Overview

The Ferodo DS2500 is the benchmark hybrid pad — the one serious drivers reach for when a dedicated race pad is too aggressive for the commute and a dedicated street pad cooks off on the third hot lap. Built on the same carbon-ceramic friction science Ferodo developed for World Rally Championship and 24-hour endurance programs, the DS2500 delivers race-grade bite and fade resistance while staying livable on the road: reasonable dust, controllable noise, predictable modulation from cold pedal to hot rotor.

This is the axle set that fits McLaren 720S and 750S equipped with AP Racing CP9668 or CP9669 six-piston Radi-CAL front calipers — the kit Essex Racing sells to customers who run HPDE, time trials, or club racing and want a single pad that survives the drive home. Part number FRP3014H-N. One axle set (4 pads). Pad body 152.1 x 54 x 25 mm, designed around AP Racing’s 25 mm (1 inch) thick pad architecture for extreme pad life on long sessions.

Fitment

One axle-set (4 pads) of Ferodo DS2500 FRP3014H — the factory-recommended track/street compound for the FRONT AP Racing CP9668 / CP9669 six-piston calipers on McLaren 720S and 750S.

Looking for the rear axle? See our Ferodo DS2500 Rear (FRP216H, AP Racing CP9449).

Compound Spec — Ferodo DS2500

Intended Use

The DS2500 is engineered for the driver who does track days, autocross, HPDE weekends, or time trials — and drives the car home on the same pads. Ferodo’s own classification is “track day, light race, rear GT applications.” That means it is deliberately NOT a pure endurance race pad (for that, step up to Ferodo DS1.11 or DSUNO) and it is NOT an OEM-replacement street pad (use OE Brembo ceramic for grocery runs).

What the DS2500 does well: repeated hard stops from 150+ mph, predictable modulation at the limit, minimal pad knockback in fast transitions, and a pedal that stays firm after 20 laps. What it doesn’t do: ice-cold first-stop school-run braking. Expect 1–2 warm-up stops in a cold parking lot.

Installation & Bed-In — Critical

Bed-in is not optional on DS2500. A pad that skips bed-in will glaze, judder, and lose 20–30% of its friction potential. Follow this procedure exactly.

1. Inspect rotors. New pads on worn rotors = vibration. Resurface or replace rotors with any lip, scoring, or deposit. If you are running Ferodo on used rotors, scrub the rotor face with 80-grit to kill the previous pad’s transfer layer.
2. Install pads. Copper anti-squeal grease on the backing plate only — never on the friction face. Install pad retaining pins and clips per AP Racing caliper instructions. Torque to spec.
3. Seat the pedal. With the car stationary and engine running, press the brake pedal firmly 5–8 times until you feel consistent pedal height. This seats the pistons against the new pad.
4. Low-speed bed-in (6–10 stops). From 30 mph, brake moderately (around 0.3g) to 5 mph. Do not come to a full stop. Repeat 6–10 times with ~30 seconds rolling between stops to let heat build evenly.
5. High-speed bed-in (6–10 stops). From 60–70 mph, brake hard (around 0.7g) to 15 mph. Do not lock the ABS. Do not stop. Keep moving. Repeat 6–10 times. You’ll smell the pad — that’s normal transfer film building.
6. Cool down. Drive 5–10 minutes at moderate speed with minimal brake application. Do NOT park and hold the pedal — the hot pad will leave a deposit on the rotor. If you must stop, release the pedal or roll forward.
7. Let the car sit 30+ minutes. Allow rotor and pad to cool to ambient before the next hard stop.

Pre-burnished pads (an Essex option) skip steps 4–6 for track use, but for a street/track hybrid install we recommend the non-burnished pad and the full bed-in so you control the transfer layer.

Ferodo Racing Heritage

Ferodo has been developing friction material since 1897 — the name is literally on the first modern brake lining patent. In motorsport, Ferodo is the factory pad for every World Rally Championship winner since the Group B era, and is an OEM supplier to GT3, LMP2, and endurance programs at Le Mans, Spa, and the Nürburgring 24.

The DS-series (DS1.11, DS2500, DSUNO, DS3000) is the result of that race program trickling down. The “2500” designation refers to the compound’s operating envelope: you get race-pad bite without the cold-dead behavior of a pure race pad. If you’ve ever braked a rally car down from 110 mph on loose gravel and the pedal still felt like metal — that’s a Ferodo pad. This is the street-legal version.

Companion Products

For a complete brake refresh on your 720S or 750S, pair the DS2500 with:

• Ferodo Super Formula DOT 4 Racing Brake Fluid — 330°C dry boiling point. We stock it. Flush every season or after every track weekend.
• AP Racing J-hook or slotted front rotors — if you’re resurfacing, go with a race-cut rotor. The DS2500 transfers cleaner to a fresh race face.
• Stainless braided brake lines — cuts pedal mushiness under 500°C rotor temps. FFP can install during a pad service.
• Essex pad tension kit for CP9668/CP9669 — silences the pad rattle inherent to a thick race pad in a lightweight caliper. Recommended if you daily-drive the car.

What’s Included

• 4x Ferodo DS2500 FRP3014H brake pads (one complete front axle set)
• Ferodo quality certification
• Fitment and bed-in instruction card

Not included: retaining pins, R-clips, anti-squeal shims. Reuse OE hardware if in serviceable condition; replace with AP Racing service kit if worn.

FFP Installation Service

FFP’s Thousand Oaks McLaren service center installs this pad in-house. Our shop rate is $250/hour. A standard front-axle pad service on a 720S or 750S is typically 1.5–2 hours (includes inspection, rotor resurface check, bed-in drive cycle, and post-install torque verification). Contact the shop to schedule. We are a registered McLaren Pure Scanner (MPS) facility for diagnostic verification before and after the brake service.

Warranty & Returns

Ferodo Racing backs the DS2500 against manufacturing defect. Brake pads are a safety-critical, track-targeted consumable: once installed, the pad is not returnable. Uninstalled, un-opened product may be returned within 14 days of delivery. Defective product will be replaced at no cost once Ferodo confirms the defect. Pads worn through normal use (including accelerated wear on track with R-compound tires) are not covered under warranty — that’s the nature of a race-compound pad.

Questions about fitment before you order? Call the shop. We’d rather confirm your caliper stamping than ship the wrong pad.

Friction Curve