F1
FIA rectifies grey area regarding floor wear
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari in Las Vegas. © Joao Filipe / DPPI
At the time of car With ground effect, the importance of running as low as possible is absolutely crucial in achieving track performance for teams. However, there is a limit that must not be exceeded, particularly for safety reasons. This is why the FIA carefully monitors the wear of the floors in four different places, using designated holes at the front and rear of the board, as well as two other parallel holes.
It is through this means that Charles Leclerc et Lewis Hamilton had also been disqualified from the 2023 United States Grand Prix for excessive wear of the floorboard in these areas. In the places where the FIA takes its measurements, wear pads are in fact placed by the teams and this is how the referee is able to carry out his checks and ensure that the floorboard does not wear more than 1mm.
Except that in recent weeks, some teams have reportedly dipped into a grey area by using additional materials in these areas. A previous technical directive gave teams the option of adding support pads, provided they had the same vertical stiffness as the main pads, but their thickness was not regulated.
Many teams have therefore had to make adjustments to their brake pads before the Grand Prix in Las Vegas, and have been ordered to remove any additional material they may have carried. This means that these teams may have to increase the ride height by several millimetres, which should not revolutionise the hierarchy but may have a slight impact on the performance of some teams.
At a press conference this Friday, Toto wolff, Oliver Oakes and Frédéric Vasseur spoke on the subject. "Yes, we had to make some changes" recognized the team principal ofAlpine. Same story with Ferrari. “Yes, we had to make that change, slipped the French team principal. But before that, we had confirmation that the board was legal, from the FIA." Finally, Toto Wolff also confirmed a change. “Yes, we also had to change the way we manage the soil.” The performances in Las Vegas will in any case be scrutinized very closely.
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Jeremy Satis
Deputy Digital Editor & F1 Reporter
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vincent moyet
22/11/2024 at 12:18 a.m.
I have a bit of trouble with changing the rules during the season. Of course, some teams had taken advantage of a "grey area" but that's the game, we establish the rules at the beginning and we respect them until the game is over. Otherwise we end up with unfair situations, where someone is advantaged at one time, then disadvantaged at another, and that can end up distorting a championship.