What Are Speed Traps in Formula 1?

Looking at the anatomy of a Formula 1 circuit, the term ‘speed trap’ is used to point to a certain part of the circuit. So why are these parts of the circuits so special and what do they mean?

Speed traps are a crucial part of every circuit. In Monaco, you can find the speed trap is placed between turn 9 and turn 10. In Silverstone, it’s on the straight between turn 14 and 15. Thus, there’s no requirement for an area to be labeled as a speed trap.

What are speed traps?

A speed trap plays an important role in feeding crucial stats to the teams. It is usually the fastest point on an F1 circuit and is found on the longest straight of the track. When the cars go through the speed trap, the data received is used to compare the fastest speeds amongst the drivers.

Its location on the straight varies as well; sometimes it is placed in the middle of the straight or ahead of a braking point.

To compare Monaco and Silverstone, since Monaco doesn’t have proper straights as a part of the circuit, the speed trap is ahead of the Nouvelle Chicane. Contrarily, the speed trap in Silverstone is on Hangar straight. However, it’s not in the middle of the straight, instead, it is just ahead of turn 15.

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Thus, speed traps vary based on which point of the circuit is best suited for the teams and the officials to collect data from the cars.

Why are they important in Formula 1?

The data collected from speed trap points play an important role in the overall analysis of performance. It provides a meticulous representation of pace and the difference between the cars on the track. It also projects the driver’s performance and shows if they are pushing the car to its limit. For example, the speed trap sheet from the 2017 British GP lists the various drivers and their speeds during the race.

Even today, with the battle between Mercedes and Red Bull, speed traps play an important role in the discussion of pace. To illustrate, there is a reason the Autodrom in Mexico is a Red Bull stronghold. In Mexico, the speed trap is at the end of the main straight, before the first corner. Because Mercedes is known for its straight-line speed, the speed trap records higher speeds in the Silver Arrows.

Mercedes recorded a speed of 351.1 km/h, while Red Bull recorded 343.2 km/h. However, in comparing the start to finish speeds, Mercedes sat at 258.4 km/h and Red Bull at 257.8 km/h.

Thus, these numbers give crucial information about the caliber of the machines; both for the purpose of competition and comparison.

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