Modification of the Catalunya circuit after the Kovalainen accident

The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) will ask the FIA to extend the area around turn 9 of the Circuit de Catalunya. This request comes following Heikki Kovalainen’s accident last weekend.

Kovalainen fortunately emerged unscathed from the crash in which his car plunged headfirst into the tire wall following an issue with the left front wheel rim.

Despite the good news regarding the Finnish driver’s health, the GPDA president, Mark Webber, stated that he would do everything in his power to implement changes to this turn for next year.

« We need to make a slightly larger clearance zone, » commented Webber, who is a strong advocate for greater safety in F1.

Sébastien Bourdais also had an accident during private testing, so we need to study the situation.

The runoff area at the exit of the turn is good but not at the entry, and if you have a problem, you’re in a very bad situation.

But we will learn lessons from this accident and we will put up barriers for next year, I’m sure of it, continued Webber.

Many commend the quick and effective intervention of the medical team on the Finn.

It is good that Kovalainen raised his thumb up when we passed. It was a relief because you never know if the guy is okay or not.

« We hadn’t seen such a spectacular accident since Robert Kubica’s in Canada, » concluded the Australian.