"You really need to be careful in some parts" - 2022 F1 Imola GP's aggressive kerbs could be 'a limiting factor' in car setups
F1's return to Europe for the 2022 Imola GP will bring with it a set of challenges concerning the older-styled kerbs at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
The new regulations put in place at the start of the season have reintroduced ground-effect cars to F1 which ride much lower to the floor to improve performance. The new generation of cars could be considerably hindered by the aggressive kerbs at the circuit.
Xevi Pujolar, Alfa Romeo's head of trackside engineering, feels drivers need to be wary of this going into the race weekend. In the opening three races, cars have been able to drive on the kerbs and have even been encouraged to do so. Imola's older style and nature, however, may force drivers to adapt to their surroundings. In an interview carried by motorsport.com, Pujolar said:
“For sure it is something that we are taking into consideration. And it can be a limiting factor. In some occasions, and the way you need to set up the car, and how much track you use, you really need to be careful in some parts. It could have an impact on the weekend.”
Another senior engineer was also of a similar opinion to the Alfa Romeo man, saying:
“If you look at the start of last year’s race, when Lewis Hamilton had to run across the kerbs at Turn 1 to avoid colliding with Max Verstappen, that would have badly crunched his floor if it happened with a 2022 car.”
F1 may need to rethink aggressive kerbs to improve safety for drivers
With new ground-effect cars depending on airflow from the floor to deliver performance, F1 may be forced to rethink the style of kerbs installed at older circuits on the calendar.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen admitted he is still trying to figure out his approach for the weekend, saying:
“The cars are lower and they’re also stiffer, so kerb riding is a little harder than it used to be with the old cars. We’ll see, I hope whatever challenges these new cars have, we can still be in the competitive range in terms of kerb riding. Again, I think our car is all-round very strong so it should be alright.”
It remains to be seen how teams will tackle the kerbs around the circuit. The last thing F1 needs is more security concerns after Jeddah and Melbourne. The sport will do well to remember Alex Peroni's horrific F3 crash in Monza back in 2019.
Peroni is very lucky to escape severe injuries after this horrific crash. #F3 (via @darcyf1) https://t.co/9iz2GQSh5g
The Australian's car was launched into the air after riding a sausage kerb installed to enforce track limits at Parabolica. Peroni was fortunate to walk away from the incident with a fractured vertebra.
The 2022 F1 Imola GP weekend will run from April 22 through to April 24 and will have the first sprint race of the season.