Lando Norris of the McLaren F1 team demanded that F1 remove the sausage curb after two recent horrific crashes caused by a car floating in the air with a high curb.
Sausage curbs are arguably one of the best deterrents for drivers who exceed truck limits, as they can damage the car. However, if you hit at the wrong angle, the car may jump out into the air.
This has happened twice in the last few weeks, one at the F2 feature race at the British Grand Prix and the other at the WEC (FIA World Endurance Championship) in Monza on Sunday.
In F2, Dennis Hauger’s car hit Roy Nissany’s head, and at WEC, Enrique Chavez’s Aston Martin door was torn, but the driver was thankfully unharmed.
But Lando Norris is afraid that this is not always the case.
“In the first place, cars shouldn’t fly in the air. It certainly shouldn’t be such a violent way,” Lando Norris wrote in the Daily Telegraph column.
“This is always more complicated than it looks, but one thing I’m concerned about is the sausage curb.
“I’ve been critical of high curbs in the past, but I think it’s time for us to issue these warnings and move to get them out of our sport.”
“The Chavez crash was the second biggest crash in two weeks after Dennis Hauger jumped into the air with a high curb and hit rival Roy Nissany’s safety device Halo in an F2 race at Silverstone.”
“Thankfully, both drivers were unharmed in the incident, but I’ve seen other drivers injured in the past. In 2019, Alex Peroni will sausage in an F3 race that supports F1 racing. He hit the curb and caused a big crash. That was the end of his season. “
Lando Norris is concerned that new-generation F1 cars may be easier to lift due to the stiffer floors and stiffer suspension.
“F1 cars are lower than ever and harder than ever. When these cars hit those curbs, they don’t ride them, so we have to act,” continued Lando Norris.
“It can jump into the air. The car can bounce, make a big arc, and be slammed again. This can be very painful to the back.”
“The Chavez crash last weekend reminds me that this can’t be prolonged. Problems such as sausage curbs are important topics that need to be resolved sooner rather than later, at least in my eyes. is”
Valtteri Bottas also recently opposed the raised curb, saying he hopes that Hauger and Nissany’s F2 crash will be a “sufficient trigger” for F1 to take action.
We are all happy to see Henrique Chaves able to step out of his TF Sport Aston Martin after this dramatic crash at Variante Roggia.#WEC #6HMonza @OfficialTFSport pic.twitter.com/vYqiXRgTvi
— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) July 10, 2022
Category: Category: F1 / Lando Norris / McLaren