Formulation 1 groups and the FIA are discussing whether or not including glue to gravel traps might present the best resolution to implementing observe limits.
The operators of the Zandvoort circuit, which returned to the F1 calendar in 2021, added glue to the perimeters of some gravel traps to forestall automobiles dragging stones onto the course.
On the FIA’s request, different circuits have added or expanded gravel traps this 12 months to bodily implement observe limits as a substitute of counting on cameras and stewards detecting whether or not drivers have strayed throughout white strains. Nonetheless if gravel is dragged onto the circuits it might probably harm tyres.
Pirelli’s chief engineer Simone Berra mentioned the answer used at Zandvoort might show one of the best compromise between implementing observe limits and stopping pointless harm to tyres.
“We predict that going within the course to enhance the gravel lure is the precise course for the observe limits,” he advised media together with RaceFans. “Most likely one of the best resolution, and it’s one thing that I do know that the groups are talking with FIA and FIA is talking with the groups, is attempting to make use of an answer like now we have in Zandvoort the place they glue the gravel. That may very well be an excellent resolution since you don’t carry a gravel into the racing line.
“I don’t know if we are going to go on this course, however that may very well be a potential introduction for the long run. Anyway, the FIA we all know are going to introduce gravel traps for the long run extra actually because it’s working, actually, and it is smart.”
At Zandvoort, the borders of some gravel traps have glue utilized to forestall the stones being moved if a driver touches the sting of the run-off.
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“It’s an answer that now we have obtainable and we should always take into account as a result of it’s stopping gravel to come back onto the observe and possibly slowing down the automobiles in the event that they run over this glued gravel,” Berra added.
Pirelli detected extra cuts in its tyres in the course of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend after two new strips of gravel had been added at turns 9 and ten. The producer doesn’t consider the cuts had been a trigger for concern at that circuit.
Nonetheless Pirelli’s motorsport director Mario Isola identified the extra applicable resolution must be discovered for every circuit, significantly after its skilled in Qatar final 12 months, the place drivers needed to be prevented from operating onto kerbs which triggered tyre failures.
“Clearly gravel has some execs and cons, and the kerbs as effectively, as a result of if we use very excessive kerbs as effectively to oblige drivers to respect the observe limits, we take the danger to break the tyres as occurred in Qatar,” Isola advised RaceFans. “Clearly it relies on the time you spend over the kerbs, it relies on the velocity, on the load. However there’s this potential situation.
“On the opposite aspect, with gravel, you decelerate the automotive if the automotive is happening the gravel. However the danger is that you’ve got then stones approaching the observe.
“We had some cuts in Spielberg in Austria. They weren’t very deep, they had been reducing the tread however not touching the development. So we didn’t see any potential situation with the integrity of the tyre or with the sturdiness of the tyre. However we have to preserve it monitored as a result of it might probably occur that then you could have a reduce that’s damaging the tyre. Carbon items are much more harmful than the stones however this doesn’t imply that we shouldn’t take into account and monitor the state of affairs with the stones.”
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Circuits which host each automotive and bike racing have been reluctant to make use of gravel traps at some corners because of the potential hazards they pose to riders.
“I don’t know if there’s a excellent resolution,” mentioned Isola. “I perceive that the FIA has to work along with FIM [Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme] to discover a resolution that’s widespread throughout from street or automotive racing and motor racing. They’ve completely different necessities, they’ve completely different wants and so generally it’s not simple.
“What I discovered from Austria is that they will change the gravel path with Tarmac when the motorbikes are are racing with Austria. And clearly this can be a value for the circuit, fairly a giant value, changing each time gravel with Tarmac, Tarmac with gravel. I can think about that isn’t simple and we can not ask all of the circuits to try this.”
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