The introduction of a new flexi-wing technical directive at the Singapore Grand Prix was always going to trigger interest if there was any shuffling of Formula 1\u2019s pecking order.
The introduction of a new flexi-wing technical directive at the Singapore Grand Prix was always going to trigger interest if there was any shuffling of Formula 1’s pecking order.So, it was little wonder that Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, whose team has been dominant in F1 2023 up until now, found himself having to repeatedly dismiss any suggestions that his squad’s struggles were related to new FIA stipulations over the wings.
One of the factors to trigger car porpoising was suspected to be teams playing around with flexible floors, which is why from last year fresh stipulations came in about the stiffness of floors and the measurements of planks. However, to stamp out the practice, the FIA declared that measurements would be taken around 75% of the skid block radius - effectively preventing small areas getting protected.The matter seemed to have gone away, but during 2023 it has emerged that teams have still been playing around in this area and continue to push the limits with floor flexibility because it is such a key performance differentiator.
It is suggested that this 2mm tolerance has been viewed not as a limitation by some teams but an opportunity to get away with some extra flexibility to help drive performance gains. If a team was manipulating the floor like this, it would mean the plank could in theory be worn away by running super close to the ground without the risk of damaging the skid blocks for their post-race FIA checks.
To ensure teams stopped playing around with any tricks, the FIA said that certain designs were to be outlawed along the ‘reference plane’ – which is in effect the plank. These were:
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