The FIA has provided an update on its skid block revisions that were trialled at last weekend’s Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, and has made a decision on its plans going forward.
Changes were made ahead of Round 9 due to concerns about the titanium skid blocks, quite literally sparked after having helped to ignite dry grass on the Suzuka circuit over the Japanese GP weekend in April.
The issues arose amid rule changes for this year, enabling cars to run closer to the ground, which provided the issues at Suzuka, in which several red flags were called during the Free Practice sessions before the race.
At Barcelona, stainless steel skid blocks were trialled, with which has led the sport’s governing body to make a decision on what it will require teams to do from now on.
“Following analysis of the stainless steel skid block trials in Barcelona, the FIA has revised the implementation plan outlined in TD015,” a statement read.
“Titanium skid blocks will remain the mandated material for the remainder of the season. However, teams are requested to have stainless steel skid blocks available at all events, as they may become mandatory if similar grass fire incidents occur as seen in Suzuka early this year.
“Additional testing of stainless steel skid blocks will be conducted at selected events throughout the season to support further evaluation.”
Steel skid blocks – something to shake-up some teams’ cars or ‘irrelevant’?
The plans may meet disconcertion amongst F1 teams, who were already unenthusiastic about the plan, suggesting that the steel blocks will add weight and cause more excessive wear, particularly damaging to teams whose car designs will necessitate low ride heights for increased performance.
However, prior to last weekend’s race, Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur conveyed no real objection to the plan, as long as it was properly implemented.
“I think that it’s just that we need to have time to manage it properly and to understand if there is a difference in terms of wear between the two and that’s why we want to have a one or two FP1, two to be able to assimilate it,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella seemed similarly nonplussed, telling media including Motorsport Week: “Yes. I think that if this becomes a talking point, I think it will be more of a bubble, a soap bubble, than the TD related to the front wing flexibility.
“Like the material change reduces the wear rate, at the same time it reduces the sparks, and is a measure that was introduced to try and avoid the fires.
“So itself, from a technical performance or packing order point of view, I would tend to say that it’s quite irrelevant.”
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