Formula 1 has abandoned plans to make steel skid blocks mandatory for selected races this year, in the wake of a test at Barcelona in Spain last week.
The idea of forcing teams to switch materials away from the standard titanium was pushed for by the FIA as a means of preventing a repeat of the grass fire problems that marred this year’s Japanese GP.
The FIA felt that the shards of metal thrown off by steel skid blocks when sparks were created would not retain the high levels of heat that those of titanium do – so that would minimise the risk of sparks landing in grass and triggering fires.
As first revealed by The Race, F1 teams were required to do a mandatory test of the steel skid blocks on practice day at the Spanish Grand Prix with a view to seeing how they behaved and what impact they would have on car performance.
But, despite the safety motivation behind the plan, not all teams were convinced it was the right route for Formula 1 to pursue because there were performance implications.
Some teams were worried about the extra weight of the steel skid blocks, which are heavier than titanium by around 750 grams, while others feared they would wear down much quicker.
And if the wear rate was much higher, then that could force teams to lift their cars to protect the skid blocks – and that would have implications on the car's aerodynamic platform.
In the wake of the Barcelona test, however, the FIA has revised plans to make the steel skid blocks mandatory at selected events this year where tracks were lined by grass.
The first race where they could have been introduced as standard was the Canadian GP later this month.
Instead, the FIA will now simply ask teams to bring steel skid blocks to races as a fallback option in case there are any problems with fires, and a move away from titanium as required.
A statement from the FIA on Wednesday said: “Following analysis of the stainless steel skid block trials in Barcelona, the FIA has revised the implementation plan outlined in TD015.
“Titanium skid blocks will remain the mandated material for the remainder of the season.
“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 in Suzuka early this year.
“Additional testing of stainless steel skid blocks will be conducted at selected events throughout the season to support further evaluation."
While some teams were fearful about the potential performance implications that skid blocks could have, McLaren boss Andrea Stella dismissed their impact.
“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.”
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