The Red Bull Ring has installed new gravel traps for this weekends Austrian Grand Prix. This follows the 1,200 track limit violations which took place last year.
[adrotate banner=”10″]
Get 10% off all official F1 Merch at TheRaceWorks.com using code ‘EF1‘ at checkout.
During the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, 20 track limit penalties were handed to drivers in the race. It got so bad, the FIA said that they were not able to review all the infringements.
Aston Martin had lodged a complaint as they believed that track limit breaches were not being looked at. This only piled on to the mountain of track limit violations that Race Control was looking at.
The FIA had recommended that a gravel trap be added to turns nine and 10. The Red Bull Ring has taken their request and have now added a 2.5-metre-wide gravel trap to those corners.
Turns nine and 10 saw 83 track limit infringements alone last year. One issue that could now face the Austrian track is many other series do not prefer gravel traps. Moto GP races here and, at such high speed corners, gravel traps would not be their choice.
The FIA said: “We note that while this is not a straightforward solution in relation to other series that race here, it has proved to be very effective at other corners and circuits with similar issues.”
Formula 1 drivers have voiced their interest in gravel traps previously. At Imola this year, the drivers praised the introduction of several gravel traps around the circuit. It not only helps the drivers in understanding where the track limits are, but it also adds more risk. Oscar Piastri spoke at Imola about the new gravel traps.
He said: “For us it’s a welcome thing and I think China was a very similar example. They added more gravel back in there and we were very complimentary of that work. So I think we would welcome it at other track as well.
“It makes it a bit more difficult because the risk is more. We have track limits everywhere we go so there’s always the risk, even if this risk is a bit different. One is you end up in the gravel; completely ruin the lap or the car, and the other is you go a bit wide, but you ruin your lap as well. It’s a bit of a different risk.”
[adrotate banner=”10″]
Get 10% off all official F1 Merch at TheRaceWorks.com using code ‘EF1‘ at checkout.
Feature Image Credit: Speedcafe.com