The FIA is set to ban FRIC (front and rear inter-connected) suspension systems from the German Grand Prix onwards which could rule almost all the cars on the grid illegal.
The governing body has studied all the different systems in use and believes it may contravene the regulations, and has therefore advised the teams that they must remove the system from their cars ahead of the German GP in less than a fortnight.
“Having now seen and studied nearly every current design of front to rear linked suspension system we, the FIA, are formally of the view that the legality of all such systems could be called into question,” read a note issued to the teams on Tuesday.
The system is used to control the pitch and roll of the car as it accelerates and decelerates, allowing them to run lower ride heights, but technical delegate Charlie Whiting believes it might breach Article 3.15 of the Technical Regulations.
The regulation covers moveable aerodynamic devices. It states that anything that is not “rigidly secured to the entirely sprung part of the car (rigidly secured means not having any degree of freedom),” would be classed as ‘moveable’ and therefore illegal.
It isn’t clear which team will be hit hardest by the move, but Mercedes are believed to be running the most complex system and therefore they are likely to suffer most.
Whilst the FIA has advised for the systems to be removed, it is willing to delay the move until 2015 as it understands that it isn’t a small undertaking. This would however require the agreement of all 11 teams on the grid.
This could prove difficult as they don’t all use the same FRIC system, with some far more complex and beneficial than others and therefore it could be favourable to a team which doesn’t, to vote in favour of the ban in the hope it levels the playing field a little more.
If all 11 teams do however agree to delay the ban, it could still cause an issue with the right to protest remaining applicable now that the FIA has expressed a view that deems FRIC illegal.
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