In 2019, Formula 3 driver Alex Peroni suffered a broken back after being catapulted by the ‘sausage’ curbs that were located at the Parabolica runoff .
Those curbs were removed for the rest of the weekend at that particular corner, but continued to be used on FIA grade 1 circuits.
At last year’s US Grand Prix in Austin, W Series driver Abbie Eaton and F4 competitor Christian Weir suffered broken bones after their cars were thrown into the air after hitting similar curbs, while in this year’s WEC race at Monza Henrique Chaves emerged victorious from a spectacular crash after hitting the ‘sausage’ curbs at the second chicane.
The ‘sausage’ curbs have been removed ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix following criticism from drivers, but Red Bull’s Sergio Perez said it took “too many accidents” to remove them.
“Yes, it seemed to me that it had taken too many accidents to eliminate them. A few years ago we saw how dangerous they could be,” said the Mexican, referring to Peroni’s accident.
“Luckily, nothing too serious has happened, but it’s great news that they get rid of them, because they can create a massive following in the other organizers.”
Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou said his removal should also help the spectacle of racing, as cars are no longer at risk of being tossed about when they’re battling it out side-by-side in Monza’s tight chicanes.
“Of course, the ‘sausage’ curbs make the race difficult when racing side by side – not only for us, but also for the lower categories,” said the Chinese driver.
“There have been some incidents at Monza in the past, so I think it’s a good decision.”
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was also pleased with the decision, and McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo spoke on behalf of all the drivers on the grid, saying “we are happy with the decision, without a doubt”.
Drivers unable to keep to the line at the second Monza chicane are now required to travel a specific lane through the run-off to re-enter the circuit.
The much-maligned first chicane, also the scene of many incidents over the years, keeps the rough curbs on the inside of the left-hand section to slow down cars missing the first corner, although those are a lot lower than typical ‘sausage’ curbs and riders typically drive over them at a reduced speed.
