one of the rare upgrades that improves almost everything, everywhere.
Less weight doesn’t just make you faster on the straights – it makes you faster everywhere.
The Simple Physics of Going Faster
The physics behind weight reduction is straightforward: momentum.
Momentum depends on both speed and mass. Reduce the mass, and your car becomes:
- Easier to accelerate
- Easier to slow down
- Easier to change direction
That translates directly into later braking points, higher minimum corner speeds, and less effort required from every component on the car.
Why Unsprung Weight Matters More Than Anything Else
Not all weight is created equal.
Unsprung mass – wheels, discs, calipers, and brake pads – has up to ten times the impact on performance compared to weight removed from sprung mass, such as seats, body panels, or interior trim.
Unsprung components must react instantly to the road surface. The heavier they are, the harder your suspension has to work to maintain grip and control.
Removing weight from your brakes is one of the most effective performance upgrades you can make.
This is why lightweight brakes deliver such a noticeable improvement in feel and response.
Why Tribol Focuses on Lightweight Composite Brakes
This is exactly where Tribol Braking focuses its effort.
By replacing traditional steel backing plates with advanced composite construction, Tribol brake pads reduce pad weight by over 70% – removing a significant amount of unsprung mass without touching your suspension setup.
No geometry changes.
No compromises.
No excuses.
What You Feel on Track
Reducing unsprung weight at the brakes delivers benefits you can actually feel:
- Sharper turn-in
- Improved mid-corner stability
- More consistent braking
- Less heat carried into the system
And because you’re not stripping the car or chasing marginal gains elsewhere, it’s one of the cleanest performance upgrades you can make.
Sharper handling, faster laps – and no need to skip your trackside snacks.
A Simple Upgrade That Delivers Real Gains
Switching from metal-backed relics to next-generation composite brake pads is a straightforward change that delivers measurable performance gains on track and on the road.
Lighter, more responsive, and better suited to modern performance driving, composite brake pads don’t just make you quicker today – they future-proof your braking system for what comes next.
About the Author
Dr Sam Erland
CEO & Co-founder, Tribol Braking
Dr Sam Erland is the CEO and Co-founder of Tribol Braking. With over a decade of experience in the composites industry, Sam has worked across both aerospace and automotive sectors, specialising in the practical challenges of manufacturing advanced composite materials at scale.
His background sits at the intersection of materials engineering and real-world application – bridging the gap between what composites can do in theory and what they can deliver in demanding environments.
That focus ultimately led to the creation of Tribol Braking, where Sam applies his expertise to bringing high-performance composite solutions into braking systems – an area long dominated by conventional steel.
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