FIA introduce F1 RULE CHANGE to close loophole after Red Bull complaint

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FIA introduce RULE CHANGE to close loophole after Red Bull complaint

Some F1 teams will be forced to make major changes in Las Vegas this weekend

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 22 November 2024 06:00

A complaint from Red Bull has led to the FIA making an alteration to a rule ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The governing body announced a fresh technical directive for the race in the Nevada desert, in an attempt to stop teams taking advantage of a loophole in the previous rules to prevent plank wear.

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In recent races, team such as Ferrari, have preserved the plank of their car by installing skid blocks onto the floor, allowing them to run their car as close to the ground as possible without wearing the plank beyond the 1mm allowance.

The current ground effect regulations require teams to try and extract maximum downforce from their cars, which can provide a team with crucial extra tenths each weekend, and hence their focus on running their floor as low to the ground as possible.

Ferrari may receive a blow from the FIA's latest technical directive

Red Bull have complained to the FIA about teams exploiting a potential loophole in the regulations

Red Bull succeeds in FIA complaint against F1 rivals

However, Red Bull have flagged an issue to the FIA following the Brazilian GP, voicing their concern over Ferrari and other teams' use of skid blocks with thicker protections than are allowed.

As a result of the complaint, the FIA have issued a new rule change to prevent this loophole being utilised by F1 teams at the Las Vegas GP.

The new technical directive takes out any reference to allowing these additional protective skids that the likes of Ferrari have used to prevent plank wear, and therefore run their car closer to the ground.

If teams go beyond this 1mm wear allowance they could receive a severe penalty, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc disqualified from the 2023 US GP following the infringement.