Ricard steps up safety provision.

Already regarded as one of the safest and most hi-tech venues, Paul Ricard has added to its reputation by installing a brand new barrier system at selected parts of the circuit.

After the creation of the new Esses de la Verrerie, circuit president and CEO Philippe Gurdjian instructed the erection of TecPro barriers to protect drivers and cars in the event of incidents through the section, replacing the traditional tyre and conveyer belt barriers and their conveyer belts.

Gurdjian has been working with TecPro International over the past two years to find a viable concept for the new system, and the two parties have arrived at a combination of flexible polyethylene blocks which, when strapped together, are filled with injected foam of flexible density. A metallic sheet is placed at the centre to reinforce the barrier.

Official tests carried out by the FIA and DEKRA have shown the barriers, developed to cope with modern Formula One speeds, cannot be destroyed in the event of a crash, and cannot be punctured by any type of vehicle. The barrier also has a greater degree of energy absorption and has been proven to reduce the g-force impact of an accident. Installation is simple and maintenance cost-effective.

The barriers at la Verrerie - which mimics the Esses at Suzuka - are not the first of their kind to be installed at Ricard, as Gurdjian actually had a prototype version fitted at the Petit Beausset corner as long ago as January 2005, leading to its use at the Monaco Grand Prix last season. La Verrerie was only created in September 2005, and Gurdjian had no hesitation in specifying the F1 TecPro barriers to replace the existing protection. However, the new section also benefits from two additional intermediate absorbent blocs, which give rescue teams and marshals quicker access to the track in case of an accident.

"The Paul Ricard HTTT is the true reference of the new race tracks all over the world and, as it was modernised, my main goal was to make it the first track of the third
millennium in terms of safety," Gurdjian explained, "We have developed new concepts which are now copied on all the new tracks over the world, and 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."