3
Formula 1 race director Michael Masi states that drivers asked for the bollard system to be implemented following a meeting in Canada.
During the race weekend at the Circuit Paul Ricard, there were bollards placed in the first sector, which drivers had to go around if they left the track in order to re-join safely.
They were in prominent use in the Formula 2 and Formula 3 races, while in F1, Sergio Perez went around the bollard on lap 1 after leaving the track, but still earned a time penalty.
In Canada, drivers also had to keep left to a sign when rejoining the circuit if they missed the final chicane - all motives pushed by the drivers themselves.
"It's something that the drivers have asked for," Masi said. "It comes following a discussion that we had in Canada in the drivers' meeting, so we've got it here.
"There's a lot of run-off out there so it was a prime situation and a prime set of circumstances to actually try it.
"The one at Turn 2, from what I saw in the Formula 2 and Formula 3 races starts, seemed to work quite effectively.
"The one at 5, probably not as effective as we would have liked but where they rejoined, it certainly worked quite well. So generally, it's one of those from the hotspots that we will continue to try."
F1 has its first doubleheader of the year, as next weekend sees the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.
There has been no major alterations to the circuit ahead of the race weekend, with all changes related to minor maintenance fixes.
"It's been more safety changes, a couple of kerbs have been slightly extended but it's minor things," Masi said.
"It's more back of house tidy ups rather than substantial changes, some entry kerbs extended by five metres or a bit of concrete around them just to tidy it up from a maintenance perspective."
None of these issues would have been issues if Charlie was still alive
We miss you Charlie
It's good to see that the drivers input is being listened to. Oh to be a fly on the wall for those drivers meetings.
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
M. Verstappen
C. Sainz jr
C. Leclerc
Bahrain
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
Australia
Albert Park
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
It's good to see that the drivers input is being listened to. Oh to be a fly on the wall for those drivers meetings.