FIA not planning any changes to Red Bull Ring kerbs
The FIA is not planning to make any changes to the kerbs at the Red Bull Ring on safety grounds, despite Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff calling for a “reaction” from the governing body.
Photo by: Ferrari Media Center
Nico Rosberg, Sergio Perez and, most spectacularly of all Daniil Kvyat, suffered rear suspension failures today after contact with kerbs, and Wolff made it clear that he was concerned.
Kvyat, Mercedes technical chief Paddy Lowe and GPDA chairman Alex Wurz all expressed an interest in viewing the kerbs up close, and they joined Charlie Whiting on a track inspection at the end of today's action.
The race director duly explained the rationale behind the kerb design, which is used at many other venues, and has been extensively proven. He also explained that there won't be any changes.
One theory is that, at this particular track, drivers are simply able to use more of the kerbs than usual, and that the extra time spent on them caused problems for some cars.
Wolff explained: “It is a concern. The strange thing is at the beginning it seemed we had spikes of loads.
“But once we analysed the data there was not much load on the suspension. So it is some kind of strange frequency or oscillation on the tyre that makes the suspension break. And we don't know what it is.
“It looks like it's the red kerbs, which are new, which triggers that.”
The FIA viewpoint is that teams with concerns should ensure that their drivers use the kerbs less.
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