AUGUST 18, 2001

Car killing curb cut down to size

THE curb that launched the McLaren of David Coulthard out of the running in Friday's Free Practice session was ground down to size after discussions between several teams and drivers and the FIA's Charlie Whiting.

The curb had been changed since last year, but the drivers were apparently unaware of this and both Coulthard and European Minardi's Tarso Marques were sent flying by the obstacle, ripping off large chunks of the undertray into the bargain.

"They're the same type of curbs that we have on the inside of the last chicane in Canada which seem to work quite well there for not pulling the dirt and grass onto the track," said Coulthard. "But I looked at the track yesterday and I thought this might be a bit difficult to have them on the exit of the corner, because they are about three and a half inches high and it's not ramped up - you just run straight into them. So in this case, I ran wide and it smashed the underside of my chassis."