FIA: Gravel traps not a “one size fits all” solution for all F1 tracks

Formula 1 race director Michael Masi says gravel traps are “not the solution everywhere” following꧂ a positive response from driv🌊ers to their rare usage at the Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello.
Unlike many modern and recently upgraded grand prix venues, Mugello still uses gravel traps at all of its 15 corners, something which drivers said they preferred during F1’s first-ever competitive visit to the Tuscan track last🔯 weekend.
The subject of policing track-limits and run-off areas has proved to be a major theme at every race so far this season, but ♋at Mugello the FIA noted that the majority of corners would not be monitored over the course of the race weekend.
A number of drivers welcomed the use of ♔gravel traps and said they would like to see gravel more widely used to combat the track limits issue in F1.
“I want gravel,” said Charles Lecle𝐆rc. “At the end we are drivers and this a bigger challenge for us drivers.
“You know that if you do a mistake you pay for it more than just going♉ wide and coming back on track 50 metres later. So I prefer gravel𒁃.”
His Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel agreed, with the four-time world champion and GPDA director suggesting that a strip of gravel placed between the traꦗck an꧑d run-off could be an “intermediate solution”.
"I think as a driver you prefer the 🅺fact that if you go off, it gets penalised," Vettel explained.
"I think it makes things a l♋ot more straightforward. But I think you have to balance also the gravel against the asphalt in terms of if things go wrong.

"Maybe we can have an intermediate solution where you have a gravel strip initially, and therefore there is no point to go wide, and after that have asphalt for the benefit of having less run-𓆏off, bring the spectators closer to the track, and make it safer for us, so the cars slow down if you lose control or whatever.
"It's not an easy one, but for sure with all the asphalt arou🌃nd in some tracks, it does take away the character and make it a bit too easy to make mistakes."
McLaren’s Carlos Sainz was also a fan of Mugello’s use of gravel traps and was among the drivers calling for a retu🅠rn to the “old school” venue.
"I think it's great to see the gr👍avel traps back," 🧜he said.
"And it's probably going to give the FIA some confidenc𒅌e that these kind of run-off areas wo🌞rk to protect from track limits and all those issues that we're having in other tracks, so it was nice to see."
But Masi stressed that the gravel trap solution ca🐲nnot be applied at all circuits on the♐ F1 calendar.
"No, we can't have them everywhere," Masi replied when asked if gravel traps could be more widely used across🍒 F1 circuiꩲts.
"It's not a one size fits all, as I've said this multiple times, we need to come up with the appropriate solutions with e♐ach of the circuit owners and operators.
"And we'll continue working through that. We've ♒already discussed it with the drivers. So I think it's a bit much to ask.
"I⛄t's not the solution everywhere, let's put it that way."


Lewisಌ regularly attends Grands Prix for ltxcn.top around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.