r/F1Technical • u/TheKnightsRider • Jun 22 '24
Circuit Are all run off areas as harsh as Barcelona and Is there variation for corner type?
Clearly not gravel, but is that the same for all circuits?
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u/fliP-13 Jun 22 '24
Back in university I joined a Formula Student team and travelled to Hockenheim, Silverstone and Barcelona. I was also surprised by how large the pebbles in the gravel trap are. But I realised that TV pictures are almost never close up shots of gravel traps, so I assumed that I just perceived the size to be much smaller than it actually is
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u/VacquesJillenueve Jun 22 '24
Yeah the gravel traps are more pebble traps, the stones are pretty large and mostly smooth.
I have a momento from Brundle’s rollover at Albert Park in ‘96 with a splash of gold paint on it that’s as big as the palm of my hand somewhere
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u/sheesh_doink Jun 22 '24
It's funny, when I read "at Albert park in '96" I swear I heard Martin in my head
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u/Pintau Jun 22 '24
The car doesn't dig into aggregate if it goes into it sideways, as opposed to sand or small gravel which tend to cause rollovers
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u/notasfatasyourmom Jun 23 '24
Yep. Stones this size and shape don’t settle and lock into each other, they just slide against one another. Even walking across rocks like this takes quite a bit more work than gravel that has settled over time.
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u/chevyzaz Jun 22 '24
When I was at spa for the first time i was surprised how big the rocks were as well
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u/Andysan555 Jun 22 '24
I used to marshall a bit and I was always surprised once you walk through a gravel trap how rough and unsmooth they are up close. I was also surprised how much debris, nails etc stick out of the tyre barriers. I'm amazed no one in single seaters has every been injured through hitting one.
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u/Basic_Two_2279 Jun 22 '24
Jeez. Get a couple of those kicking up under a car could really do some damage
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u/killerrobot23 Jun 22 '24
Less damage than the car digging in to small rocks or sand and then rolling.
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u/ezequielmunozx2 Jun 22 '24
I Will take a picture for you on Sunday🫡
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Jun 22 '24
??? there’s a picture above
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u/ezequielmunozx2 Jun 22 '24
I think the perspective makes it look bigger than what they really are
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Jun 22 '24
Yes, close up things look big, far away stuff looks small. The tv series father ted had a good explanation you should see.
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u/faz712 Jun 22 '24
Zandvoort has massive stones / rocks that are essentially glued down so they don't get brought onto the track but still penalize the driver using it
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u/BasedGodStruggling Jun 22 '24
Glued to each other? Or glued to whatever surface is underneath? What’s underneath the trap?
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u/Aude_B3009 Jun 23 '24
I think it's resin, but it doesn't really matter. it basically means that your wheel won't get stuck, and most importantly (why they actually did it) because this way there won't be gravel all over the track in that corner. in the first year I think that was quite a big problem, with there constantly being gravel at the apex. just because it's now stuck together doesn't mean it functions like an extended curb tho, it's still pretty harsh and you should avoid it mostly. here's a link to a picture of the gravel there, the darker bit is the bit with the resin or whatever it is
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u/Mike_Raphone99 Jun 22 '24
Hard for me to judge size I need something for reference...
Banana for scale
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u/muddlet Jun 22 '24
i have gravel from spa and melbourne from recent years. both are just like aggregate - rocky pieces varied in size but about the size of the tip of your thumb
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u/Darkowl_57 Jun 23 '24
When I went to Indianapolis for the 500 this year I had general admission infield tickets and so I walked on the infield road course before the race. It’s incredible how much everything is scaled — not just the size of the gravel, but the size of the curbs and the overall track width. Things that look small or insignificant on the TV are actually really impressive up close when you’re walking on it.
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u/stuntin102 Jun 24 '24
this is normal race track gravel. that camera is a super wide with nearly infinite depth of field and the stones look enormous that close to the lens.
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u/pie4july Jun 22 '24
Damn. If those get kicked up, they could break a finger easy.
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u/GonP97 Jun 22 '24
A few years ago Grosjean thought he had broken his finger because one rock hit him, seeing the size now I understand better.
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Jun 22 '24
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Jun 23 '24
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