Bizarre quirk of Qatar kerbs caused F1 problems, reckons Mercedes
The brutal car damage dished out by the kerbs at Formula 1's Losail circuit was a result of them not being aggressive enough, reckons Mercedes.
A number of drivers hit trouble over the Qatar weekend as they suffered car and tyre damage throughout the event.
Charles Leclerc and Nikita Mazepin both had to swap chassis following damage caused by kerb strikes, while Pierre Gasly smashed a front wing that triggered a puncture at the end of qualifying.
In the race, it is suspected that the repeated running over the kerbs played a part in the tyre failures that were suffered by Valtteri Bottas, Lando Norris and Williams duo George Russell and Nicholas Latifi.
Rather than the issue being that the kerbs were too rough, Mercedes head of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin says the situation was so difficult because the kerbs were actually too low – so there was no deterrent to running over them.
"It is strange because the issue is that they are actually quite smooth, so therefore you can run all over them," he explained.
"When you run all over them, the front wings are very low to the ground and they are being clipped, plus the tyres are being hit pretty hard by them.
"In a bizarre way, if they were more aggressive it would probably be easier for the cars and the tyres.
"But the fact that you can get on them, and the quickest thing is to get on them as well, means you have got to do it here, and therein lies the risk."
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes W12
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
F1 race director Michael Masi said that there was nothing unique about the kerb design at Losail, which are regularly in place at both MotoGP and F1 venues.
He cited the fact that the exit same kerb concepts are used without complaint at the final sequence of the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
"They're the standard FIA / FIM kerbs that we've seen at the last two corners at Austria forever," he said.
"I think one of the things is that drivers were trying to use everything to their full advantage."
Pirelli has opened an investigation in to what caused the tyre failures in the Qatar race, and will examine whether drivers abusing the kerbs was a key factor in the punctures.
The Italian tyre manufacturer's head of F1 and car racing Mario Isola said: "Any small debris, any kerb, can cause a small puncture.
"Then, losing air, the tyre when it's broken is not able to sustain the high level of energy that these cars are putting on the tyres."
Related video
Alpine: Alonso Qatar F1 podium "a question of a few corners"
Hamilton, Mercedes feeling "better than ever" ahead of F1 title run-in
Ford: F1 return wasn’t possible without changes to engine rules
Ford would not have returned to Formula 1 without the major changes to the engine regulations for 2026, according to its motorsport boss.
Mercedes takes BoP hit after rapid Bathurst qualifying
Mercedes teams have been dealt a hefty Balance of Performance blow ahead of tomorrow's Bathurst 12 Hour following Maro Engel's lap record-breaking effort in the Top 10 Shootout.
Lapierre to skip 2023 WEC season as Alpine steps down to LMP2
Nicolas Lapierre is set to be absent from the World Endurance Championship grid for the first time since 2015 this year, following Alpine’s step down to LMP2.
Ford still not satisfied with Supercars Gen3 parity
Ford continues to harbour concerns over the parity between the Mustang and Camaro Gen3 Supercars following the latest round of prototype testing.
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.