Teams adapt cars following FIA skid block regulation tweak
Ferrari and Mercedes have officially announced alterations to their Formula 1 cars following the FIA's recent decision to close a loophole related to ride height and floor plank wear. The governing body’s new technical directive, issued after the Brazilian Grand Prix, addresses the use of satellite skids without specified thickness.
In Formula 1, cars feature a wooden plank on the floor that must adhere to a mandatory thickness, with metal skid blocks used in certain areas to protect the plank when the car’s underbody hits the ground. The recent rule change targets these skid blocks, which were previously unregulated in terms of thickness.
This adjustment comes in the aftermath of the controversial disqualification of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc from last year's U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, where they lost their second and fifth-place finishes respectively due to excessive skid block wear.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged the necessary changes while defending the legality of their prior configuration.
"We had to make a change but we have also the confirmation before this [from the FIA] that the plank was legal," Vasseur stated after the first practice session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. "I think it was the right attitude for us not to fight because I want to stay focused on the championship and not on this kind of discussion," he added. "But the approach was strange."
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff confirmed similar adaptations, mentioning that the team had altered "the way we run the floor," in compliance with the latest directive.
Even Alpine, another competitor, had to make minor adjustments. Team principal Oliver Oakes confirmed that his team implemented "a little change" to ensure their car's compliance with the new regulations.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix will see teams like Ferrari, Mercedes, and Alpine adjusting to these rule changes while battling for crucial points in an intensely competitive constructors' title race.
Up Next
