If you’ve followed motorsports for even 15 minutes, you’ve likely heard of Brembo. The Bergamo-based Italian firm has become the go-to manufacturer for braking systems on many of the world’s premier cars, motorcycles, and off-road vehicles.
Founded in the Brembo River Valley in 1961 by Emilio Bombassei, the company saw his son, Alberto, eventually take the helm as its driving force. Brembo’s first motorcycle disc brakes were crafted for Moto Guzzi in 1964. Eleven years later, in 1975, it stepped into elite international motorsport.
Reaching the pinnacle of braking technology took 50 years of relentless effort, driven by the challenge of continuous improvement in the world’s harshest environments. It demanded braking systems that could keep pace with the escalating performance of the vehicles they served.
That journey began in 1975 when Alberto pushed Scuderia Ferrari to use Brembo cast-iron discs on its Formula 1 cars. That year, Niki Lauda piloted a Ferrari 312T to the F1 World Drivers’ Championship. In 1976, Brembo provided brake calipers for the Suzuki-Gallina Team in the FIM 500cc Road Racing World Championship class—now MotoGP.
Brembo’s innovations surged in the 1980s, starting with the 1982 debut of the first four-piston radial-mount caliper for Ferrari in F1. By 1988, Brembo entered World Superbike.
The 1990s brought significant advances in motorcycle racing. 1993 saw a thumb-operated rear brake pump for five-time 500cc champion Mick Doohan—later adopted by other top racers. That same year, Brembo’s carbon fiber discs became the standard in the premier class. In 1999, the Brembo aluminum monobloc caliper debuted and dominated, as it was used on every winning bike in the 500cc GP class.
The 2000s saw Brembo expand into motocross and enduro world championships. In 2011, it became IndyCar’s sole supplier and debuted its brake-by-wire system in F1 in 2014. By 2016, Brembo supplied all MotoGP teams. Six years later, in 2022, it provided brake calipers for all ten F1 teams—nine directly and one through AP Racing, its UK-based subsidiary. By 2019, Brembo was the sole supplier for Formula E (electric cars) and MotoE (electric motorcycles), the premier electric racing series.
Last year, Brembo notched over 700 world championships in top-tier two- and four-wheel competitions. To mark 50 years in world championship racing, Brembo is unveiling a new logo: a stylized “50” alongside its familiar font, with “Racing” in a fresh design.
Today, we take brake performance for granted, even on high-performance motorcycles. Yet, that reliability and capability—like many technological leaps—emerged from the crucible of competition. Those advances didn’t come quickly, and Brembo has led the charge in racing-driven brake technology for the past half-century.
