GRR

Video: Why GT cars are never told to stay off the kerbs

14th January 2022
Ben Miles

“Stay off the kerbs at turn xx” is a phrase I’m pretty sure we hear at every single Formula 1 race these days. The cars at the top level of motorsport are delicate, expensive machines, so sometimes hitting big kerbs means damage to vital aero parts or delicate soft rubber.

It is not a phrase you hear often, if ever, in GT racing. GT cars are bigger, more robust, and altogether a bit more muscular to drive. So hitting the rumble strips and sausage kerbs really mean nothing to the GT racing driver.

That’s why, when Martin Konrad got to the Ascari Chicane at Monza in his Mercedes AMG GT3 while racing in GT Open, he did not avoid the kerbs, in fact he smacked into them so hard the big AMG bottomed out. And that is just one of the reasons why we love GT racing.

The sun is starting to set in this video, just adding to the atmosphere, as is the fact that Konrad’s windscreen is filthier than a long-distance truck on the M6 after a journey from Eastern Europe. The car growls, the kerbs crash and Konrad pushes on. This is what we at GRR love.

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a mid-morning helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: Sonorous Porsche flat‑six visor‑cam glory at Spa

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