Red Bull also hit by new FIA technical directive, Ferrari hit hardest
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The FIA has intervened just before the end of the Formula 1 season with a new technical directive (TD). Several teams had found a trick to reduce skid block wear, but that should now be a thing of the past.
The current Formula 1 regulations are based on 'ground effect'. For these cars to perform at their best, they must stay as close to the ground as possible to maximise that effect. In doing so, teams push the limits and sometimes go over them.
In 2023, for example, things went wrong for Ferrari and Mercedes. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were disqualified after the US Grand Prix because the plank under the floor had worn down too much. In other words, Ferrari and Mercedes had lowered the car too much.
Red Bull must also make changes
The FIA confirmed to GPblog that as of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a new technical directive [TD] has been introduced to counter a new trick used by several teams. This technical directive ensures that teams can no longer play tricks to reduce the wear of the so-called skid blocks.
The FIA also denied reports that Red Bull Racing was the team that raised this with the FIA. In fact, Red Bull Racing is said to have used a similar system, something that the Austrian team also doesn't deny. So Red Bull is also "affected" by the new TD, although the effect is less compared to its competitors.
Ferrari is said to be the team that will suffer the most from this new directive, although the technical directive isn't expected to make a major difference in terms of performance. McLaren is said to be one of the few teams that did not use the trick.
This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton