How about run off areas layered with a sort of firm foam/mattress type material? Obviously it would have to be quite firm and thick (dug into the track so it is level with the ground) and probably covered with something so it does not get ripped up by the cars. But I think this would both slow the cars down and make it slow to rejoin the track because when the cars are traveling fast the downforce would push them into the material slowing the car down, and when the car accelerates to rejoin the track it would be hard to grip and deploy the power. It would be especially good in Canada to protect the marshalls when they fall over. Sorry if I have not conveyed that particularly well, I am kind of tired.
An interesting idea. One of the dangers of running off is that a car 'digs in'; which at speed, is likely to cause it a car to overturn. If this could be factored into your plan and suitably negated, it might work. Paul-Ricard has been the leader of this idea and it works well (I've tested it!). But your water idea is a good one; and well into the future, I can indeed envisage it playing a part! Of course, any recess would only need to be very small (just enough to retain the water) but might be difficult in places where the run-off area is not perfectly flat; although in this situation, a gently flowing 'trickle' which forms a very shallow (5mm deep) river could still work. Both of your above proposals must take account of the biggest danger to a high speed car: that of a sudden change in resistance to angular momentum, which runs the risk of causing a car to overturn; most likely where there is a very sudden change in adhesion or side wall friction which effects a sudden alteration of angular momentum. (With a road car, the simplest analogy is that of hitting a kerb, which is likely to cause a road car to roll over when hit at speed.) Both interesting ideas though. Both noted. And both will be brought to the attention of the powers that be! Any modifications or developments to these ideas would be very interesting. Brain-storming innovation is still something this country can claim leadership in and it's great to see such thinking from a forum!
wouldnt the car skim over water like a stone? How about glue? In all seriousness I think tarmac run offs are simple but great as it allows the cars to break but the problem is the driver can make a mistake and rejoin.
Yeah, such as when Alonso ran wide in the early stages at the Nurburgring and lost a position to Vettel. If it hadn't been the early stages when everyone was bunched up, he would have been completely fine and not lost a position as he got back on the track almost immediately because of the tarmac runoff.
it needs to be something very abbrasive like really rough sandpaper, that gets more abbrasive the deeper into it the drivers go, so the worse the mistake the worse the punishment. The substance must be abbrassive enough to scrubb a few laps off the tyres, and the drivers would be forced to either rejoin slowly to save tyres or get on quickly and ruin them.
