Given the growing concern of the drivers about the possible consequences for the safety of an excessive bounce in the car, the FIA considered that it had no choice but to intervene to avoid this phenomenon.
The FIA primarily focused on the introduction of an “Aerodynamic Oscillation Metric” (AOM), in order to limit the amount of vertical movement a car can experience on tarmac.
However, the scope of that tool was expanded to include stricter measures on flexible floors and skids (the board under the car), because the FIA felt there was a need for a “level playing field” between teams in terms of how to deal with the phenomenon.
The governing body’s measures, which were established at the last British Grand Prix , will be introduced at the Belgian Grand Prix, having initially been scheduled for the French Grand Prix .
Given this situation, it is the new ban on flexible flooring that could cause the biggest headaches for the teams.
The intrigue of the flexible floor mainly focuses on the way some teams have cleverly exploited the gray areas of the regulations to get more flexibility under their car.
For those who do not know, the skid is a plank that is located below the central surface of the bodywork from the ground, and regulates the height at which the car can circulate, given its thickness. It should not wear more than 1mm, and its conformity is checked on the periphery of six precisely placed 50mm holes.
A deviation of no more than 1mm is allowed when the car is supported on the two holes located 1080mm behind the front axle line, and 2mm on the rearmost hole while supported on 70mm pads on the front axle. the FIA test bench.
It is believed that some teams took advantage of the way the measurements were made with the car supported by kilos to incorporate a degree of movement into the way the plank was fitted to the car.
When tested, with the weight of the car pushing it down, the plank fixings were fully compressed and therefore stiff enough to meet the regulations.
But off the track, and without the pressure of almost 800 kg, those materials expanded to allow a few more millimeters of flex in the skate, enough to improve performance.
F1 teams are also allowed to use machined titanium skids mounted flush in and around the plank holes to limit wear, of which there are numerous ancillary regulations governing their size, shape and fixings.
These skids are often the reason we see sparks on the underside of the car as it comes into contact with the track surface. However, the board itself will also be affected by the friction that occurs, which makes the study of wear patterns an interesting game of observation and analysis.
In the previous generation of F1 cars, most teams designed their cars with a high rake, and the nose-down direction meant more wear on the front of the board.
This led, on several occasions, to the FIA to create new criteria in order to combat any tricks that could have given rise to a performance advantage by the teams that flexed the plate in this area of the car to get the part front was even closer to the ground.
In the same way, the FIA is now fighting a change of focus for the latest generation of single-seaters. Instead of looking for higher rake (height) with the new ground effect cars, teams should run a car that is stiffer and much lower to the ground. As a consequence, they behave differently from their predecessors.
Motorsport.com has learned that some teams have split sections of the skids around the edge of the prescribed holes. Some of them are more flexible than the rest and move up and down when a load is applied to them.
This is so that on contact with the track surface, this section retracts upwards, reducing wear compared to the stiffer areas. In this way, at the end of the race, this “movable” section does not wear out, ensuring that the car fully complies with the regulations.
The teams have been able to take advantage of these different sections because the static flexing pads in the FIA scrutiny bay are 20mm larger in diameter than the holes. Therefore, any difference in section on the surface overlaps with that pad.
To counter that, the new FIA technical directive stipulates that “the local stiffness around the periphery of these three holes for a radial distance of 15mm off the periphery must be uniform, with a variation not exceeding +/- 10 %”.
In addition, article 3.5.9.e, regarding the wear of the plate, is also extended, now requiring compliance around 75% of the periphery of the hole.
Both of these measures will effectively ban the practice of moving slide blocks, so any team that has been doing that will have to run their car a different way.
It may seem unfair for the body to make changes in the middle of the season, but according to article 3.15.1 of the technical regulations, the FIA reserves the right to introduce further load/deformation tests on any part of the bodywork that appears ( or suspected) to move while the car is in motion.
Whether these changes will have a dramatic effect on the pecking order remains to be seen, but there are undoubtedly teams that will have to make modifications to comply with the new rules, and that may hamper the development path they have followed and force them to take new directions. .
This could be a costly exercise, not only financially, but also in terms of having to turn 180 degrees in the direction of development.
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