Track limits and how to enforce them are an ongoing point of discussion in motorsport and sim racing alike. One way of doing so in recent years are sausage kerbs, which are intended to stop drivers from cutting corners or extending the track - but they have proven to be dangerous as well, launching cars into the air, hurting their drivers in numerous instances. As the debate is heating up yet again in the real paddocks, let us take at their role in sim racing.
Formula Regional driver Adam Fitzgerald is the latest to be added to the list of injured drivers thanks to sausage kerbs. The Irishman broke three vertebrae after being launched into the air at Tamburello. W Series driver Abbie Eaton suffered a similar injury at COTA in 2021, and Alex Peroni was lucky to break just one vertebra after hitting a sausage kerb on the outside of Monza's Parabolica, resulting in a spectacular airborne crash that ended with his car on top of the tire barrier.
Add in incidents that saw sausage kerbs launch cars into others, most notably Dennis Hauger taking off and hitting Roy Nissany (with the Halo undoubtedly saving the latter's life) and it is quite clear that these track limit enforcers may be effective in their primary purpose, but also extremely dangerous in some situations.
They are arguably good at punishing any track limit violations where they are in place, bumping cars off their line and making them lose time. That alone serves as a deterrent to cutting too much of a corner or running wider than you should at its exit. In most cases, this works well and without damage to the car.
This goes for modern circuits, but those with a more old-school feel do not have this problem nearly as much: Grass or gravel are enough of a deterrent to keep racers from trying to driver where they should not. As long as sausage kerbs are present on real tracks, however, they will likely be there in their virtual versions as well. Sim racing is trying to represent its real counterpart as accurately as possible, after all.
Formula Regional driver Adam Fitzgerald is the latest to be added to the list of injured drivers thanks to sausage kerbs. The Irishman broke three vertebrae after being launched into the air at Tamburello. W Series driver Abbie Eaton suffered a similar injury at COTA in 2021, and Alex Peroni was lucky to break just one vertebra after hitting a sausage kerb on the outside of Monza's Parabolica, resulting in a spectacular airborne crash that ended with his car on top of the tire barrier.
Add in incidents that saw sausage kerbs launch cars into others, most notably Dennis Hauger taking off and hitting Roy Nissany (with the Halo undoubtedly saving the latter's life) and it is quite clear that these track limit enforcers may be effective in their primary purpose, but also extremely dangerous in some situations.
Effective in Sim Racing
Luckily, hitting one of these at the wrong angle does not have the implications on anyone's physical wellbeing in sim racing. They can end a race in an instance just like at the real tracks, however, and this leads to the question of whether or not sausage kerbs are an effective method of enforcing track limits in sim racing.They are arguably good at punishing any track limit violations where they are in place, bumping cars off their line and making them lose time. That alone serves as a deterrent to cutting too much of a corner or running wider than you should at its exit. In most cases, this works well and without damage to the car.
Sausage, Grass or Gravel?
However, just like on real circuits, sausage kerbs can trigger enormous accidents in the virtual racing world, too. The opening laps are especially prone to this with packs of cars battling for position, often side by side. The downside of removing them would be the encouragement to cut and extend again - not an easy decision to make.This goes for modern circuits, but those with a more old-school feel do not have this problem nearly as much: Grass or gravel are enough of a deterrent to keep racers from trying to driver where they should not. As long as sausage kerbs are present on real tracks, however, they will likely be there in their virtual versions as well. Sim racing is trying to represent its real counterpart as accurately as possible, after all.
