user icon
user icon
icon
link-icon
<< Return to the news list
Titanium skids primarily for safety, not sparks - FIA

Titanium skids primarily for safety, not sparks - FIA

  • Published on 15 Jul 2014 11:00
  • comments 1
  • By: Rob Veenstra
F1 is not mandating titanium be fitted underneath next year's cars solely to create sparks, the governing body insists. After tests on a couple of cars were carried out during Austrian grand prix practice last month, the FIA has now committed to introducing new rules for 2015.

It was reported that the sole reason for adding titanium to the skid blocks was to create the kind of spectacular sparks that characterised the 80s. But, in the wake of criticism that F1 is too often reverting to 'artificial' rules to inject excitement, the FIA insists the new skid block rules are in fact to "ensure they are made from a lighter material and are better contained".

"The skids have formerly been made of a heavy metal, which has been very resistant to wear, and they (the teams) put the skids around the points in the plank where thickness is measured," said F1 race director Charlie Whiting. "This metal is extremely heavy and when pieces detach they can be extremely harmful. We saw two punctures in Spa previously because of bits of this metal that lay in a kerb and caused damage," he added. "In a worst case scenario they could fly off and hit someone."

So Whiting said the FIA is mandating the use of titanium next year primarily for safety reasons. "Secondly," he explained, "the titanium wears some two to 2.5 times more quickly than the metal currently used. Thus cars will have to be run a little bit higher to manage wear and teams won't be able to drag them on the ground quite as much as they have in the past. The third effect is that you will see a lot more sparks, which some people think will look a little more spectacular." (GMM)
F1 News

Replies (1)

Login to reply
  • denis1304

    Posts: 284

    If you want safety, then instead of wooden plank put rubber material (similar as tire) so if car have suspension failure, "plank" would act as brake.

    • + 0
    • Jul 15 2014 - 13:13

BE Grand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

BE Grand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

Related news

World Championship standings 2022

Pos
Team
Points
1
Red Bull Racing
759
2
Ferrari
554
3
Mercedes
514
4
Alpine F1
173
5
McLaren
159
6
Alfa Romeo Racing
55
7
Aston Martin
55
8
Haas F1
37
9
Alpha Tauri
35
10
Williams
8
Show full world champion standings

Test calendar

Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing

Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing

See full test schedule

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2022

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
18 - Mar 20
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
25 - Mar 27
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
8 - Apr 10
Australia
Albert Park
22 - Apr 24
Italy
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
6 - May 8
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
20 - May 22
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
27 - May 29
Monaco
Monte Carlo
10 - Jun 12
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
17 - Jun 19
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
1 - Jul 3
United Kingdom
Silverstone
8 - Jul 10
Austria
Red Bull Ring
22 - Jul 24
France
Paul Ricard
29 - Jul 31
Hungary
Hungaroring
26 - Aug 28
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
2 - Sep 4
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
9 - Sep 11
Italy
Monza
30 - Oct 2
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
7 - Oct 9
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
21 - Oct 23
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
28 - Oct 30
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
11 - Nov 13
Brazil
Interlagos
18 - Nov 20
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2022

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
18 - Mar 20
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
25 - Mar 27
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
8 - Apr 10
Australia Albert Park
22 - Apr 24
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
6 - May 8
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
20 - May 22
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
27 - May 29
Monaco Monte Carlo
10 - Jun 12
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
17 - Jun 19
Canada Gilles Villeneuve
1 - Jul 3
United Kingdom Silverstone
8 - Jul 10
Austria Red Bull Ring
22 - Jul 24
France Paul Ricard
29 - Jul 31
Hungary Hungaroring
26 - Aug 28
Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
2 - Sep 4
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
9 - Sep 11
Italy Monza
30 - Oct 2
Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
7 - Oct 9
Japan Circuit Suzuka
21 - Oct 23
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
28 - Oct 30
Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
11 - Nov 13
Brazil Interlagos
18 - Nov 20
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule
show sidebar