Qatar takes action to improve safety: smoother curbs and gravel traps to control track limits
Today at 03:42 AM
The problems of the 2023 Qatar GP
Qatar is taking steps to prevent a recurrence of the issues that affected the 2023 GP at the Lusail circuit. Last year's race required all competitors to make at least three pit stops due to excessively high curbs that damaged tires, compromising driver safety. Additionally, there was significant debate—common on tracks with wide asphalt run-off areas—regarding track limits, with numerous penalties issued during the race. These are two issues the Qatar GP organizers hope to have resolved through structural changes to the track.
The new Lusail curbs
First and foremost, the circuit has been modified to feature smoother and generally less sharp-edged curbs. The aim is clearly to enhance safety by preventing dangerous cuts to the tire structure, which had forced F1 Race Control to mandate a three-stop race and redesign curves 12 and 13.
Gravel run-off areas
Significant work has also been done on the asphalt run-off areas at the exits of nearly all the corners on the circuit located near Doha. Beyond the new curbs, the Qatar GP organizers have chosen to install "gravel traps" a couple of meters wide: a solution intended to make exceeding track limits disadvantageous in terms of lap time.
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