Success is about being in the right place at the right time ... ..and the axiom is a guiding principle for motorsport designers. To avoid problems, you need to know where and when things are likely to go wrong before cars spin a wheel - and anticipating accidents is a science. Take the barriers, for example. There is no point in erecting them in the wrong place, but predicting the right place is a black art. The FIA has developed bespoke software, the System of Safety Analysis and Circuits (CSAS), to predict problems in F1 circuits.
Where and when cars leave the circuits is due to the complex interaction between their design, the driver's reaction and the specific configuration of the track, and the CSAS allows the entry of many variables: return speeds, engine power curves , Car weight changes, aerodynamic characteristics Etc-to predict how cars can get out of the circuit in specific places. The variables are complex. The point of impact of a car that continues in a straight line in a corner is easy to predict, but if the driver has some remaining control and alters the car's path, or if a mechanical failure introduces new variables, its final destination is difficult to to model.
Modern tire barriers are constructed of road tires with plastic tubes sandwiched between them. The side facing the runway is covered with conveyor belt to prevent the wheels from engaging and distort the barrier. The whole provides a deformable "cushion", a principle that has found its way to civilian roads. Barriers made from air-filled cells currently under investigation may be the ultimate answer. Another important safety factor is the road surface. Racing circuits are at the forefront of surface technology, experimenting with new materials for optimum performance.
Track Design
The tracks used in the motor sport are all designed to meet certain standards.
If a new circuit will be used for an international result, its design and design must be accepted by the FIA, before any construction commences.
For an unchanged circuit, an FIA member must investigate it no more than 90 days before a World Championship event, giving sufficient time to apply the changes.