The President & CEO of the Paul Ricard HTTT Philippe Gurdjian, never stops to progress and improve safety on the race tracks all over the world.

After the creation of the new corners 'S' de la Verrerie' on the Paul Ricard HTTT, Philippe Gurdjian decided to install a brand new safety system to protect drivers and cars in case of impacts against the guard rails. This innovating system is to substitute the obsolete tyre barriers and their conveyer belts.

Philippe Gurdjian has worked over the last two years with TecPro International to find out the best concept for the new barrier system. This concept is made of rational moulding of flexible polyethylene blocks measuring 1.50 meters long and 1.20 m height with 0.60 m width and a weight of 110 kg. Strapped together, the F1 TecPro is filled with injected bendy foam of flexible density with a metallic sheet placed at the centre to reinforce the barrier.

The F1 TecPro has a maximum amount of energy absorption and can reduce greatly the 'G' force impact. Their installation is simple and their maintenance is truly easy and cost effective. Developed according to modern Formula One speeds, the TecPro barriers are truly efficient thanks to the system that can not get dismantled in case of crash, also they can not be punctured by any type of vehicle. In addition, official tests were carried out by the FIA and DEKRA.

One more time, Philippe Gurdjian was far ahead the first one to install and apply this brand new type of protection on the Paul Ricard HTTT, as he first started to set it up in the new 'Petit Beausset' corner as soon as January 2005. It was then first seen on a race track at the 2005 Monaco F1 Grand Prix in May of the same year.

In September 2005, when Philippe Gurdjian created the new corners in 'La Verrerie' (exact copy of 'Dunlop S' in Suzuka – Japan), he decided to install the F1 TecPro Barriers to replace the previously existing tyre barriers. On this new part of the track, the TecPro barrier is made of 210 blocs measuring 1.50m each set up some 1.20m from the guard rail to reinforce the absorption efficiency in case of impact. The absorption has been increased thanks to two additional red intermediate absorbent TecPro blocs which also give the Rescue Teams and marshals the opportunity to proceed to a quicker intervention from the service road towards the track.

"The Paul Ricard HTTT is the true reference of the new race tracks all over the world. As it was modernized, my main goal was to make out of this track the first track of the third millennium in terms of safety. We developed new concepts which are now copied on all the new tracks over the world. This is truly the best reward I could have expected. The TecPro concept is definitively innovating and a new step toward safety. This is the reason why the Paul Ricard HTTT was the first track to adopt it," explained Philippe Gurdjian, who is and will always be ahead of future…

In the last four years and after over 200,000 kilometres of Formula One testing on the Paul Ricard HTTT, there were only four impacts against the guard rails to be counted. It still stays a priority for Philippe Gurdjian to improve constantly the circuits and safety developments. As a matter of fact, the Paul Ricard HTTT has recently been chosen by the new FIA Institute to be the first centre for Motor Sport Safety.


Press release 
Paul Ricard HTTT
February 2006

Source: Onestopstrategy.com

The Formula One Strategy Group met yesterday in Biggin Hill to exchange views on the current challenges that F1 faces. Besides the statuary members of the Group, representatives of the engine manufacturers were also invited.

The Strategy Group members have debated a number of levers aimed at improving the show. An initial series of measures has been voted:

For 2016:

-          Free choice of the two dry tyre compounds (out of four) that each team can use during the race weekend

For 2017:

-          Faster cars: 5 to 6 seconds drop in laptimes through aerodynamic rules evolution, wider tyres and reduction of car weight

-          Reintroduction of refuelling (maintaining a maximum race fuel allowance)

-          Higher revving engines and increased noise

-          More aggressive looks

A few other measures have also been discussed but require further investigation before they can be implemented:

-          A global reflection on race weekend format

-          Measures to make starts only activated by the driver without any outside assistance

Furthermore, in light of the various scenarios presented by the independent consulting company mandated by the F1 Strategy Group, at the initiative of the FIA, to work on the reduction of costs and following a constructive exchange, a comprehensive proposal to ensure the sustainability of the sport has emerged. The Strategy Group member Teams have committed to refine it in the next few weeks, in consultation with the other teams involved in the championship. On the engine side, it has been decided that stability of the rules should prevail in consideration of the investments of the manufacturers involved in the sport and to give visibility to potential new entrants. The allowance for a 5th engine to be used during the 2015 season has been rejected.

This constructive meeting between the FIA, FOM and the Teams has allowed paving the way for the future of the championship. All parties agreed to work together with an intention to firm up these proposals and submit them to the approval of the F1 Commission and the World Motor Sport Council of the FIA as soon as possible for implementation.

Jean Todt                        Bernie Ecclestone

FIA President                 Formula One Group CEO

Source: FIA.com