The flexibility of aerodynamic components is an increasingly recurring topic in regulation disputes between teams. For 2023, the FIA has decided to tighten up the flexibility tests along the external surface, which should not be confused with the compliance of the skid-block along the central axis of the single-seater already targeted by the technical directive 039 that was introduced last August.
The 2023 regulation presents an additional article to the 2022 document, in detail point 3.15.7.c. In the first version of the regulation for next season, a maximum flexion of 8 mm was established for the lateral floor under the action of a vertical load of 250 N per side, the equivalent of 25 kg. In the next update, the maximum allowable deformation moved to 5 mm, while the last meeting of the World Motorsport Council led to a further correction. In 2023 the tests regarding the flexibility of the floor will be even more tougher, as a bending of 8 mm is allowed under a vertical thrust of 600 N per side, slightly higher than the weight of 60 kg. Furthermore, the deformation will be measured by means of a laser scan.
The updated regulation also specifies the verification procedure more accurately. The load for the test will be applied simultaneously at six points on each side, in an area of the floor between 1260 and 350 mm in front of the rear wheels. A force of 100 N will be applied to each point, so that the resulting total is 600 N per side. The big difference compared to the previous versions of the regulation lies in the distribution of the force on several points, thus replicating in a more clear way the distribution of the aerodynamic load under the single-seater, which in the race is the force that actually causes the deformation of the floor.
Furthermore, in article 3.15.7.c, the Federation reserves the right to change the procedure indicated if anomalies are found: “FIA could request that the points for applying loads be moved if, from its point of view, such zones or the shape of the floor have been specifically designed to allow greater flexibility of the external floor in non-tested regions. Like the teams, the FIA is also taking cover after what it learned in 2022, the first season with new technical regulation for both the teams and the organizers.
Here is the revised clause (c) of article 3.15.7 of the 2023 Technical Regulations in full. It defines the test which will be applied to the outboard edge of cars floors:
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The outboard edge of the Floor Bodywork Group may deflect no more than 8mm in Z at any point between XR = -1260 and XR = -350 when a distributed load of [0, 0, -600]N is applied to each side of the car.
The load will be applied simultaneously at 6 points on each side of the car, nominally at: [XR, Y] = [-480, 652.2], [-635, 686.3], [-790, 714.4], [-945, 736.7], [-1100, 753.3], and [-1255, 764.2]. A 2mm tolerance on position will be permitted for manufacturing reasons.
When viewed from above, and with the Floor Bodywork Group as fully defined in Article 3.5.6 in place, nothing other than the bodywork may be visible within 15mm of any load application point. A load application point that does not meet this requirement may be moved, in X and/or in Y, by the minimum amount necessary to comply. The FIA may require load points to be moved if, in their view, the load location or the floor shape has been specifically designed to permit greater levels of outboard floor flexibility in untested regions of the floor.
Once the load application positions are fully defined, Teams must provide a suitable means of applying the load to the upper surface of the bodywork. The load will be applied through a rod of diameter 2.3mm. Details of this arrangement are provided in the appendix to the Technical and Sporting Regulations. The contact of any load-spreader with the bodywork must lie within a cylinder of diameter 25mm, coaxial with the load application axis. If the Team’s preferred method requires through-holes, these holes must be sealed on either or both of the upper and lower surfaces at all times the car is on the circuit and during any assessment of any visibility from above around load application points.
Loads will be applied to these rods in two stages:
i. [0, 0, -50]N to each load application point to give 300N per side.
ii. [0, 0, -100]100N to each load application point to give 600N per side.
Deflection will be measured by laser scanning of the bodywork at each loading stage.
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