Brake Pad Problems Force Emergency Replacements Before Gold Coast 500

During the Queensland Raceway weekend and an August test day, several teams reported that Ferodo brake pads began to disintegrate. The incidents prompted an emergency effort to manufacture and ship fresh pads from Ferodo’s Italian factory ahead of the Bend event. Only a portion of the newly produced stock arrived in time, and while there were no outright failures at Bathurst, teams complained that the pads’ braking performance had deteriorated significantly. The situation drew criticism from Grove Racing CEO Brenton Grove, who called it “a joke” during the broadcast.

Brad Jones Racing’s Brad Jones expanded on the issue in a recent YouTube video, saying Ferodo and Comp Friction are working hard to resolve the problem. They are producing smaller batch numbers and tightening quality control to keep each set of pads consistent. Jones noted that worn pads taper down and lose braking capacity, and that the compound had changed slightly over recent events, prompting the company to send batches at the last minute. He also said the series is likely to revert to a previously used compound for the upcoming Gold Coast 500.