Why do f1 tracks have curves, They're an incredibly important part of a racetrack, especially when it comes down to safety. So how do we define a curb or curb, there's basically two different ways of spelling it, and I never know which one it is, I'm pretty sure it's Kerb for me anyway, they are primarily there to slow down the best drivers in the world at the very fastest have corners, for fear of bringing up the massive talking point from the Bahrain Grand Prix.
It also shows the drivers very clearly in usually a distinct white and red color pattern where the designated limits of the race track are however when there isn't grass or gravel past the exit curve, we of course get problems of track extending that the students have to deal with. Now I mentioned exit curb, that's the area of the track where the driver will be leaving a corner and accelerating out exit curves will usually have a washboard designed to reduce adhesion, should a driver place their Pirelli tires on them, which helps to enforce track limits somewhat because if it's slower, a trifle won't go there.
Of course you also have the entry curve which will be found on the apex of the corner, the apex is that thing I'm pointing up right now, just so you know, sometimes the drivers will touch these curves with their car, not their hands, and sometimes they won't. It all depends on what harm they could do to their beloved f1 car with the size and height specification for that particular Grand Prix, it's worth mentioning that they aren't all the same. You have raised cabs which drivers, absolutely do not want to touch with a barge pole and then others that are basically just painted lines on the racetrack, and are there to be cut and driven over with only time to be gained.
This is where the drivers trackwork really comes in handy as they analyze with their race team the subtle changes that may have been implemented from the last time they race there are changing of height of curbing or runoff area being adjusted and so on. It can all help to get the driver, up to speed quicker when they know exactly where they can push to the limits and gain time right Come on, this invention to prevent drivers running wide at high speed has caused a huge amount of debate among the drivers and teams when it comes to both safety and damaging of the cars.
I did mention at the start of the video that curbs are primarily there for safety. If a driver runs a little wide they aren't dipping a wheel onto grass or gravel, but on a curb which is there to essentially save them from having a potentially big crash sausage curbs however are a completely different ballgame, they're called that name for a reason, they're long and they raised, and they have caused some almighty crashes, one that comes to mind is Alex Perrone at Monza from f3 in 2019, he was incredibly lucky to walk away from that incident, Australia turn nine and the penultimate corner in Abu Dhabi other examples of these dreaded curbs, although Austria have since removed there's probably because Christian Horner was saying they cost the team quarter of a million pounds worth of damages in FP one from 2019.
