At the Brazilian Grand Prix, the FIA uncovered that a large number of Formula 1 teams were using illegal methods to bypass regulations on car floor wear and preserve the plank from excessive abrasion.
After the race in Brazil, the focus has once again turned to the floor skids, where certain tricks used by teams to pass FIA plank wear inspections were reportedly detected. According to the regulations, the wooden plank under the cars is allowed to wear down by a maximum of 1 mm, a value measured at the end of each session through dedicated holes in the plank, around which titanium plates are installed, perfectly aligned with the plank’s surface. These plates, responsible for the visible sparks on track, are often the subject of controversy.
Plank wear represents a significant limitation for teams, which frequently need to raise the ride height to avoid the risk of disqualification. Every weekend becomes a constant search for the optimal setup that can limit plank wear without severely compromising performance. Over time, teams have identified various workarounds to reduce wear and pass FIA checks, allowing them to run lower cars and gain a performance advantage.
Teams reportedly found an illegal way to bypass checks
According to Autosport Web, many teams have apparently discovered an illegal method to limit floor wear. Concerns from the race directors arose after noticing significant performance differences between cars in different sessions.
Several team representatives indicated that squads may be artificially heating the titanium plates. By heating them to high temperatures, the plates expand and protrude slightly above the plank. This means only the plates touch the asphalt, preventing the wooden plank from wearing down. Further confirmation of this method comes from driver behavior: when returning slowly to the pits, the skids cool down and return to their original position, making them appear fully compliant during FIA checks, according to the Italian website f1ingenerale.
During the Sprint Race, significant bottoming on certain cars prompted the FIA’s technical delegate to inspect the compliance of all planks. The FIA reportedly found devices on several cars designed solely to heat the titanium plates and ordered their removal before qualifying. Autosport Web also suggests that nearly all teams, albeit in different ways, exploited this regulatory loophole.
As a result, in Brazil, the teams involved were forced to raise their cars, sacrificing some aerodynamic downforce. The FIA is now working on a new technical directive to ban the use of these systems, expected to come into effect next year.
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