The FIA has said that it will not be mandatory for teams to fit steel skid blocks instead of titanium.
As a result of the trackside fires at Suzuka in April, and last year’s Chinese Grand Prix, which were caused by sparks thrown up from the titanium skid blocks underneath the cars, and which caused several red flags, at last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix teams trialled a steel alternative.
Following the test, the FIA has said that teams may continue to use titanium but must be prepared to use an alternative material at certain events if directed.
“Titanium skid blocks will remain the mandated material for the remainder of the season,” confirmed an FIA spokesperson. “However, teams are requested to have stainless steel skid blocks available at all events, as they may become mandatory if similar grass fire incidents occur as seen at Suzuka earlier this year.
“Additional testing of stainless steel skid blocks will be conducted at selected events throughout the season to support further evaluation,” they added.
While more durable, the steel skid block is heavier, also there is concern among the teams that it would wear at a greater rate than the titanium version forcing teams to increase their ride height when their aim is to reduce it.
While a number of teams have expressed unease at the introduction of steel skid blocks, McLaren’s Andrea Stella was as dismissive of the idea as he was of the technical directive introduced at Barcelona relating to wing flexing.
“I think that if this becomes a talking point, I think it will be more of a soap bubble than the TD related to the front wing flexibility,” he said. “The material change reduces the wear rate, and at the same time it reduces the sparks. It is a measure that was introduced to try and avoid the fires.
“So from a technical performance or pecking order point of view, I would tend to say that is quite irrelevant.”
