Brembo

History

Brembo was founded on January 11, 1961, in Paladina, Italy, by Emilio Bombassei and Italo Breda, who are respectively the father and uncle of the current chairman, Alberto Bombassei. The company took its name from the nearby Brembo River, where Bombassei once lived in a coastal village before relocating to Milan. Shortly after its founding, Brembo focused on disc brakes, which it initially imported from the United Kingdom. In 1964, the company secured a supply deal with Alfa Romeo, and by 1966 it was providing brake components to Moto Guzzi.

The 1980s saw Brembo expand its client list to include BMW, Chrysler, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Porsche. Brembo went public on the Milan Stock Exchange in 1995. In 2000, it acquired AP Racing, a UK-based manufacturer of racing brakes and clutches. On November 9, 2007, Brembo’s North American subsidiary bought the Automotive Brake Components division of Hayes Lemmerz for about €39.6 million, gaining facilities in Homer, Michigan, and Apodaca, Mexico, along with roughly 250 employees.

A press release on May 21, 2014, announced an €83-million expansion of the Michigan plant. Later that year, on December 2, Brembo revealed plans to invest €32 million in a new 31,500-square-meter facility to produce two million aluminum calipers annually, with initial operations expected in 2016 and full capacity by the end of 2018. On March 5, 2015, deputy chairman Matteo Tiraboschi reported 2014 sales growth of 15% to €1.8 billion and a net profit increase of 45% to €129.1 million, noting the company was exploring acquisitions in automotive and aviation. Brembo’s corporate headquarters are in Stezzano. In October 2024, it acquired Öhlins Racing for $405 million.

Products

When it comes to stopping power, Brembo is a major player. The company focuses on high-performance braking systems and components, and it runs its own research into the technology. With over 1,300 products sold globally, Brembo is best recognized for its aftermarket parts like calipers, rotors, drums, and brake lines. The firm owns the foundries that make its raw materials and manages every step from production to delivery. It also holds QS9000 and ISO 9001 certifications.

Motorsport

Brembo provides the braking systems for Formula One and also supplies most MotoGP teams. After the Gresini squad used Nissin brakes in 2014, Brembo became MotoGP’s single brake package partner and supplier again by 2016. In IndyCar, Brembo was an official brake supplier from 2012 through 2016, then supplied only calipers in 2017. The following year, it provided complete braking systems for all Spark Racing Technology Gen2 cars in Formula E. Since 2005, Brembo has been the official brake caliper supplier for the GP2 Series and the FIA Formula 2 Championship, and since 2010, it has been the official whole brake supplier for the GP3 Series and the FIA Formula 3 Championship. Brembo is the exclusive braking system supplier for the MotoE World Cup. It also serves as the official technology partner for the Gran Turismo sim racing series.