Jenson Button says it’s easier to carry more speed into Parabolica now that the run-off area is more forgiving.
Much of the gravel trap which once bordered the outside of the corner has been replaced with Tarmac, a move questioned by several drivers yesterday.
Button joined those expressing doubt over the changes to the corner, despite saying he felt he could now take the corner more quickly.
“The revised run-off at Parabolica is still slower, if you go off-track, but now you don’t get penalised,” he said.
“I’m definitely carrying more speed into that corner than I did last year – because you’re less wary of the gravel exit, which is no longer there. It’s different, but I’m still not sure whether I like it.”
McLaren looked quicker than they have done for several races at Monza on Friday, but Button has some reservations about their overall performance.
“Our single-lap pace looks quite good, but we’re probably lacking in race pace compared with some of the other teams,” he said. “Still, it’s always difficult to know where you are on a Friday – we don’t yet know quite where we stand.”
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Image © McLaren/LAT
Dom (@3dom)
5th September 2014, 19:15
I was watching F1 show with Derek Warwick explaining the changes. He made it sound like the small strip of AstroTurf was their only real viable option. Surely there should be something else that would provide a greater penalty than that. I keep hearing about this abrasive stuff at Paul Ricard that wears the tyres but is grippy. Not sure they considered that stuff
Sharon H (@sharoncom)
5th September 2014, 19:30
I think they should try some kind of rubber reed option. There must be something better than standard AstroTurf.
Dr Jones
5th September 2014, 19:55
You get the impression D Warick is really not up to the task…..like on all UK motorways this extra run off should be coated in severe rumbled stripe material.The result would be a shock to the driver, and slowing of the car.
MagicSpin
5th September 2014, 21:32
Most kerbs are certainly worse than rumble strips. You can see it in the way the camera blurs when drivers pass over them, and yet they do it lap in lap out. It doesn’t affect them, they’re only worried about rear grip, if anything
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
5th September 2014, 19:20
Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, really.
I don’t like to bring the “oh, bring back old days”, but… You’d flinch a bit everytime to go on an onboard coming into the Parabolica. You’d watch that left rear tyre touch the white line and close your eyes a bit. They were ON THE EDGE of what was possible. And that one that pushed a bit harder, and got away, could make a huge difference coming into Turn 1.
Now what? I’m just watching someone “having a go”. If it sticks, great, if it doesn’t, no matter… I’ll just go straight… and I won’t even lose a lot of time.
I’m totally annoyed.
Dr. Jekyll (@dr-jekyll)
5th September 2014, 19:33
I agree completely… there are safe ways to make the run off area penalizing.
it’s not watching people go fast that is the excitement, I can watch some boeings take off from an airport any day, it’s about having to calculate and feel and sometimes even wing-it with your chances through a race track.
Old tracks weren’t built in a completely flat car park in the middle of a desert, and usually don’t have the run off zones of a small airport, that’s why we like them more
George (@george)
5th September 2014, 20:12
@fer-no65
Totally agree, I made a post making the same point yesterday. Parabolica was a corner where the margin for error was tiny, now it’s just like any boring Tilkedrome corner.
It’s funny, I remember when I first heard this news, someone tweeted about them starting work (might have been Brundle?) and said ‘dont worry, they’re only tarmacking the entry’ which is reasonable and acceptable in my opinion, because it makes mechanical failures or freak accidents (ie Webber/Kovy @ Valencia) safer but doesn’t affect the racing. I don’t know if the contractor ballsed up and they’ve just run with it, but it’s very disappointing that they’ve changed the defining element of one of F1’s most famous corners. It’s not as if the exit was particularly dangerous, I cant remember anyone actually crashing because they got wide on the exit as they’re pointing away from the barriers by then.
Pete (@petey84)
6th September 2014, 0:24
Is it just parabolica that has been ‘fixed’. I thought from what I saw of practice, it looks like they have changed the exit of lesmo 2.
I could be wrong though.
Davey
5th September 2014, 20:11
I don’t really see it as a big issue having watched practice as the drivers were still running the same line as before & apart from a small handful of occasions they were still running right upto but not over the white line.
And to be honest I’d much rather a car be able to go off & remain in the session/race than go off & get stuck in the gravel or suffer damage which takes them out of competition which reduces competition through practice/qualifying/races for the fans watching.
