Regulation 11.1.3
Any powered device which is capable of altering the configuration or affecting the performance of any part of the brake system is forbidden.
modbaraban wrote:I read somewhere, that the drivers have to push the pedal as hard as they can at high speeds and CANNOT possibly lock the wheels until the car is slow enough. Is that true?
That's because at high speed aerodynamics are pushing the tires down hard, and they have incredible levels of traction. As the speed diminishes, so does the aero downforce, and the traction keeeps dropping until the brakes can overpower the tire contact and cause wheel lockup.
When you ever watch any of the cars braking for a tight corner, if they experience lockup, it's at the lower end of the speed envelope.
One additional bit of information, is that the braking effort is also complicated by weight transfer. Let's imagine a driver is approaching a corner, and stabs hard on the brake pedal. When the brakes take effect, the driver's weight is thrown forward, and he actually slides forward a wee bit, and doing so, apply even more force on the brake pedal. That too can be observed externally. Under braking, the driver's helmet seems to drop down slightly, that is the driver being thrown forward.