Why Is F1 Using a Fake Gravel Trap at the Dutch GP?

Formula 1 is all about new innovations. If not always, most of the time people related to the sport try to bring in new, efficient, and proactive ways to the sport. However, the ‘fake’ gravel trap, a major talking point this weekend, is somewhat a weird and unusual way to bring forward an invention.

F1 fans would definitely remember the fake marina at the Miami Grand Prix this season. Many liked the idea and thought it was a show stealer, while others compared it to the Monaco Grand Prix and made fun of it. Even though the fake marina didn’t have any use, the gravel trap at Dutch GP is different.

The 2022 Zandvoort race will see a fake gravel trap installed all around the track. This is the first time a racetrack is using such a system. It has been done to stop gravels and stones coming out on track when a car goes wide from the track.

Talking about this, in a report published by Motorsport, the Dutch Grand Prix sporting director Jan Lammers stated, “There is a new development in Turn 12, on the inside, there is gravel but to avoid gravel getting on the track they have made the first metre look like gravel – but it is actually a little bit like tarmac.”

READ MORE: “Everything Has Turned Around”: Max Verstappen & Red Bull Warned of Ferrari, Mercedes Comeback Over Early Bad Omen at Dutch GP

Where was it installed and how will this work in F1?

The fake gravel trap has been placed on the inside of turn 12. Ideally, the cars that land on the area will not take gravel with them. Lammers also believes that the trap could be used in different tracks of the world. The sporting director of Dutch GP also believes that this will be a valuable addition to the sport.

Admittedly, there are incidents where cars run wide, get into the gravel trap, and bring back gravel with them when they join back on track. Even though there are no notable accidents caused by it, they can lead to serious accidents, nevertheless.

F1 is a sport of speed, extreme speed to be fair. One slightest mistake can cause tremendous damage. To be more exact, a spring that is very small in size can cause a serious accident, as happened in the case of Felipe Massa. The former Ferrari driver suffered a fractured skull in the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix when he got hit by a spring.

WATCH THIS STORY: Lewis Hamilton Adds New Ink to His Collection with Fine Line Hand Tattoos

All in all, the fake gravel trap is created keeping safety in mind. It’ll be interesting to see how the trap comes in use once the Zandvoort race is in place this weekend.