FIA reacts to DTM accidents: Budapest concrete is sandblasted

D as could also have happened to Formula 1. At the DTM race at the Hungaroring last weekend, after a rain shower in the pit lane, there were three accidents in which the mechanics and marshals were seriously injured Rink. Lucas Auer, Bruno Spengler and Edoardo Mortara could not brake in time with their slicks on the mirror-smooth surface and rammed their mechanic crews or, in Auer's case, unfortunate marshals in the Mercedes box.

Concrete surface is roughened

The bad luck of the DTM was that it was the first racing series to face rain since the pit lane was rebuilt. In 2016, a perfectly flat concrete surface was installed in the Hungaroring pit lane. Concrete is better suited as a pit forecourt than asphalt because it does not react with oil and petrol. But with a certain design it can also be extremely slippery, especially when it is wet.

FIA race director Charlie Whiting happened to be there and saw the drama up close. The Englishman was in Budapest because of Formula 3. He asked the organizer to respond until the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 29th. “They will sandblast the concrete to make the surface rougher.”

Shanghai and Singapore have already reacted

The problem is not entirely new. Neither did the reaction. “We had that in Shanghai in 2004 and later in Singapore too. Both had provided the inside of the pit lane with a concrete surface. At our request, Shanghai roughened the concrete. Singapore has treated it with a special paint that offers a lot of grip. However, this solution is too expensive for most of them, ”explains Whiting.

The pit in front of the pit in Montreal is also made of concrete. But there, various Canadian winters have already cut many grooves into the surface. In Mexico, however, there is no problem. The entire pit lane at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is paved. After a few years you will have to repair the wounds left by oil and gasoline.