It was also always annoying when someone went off & sprayed gravel all over the track which caused trouble for cars behind with punctures or losing grip & going off themselfs.
The corner is still the same as it always was, Its still as tough as it always was & Drivers are still making errors there be it lockups when braking or slides through it. The runoff does nothing to add/take away from that.
Chris Lawson
6th September 2014, 8:27
Yes the drivers are running the same line as before but that’s not the point. The point is when they make a mistake and run wide, there is no penalty (losing tenths here and there). Nobody wants to see them being stuck in the gravel but if they made a mistake before, they had to lift off the throttle and scramble through the grass/gravel and rejoin. Now they just alter the steering, keep the throttle buried and rejoin without losing time. That’s the difference.
They can take more risks knowing there’s no penalty. As Jenson says, he now carries more speed into the corner just because he now can.
And more importantly, one of the most iconic corners in the history of F1 has bee made less of a challenge.
Davey
6th September 2014, 17:28
But even by running wide onto the tarmac there losing time, like martin brundle said during sky commentary the drivers have found there is a lot less grip on the green paint/astroturf/kurb than expected so when you run off you do have to lift which does cost time.
Roald (@roald)
5th September 2014, 20:12
I hate it. Everyone putting wheels over the lines and Whiting will probably complain eventually.
If it goes on like this, new race tracks will be completely flat, asphalted square areas with nothing on there but white lines defining the ‘limits’ of the actual circuit layout. Great job once again, FIA.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
6th September 2014, 11:43
Exactly my thoughts ! They have removed the gravel and then they will tell drivers to respect track limits.
Another thing i’m sure safety will become a concern in Parabolica since the drivers will carry more speed into that corner. I’m just wondering how smart the people responsible for this comedy are ?
MtlRacer (@mtlracer)
5th September 2014, 20:27
If all four wheels go beyond the white lines, automatic drive through penalty, no questions asked. For qualifying, it would nullify current and next lap as drivers would surely find a way to get a faster run out by going a bit wide.
It’s not as bad as your race ending in the gravel trap, but harsh enough that the risk not worth the reward.
The penalty has to do more than just take away the advantage gained.
Jake (@jleigh)
5th September 2014, 20:28
I don’t really have a problem with it. They don’t gain an advantage going off the track. If they make a big error, they can still be out of the session (ask Colletti), but if it’s just a small error they can carry on without damage. One thing I might change, is adding a permanently damp, thin section of astro just beyond the white line. If drivers went wide, they would have to get off the throttle or risk spinning.
MattB (@mattb)
5th September 2014, 21:07
How about just beyond the apex, put a sausage kerb that turns into a chicane? This would really ruin anyone’s ability to run wide without severe penalty.
Davey
6th September 2014, 17:30
But the exit is such a fast corner that if you make an honest mistake or get pushed wide by another car & don’t have time to avoid the sausage kurbs you just going to get launched over them.
Joey-Poey (@joey-poey)
5th September 2014, 21:37
I don’t understand why they can’t have a strip of gras, then paved run off. If the idea is to punish drivers when they go wide but make it safer than the risks of gravel, wouldn’t this be the easiest and safest route?
Chris Lawson
6th September 2014, 8:20
Good call – like that idea
Force Maikel (@force-maikel)
5th September 2014, 22:29
Wonderfull, another one of the last great corners in F1 to actually punish the drivers is now also ruined. They don’t even need to keep close to the inside kerb anymore, just shift down the gears and throw it in, then nail the throttle as hard as you like. They only drivers not doing.
It just don’t get it, tarmac is not going to improve the safety, in my opinion gravel is far superior to tarmac.
You DO NOT want to be the one going into paribollica with a break faillure now.
Remember Webber? (2011,2012??) His wing got stuck under the car, if paribollica anno 2014 was in effect back then Webber would not have climbed out of that car without injury!
Force Maikel (@force-maikel)
5th September 2014, 22:30
*They don’t even need to keep close to the inside kerb anymore, just shift down the gears and throw it in, then nail the throttle as hard as you like, then lean on the green bit and away is the magic that was Paribollica*
Force Maikel (@force-maikel)
5th September 2014, 23:06
And for some reason I keep mispronouncing “ParAbolica”
Just in case someone’s OCD kicks in…
juan fanger (@juan-fanger)
5th September 2014, 23:37
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