The FIA does not deem it necessary to intervene to compel Formula 1 cars to run with higher setups next year, despite a series of incidents caused by bumps in the latter part of the 2023 Formula One season.
The incidents involving Lando Norris at the Las Vegas Grand Prix and Carlos Sainz during the Abu Dhabi GP practice session were both caused by the way the cars bounced over track bumps.
The current generation of F1 ground-effect cars is particularly sensitive to irregularities because their performance is better when traveling very close to the ground. Additionally, they are typically configured with very stiff suspensions.
However, despite the incidents involving Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, and despite teams clearly pushing the limits to keep the cars as low as possible, the FIA believes that the issue is not so concerning as to warrant intervention for safety reasons.
Nikolas Tombazis, the head of the FIA for single-seater matters, states that ideally, it would be better if cars ran with higher setups, but there are limits for which, at the moment, the governing body should not interfere.
When asked if the bumps could be a concern if they continue to cause incidents, Nikolas Tombazis responded: “We need to ensure that circuits, in general, avoid features that can cause accidents.” – he pointed out.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
“It’s a thin line that separates the possibility of the circuit solving some problems from the teams having to raise the car a bit more. Of course, we will try to address these areas of the circuits. Are the cars too low? Yes, we would have preferred them to be a bit higher. But the intrinsic feature of a ground-effect car is that it tends to have better performance when lowered. So it’s something that I don’t think can be easily avoided.” – Nikolas Tombazis continued.
Standard Skid Blocks
The need to run cars very close to the ground for performance reasons has created other problems for teams this year, besides increasing the likelihood of accidents.
The disqualification of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from the United States GP because the skid blocks under the floor had worn too much demonstrated how critical the car’s height can be. It also highlighted that it is very time-consuming for the FIA to check all the cars’ skid blocks after each session, allowing some cars to escape scrutiny.
There has been talk in the past about the possibility of introducing standard skid blocks and skates to expedite this process, although teams have consistently opposed it. However, the issue will likely be revisited for the next regulatory cycle starting in 2026.
Nikolas Tombazis added: “Sometimes we want to do things, but we still have to go through governance, and teams have to vote in favor, and we don’t have enough support. So, for 2026, we believe we have to simplify this area a lot.” – he concluded.
