Following a huge crash at Monza at the weekend, Lando Norris is calling on the FIA to do away with sausage kerbs.

The accident occurred during the WEC event at Monza, and saw Henrique Chaves' Aston Martin being flipped upside down after hitting the kerb at the second chicane sideways on, just a week after a not entirely dissimilar incident at Silverstone.

After hitting the kerb and landing on its roof the car slid along the track before barrel-rolling into a guardrail.

"Thankfully, despite one of the car's doors coming off mid-air, and debris flying about all over the place, Chaves was able to walk away unharmed," writes Norris in The Telegraph.

"But the car should never have been sent airborne in the first place," he adds. "Certainly not in such violent fashion. These things are always more complex than they seem but there is one thing I am concerned about: sausage kerbs.

"I have been critical of raised kerbs in the past, but I think it is time we acted on these warnings and removed them from our sport," he warns. "Chaves's crash was the second big one in two weeks after the incident in the Formula Two race at Silverstone when Dennis Hauger's car was launched into the air when he struck a raised kerb, crashing into the halo safety device of rival Roy Nissany.

"Again, thankfully, both drivers were able to walk away from the incident but we have seen other drivers injured in the past. In 2019, Alex Peroni had a big crash when he hit a sausage kerb during an F3 race in support of the F1 race. That ended his season.

"With Formula One cars running lower to the ground than ever, and stiffer than ever, we need to act because when these cars hit these kerbs, you do not ride them. You can be launched into the air. Cars can pop up, do big wheelies and then slam back down again, which can be very painful on the back.

Chaves's crash is a reminder that we cannot let this drag on," he warns. "Issues such as sausage kerbs are, in my eyes at least, a critical topic that we need to sort out sooner rather than later."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by kenji, 14/07/2022 23:46

"@Wokinchap...Yes, you are correct, drivers will abuse the system if they think for one millisecond that they may get away with it. So, at the end of the day, what do you suggest the FIA do? Revert to no kerbing at all? Mad Matt asked the same question but no one responded with a workable solution! I do favour the retention of the sausage kerbs until someone can come up with an idea that will cover all aspects. It's been well acknowledged that the
sausages' have magnified some aspects of a few accidents and that is an unintended consequence. Do they justify removal of the kerbs....I don't think so, ATM. It's similara to the raging argument about track limits and the white line. I shall revert to an old cliche, 'do the crime do the time'....."

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2. Posted by Wokingchap, 14/07/2022 11:17

"Kenji.... yes they will but if they go 1mm too far they can expect a penalty and it's the same for them all.
I agree with Lando and if the curbs are removed i reckon some suspension parts will be lightened."

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3. Posted by kenji, 12/07/2022 13:16

"Remove the sausage kerbs and they will all just drift further off the white lines....."

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4. Posted by Motorsport-fan, 12/07/2022 12:24

"Have to agree with Lando, a rethink on these kurbs is required, no circuit furniture should make the accident worse. "

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5. Posted by Mad Matt, 12/07/2022 12:11

"In one sense I agree with him... but then what else should we do to prevent cutting chicanes and handing out track limit violations? Gravel works but then some series (I think bikes) don't like it....

On the other hand, as many have pointed out, they race with walls in Monaco, or the castle section in Baku etc. is hitting a sausage curb more dangerous than a barrier in Monaco? Or is it that the drivers don't respect them an expect to experience a minor bump?

Do we want to go full Mario and have detectors note when a driver leaves the track and limit the power output of the car for five seconds?

"

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Norris calls for scrapping of sausage kerbs

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