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
<< Previous article Next article >>

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 2021

Pos
Team
Points
1
Red Bull Racing
286
2
Mercedes
282
3
McLaren
163
4
Ferrari
148
5
Alpha Tauri
49
6
Aston Martin
48
7
Alpine F1
40
8
Alfa Romeo Racing
2
Show full world champion standings

Test calendar

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 - 2021

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Bahrain
26 - Mar 28
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
16 - Apr 18
Italy
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
30 - May 2
Portugal
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
7 - May 9
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
20 - May 23
Monaco
Monte Carlo
4 - Jun 6
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
18 - Jun 20
France
Paul Ricard
25 - Jun 27
Austria
Red Bull Ring
2 - Jul 4
Austria
Red Bull Ring
16 - Jul 18
United Kingdom
Silverstone
30 - Aug 1
Hungary
Hungaroring
27 - Aug 29
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
3 - Sep 5
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
10 - Sep 12
Italy
Monza
24 - Sep 26
Russian
Sochi Autodrom
1 - Oct 3
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
8 - Oct 10
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
22 - Oct 24
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
29 - Oct 31
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
5 - Nov 7
Brazil
Interlagos
19 - Nov 21
Australia
Albert Park
3 - Dec 5
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
10 - Dec 12
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2021

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
26 - Mar 28
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
16 - Apr 18
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
30 - May 2
Portugal Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
7 - May 9
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
20 - May 23
Monaco Monte Carlo
4 - Jun 6
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
18 - Jun 20
France Paul Ricard
25 - Jun 27
Austria Red Bull Ring
2 - Jul 4
Austria Red Bull Ring
16 - Jul 18
United Kingdom Silverstone
30 - Aug 1
Hungary Hungaroring
27 - Aug 29
Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
3 - Sep 5
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
10 - Sep 12
Italy Monza
24 - Sep 26
Russian Sochi Autodrom
1 - Oct 3
Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
8 - Oct 10
Japan Circuit Suzuka
22 - Oct 24
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
29 - Oct 31
Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
5 - Nov 7
Brazil Interlagos
19 - Nov 21
Australia Albert Park
3 - Dec 5
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
10 - Dec 12
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule
show sidebar