Monza kerbs

[olly83]

Watching practice 1 I forsee 2 possible scenarios for the start of the GP

1, The cars attempt to take the first chicane as normal but the massive kerbs funnel them together and without being able to run a bit wide, contact will be inevitable

2, The drivers decide to avoid possible contact in T1 and cut the corner even more so than they did before as they now have to avoid the kerbs.

I'm not really sure why they have been introduced. Can anyone enlighten me?

[ECW Dan Selby]

I guess it's to stop people "short cutting" the kerbs. But as you say, people can just move even further in and short cut them.

Selby

[bravo]

To stop people cutting the apex?

I can see a few flying cars... wonder how far a 650kg car will fly after hitting a 80mm high curved kerb at 50mph...

[Marbot]

I think that there'll be a bit of 're-shuffling' and a few penalties handed out at this one.

[olly83]

Originally Posted by bravo

To stop people cutting the apex?

I can see a few flying cars... wonder how far a 650kg car will fly after hitting a 80mm high curved kerb at 50mph...

That's what I mean. In practice 1, Trulli spun and hit the kerb at low speed but the car was bounced violently enough for a few pieces of carbon fibre to fall off.

As I see it, the kerbs will stop deliberate corner apex cutting but punish small mistakes unfairly (not to mention breaking up the rythm of the circuit)

The race starts are traditionally where most of the corner cutting occurs but as I said in my original post the T1 kerbs look like they wil funnel the cars together creating more chance of a crash.

In my opinion, I dont think it's necessary to have that amount of tarmac run off at that corner and the fact that it is there encourages the corner cutting. If you had the old style kerbs and grass/gravel on the inside, you would discourage deliberate corner cutting without resorting to damaging cars which do, and at the same time cars can tiptoe through the gravel if they do overcook it

[ECW Dan Selby]

Yeh to be quite honest I think the old layout did a fair job of funnelling out short-cutters without penalising small mistakes.

Selby

[Wrex]

So what would they do if they were walls instead of curbs?

[ECW Dan Selby]

Bring out some serious red flags!!!

I know what you mean though... Wouldn't you just love to see the effect it'd have. The drivers would be up in arms!

Selby

[strider]

It was announced during the week that this had been done, following precedents set successfully elsewhere.

Previously some cars were able to ride the kerbs successfully, but others could not.

[olly83]

Tarmac run off has created shortcuts which people will use and the FIA are now chasing their tails trying to think of ways to stop people driving on it!

Look at Spa last year. If Hamilton had to bump along over the grass there would be no question of him deliberately trying to gain an advantage because there would have been no advantage to gain!!

The answer is not big kerbs, speed bumps etc... Put grass back and the driver will be disadvantaged by having to drive over it therefore no FIA investigations...

..Or is that too sensible?!

[ECW Dan Selby]

Man if the FIA hear you talking that amount of sense........................!!

Selby

[strider]

I missed the first free practice session, but have caught up now.

The new kerbs don't look too bad to me and there are plenty of places where the old kerbs have been retained so that cars like the McLaren can use them freely. It's interesting that over the years the Macs have always been good over kerbs.

[Born Racer]

Too sensible Olly, for sure.

Some of the drivers are moaning I hear. These are probably the ones wishing they were in one of the cars that can handle the kerbs well. The McLaren looked alright over them this morning.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Must say, i'm getting a bit fed up with "the best drivers in the world" not bothering with the 1st chicane...

Selby

[neiltb]

I think they find it's all to easy to look like the worst driver in the world if you don't make it through it.

[gttouring]

instead of higher kerbs why would monza redirect the chicane and make it longer or wider in so short cutting couldn't happen?
those things are huge! so wicked in the super slo-mo.

[Sodemo]

Rettifilo now is dreadfully dull. I much preferred the old double chicane they had pre-2001

[strider]

Ant Davidson was saying on the TV coverage of this morning's practice session that he didn't like the look of the kerbs at all and, having spoken to some of the drivers, they don't like them either.

[jab]

Reminds me of the tyre stacks in 96. They took out a few drivers in the race

[Marbot]

It was interesting to here some of the reasons behind the kerbs being there in the first place.Someone mentioned that the McLaren's were good over them in previous races and that the Ferrari's were not.

[Born Racer]

Yes jab. I remember some drivers being non-plussed with the tyres on the pole in 1996, but I read somewhere that drivers weren't aware that those things were solid until they hit them.

[Sodemo]

They do remind me of the controvertial tyre stacks of 1996, just wait until a car spins sideways, hits them, then flips over and they will soon get removed.

[Fox89]

I think these kerbs are excellent. Sure, it could cause some first corner problems, but last year cars were cutting the apex way too much, and not getting penalised for it. The second chicane could be almost straight lined by some of them! These kerbs make damn sure you drive the track properly, and I'm all in favour of them.

[JamesH]

Hear Hear!!

If you stay between the white lines, what kerbs?

[Pingguest]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Rettifilo now is dreadfully dull. I much preferred the old double chicane they had pre-2001

I much more preferred getting rid of the first two chicanes.