Glossary / General

gravel

23 Episode Mentions

Too Afraid to Ask

Gravel is loose material placed near the track to help slow cars down if they go off. It’s often used because it’s harder for a car to keep rolling fast on it.

Technical Definition

Gravel is a common runoff material used to help slow a car if it leaves the track, because it increases rolling resistance and can destabilize the car. The speaker contrasts gravel/grass runoff with what they see as problematic runoff design at Paul Ricard.

Hear It Discussed

"But I'm going sideways and I hit the white line and next is going to be gravel."
Driven Radio Show #355: Joe Potter of Vintage Underground Driven Radio Show 58:48

"That's how Russell felt when he was in the gravel. ... ended up in a crappy position at Lacombe at the start of the race and ended up in a gravel."
Belgian GP: Antonelli heaps more misery on struggling Russell The Race F1 Podcast 16:46

"we were on, you know, grass, dirt, like they did [640.9s] make some mud later in the day for so the event could live [643.4s] up to its name and like gravel and you're going back and forth [647.5s]..."
Corkscrews, Mud, and Beverly Hills That Car Show 10:39