Mercedes F1 news: Toto Wolff claims rival floor rule exploitation a "shocker"

Wolff, Mercedes, Britain, 2022 — Photo: © LAT Images

British Grand Prix

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Wolff claims F1 rival floor rule exploitation a "shocker"

Has the FIA uncovered infringement?

Ewan Gale

Wednesday 6 July 2022 08:00

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has labelled the FIA's insinuation that rival teams have abused floor flexibility regulations as "a shocker".

F1's governing body has produced a revised 'b-version' of the technical directive introduced in Canada two weeks ago aimed at battling bouncing and porpoising, with a new metric to be enforced at the French Grand Prix ensuring teams fall within an acceptable range of vertical oscillations.

But a second part of the TD focused on plank wear and flexibility has been overlooked somewhat, with the FIA suggesting these parts go "hand-in-hand with the metric" in relation to the same issues.

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Wolff has picked out this section of the TD as the most noteworthy and suggested rivals had been exploiting the regulations.

"The interesting part in the b-version is not the dots on the rear wing where you measure the bouncing, I think that is an important one to come to terms [with]," said Wolff.

"There is an interesting second topic - bibs and floors. I believe some teams have been stretching that a bit too much and that is going to change before Paul Ricard."

FIA insinuation "a great surprise"

When the FIA introduce updated regulations or technical directives, it is usually a case of there being no smoke without fire with teams found to be infringing or travelling a boundary line near legality.

"Nobody had an idea until the FIA brought it up in the last Technical Advisory Committee [TAC] which was to a great surprise of all the teams," explained Wolff.

"What is in the regulations and what the intent of the regulations is really clear - there is no argument why that could deflect more than what is in the regs.

"A bit of a surprise to say the least. More a shocker."