Technical Directive: FIA bans with immediate effect special protective plates installed over skid blocks

[PapayaFan481]

Now that red bull have sorted their car out somewhat and also believe that they've slowed down McLaren sufficiently to fight for wins (via Watergate)

Do you have proof of this? What, McLaren used water in the tires?

No they don't, because there is no proof. If there was then the accused teams would have been excluded, just like the accusation that Red Bull cheated with their bib - no proof and no exclusion from race results, just like the accusations that McLaren "cheated" with their clever interpretation of the rear wing that some claim was "illegal" but obviously was not otherwise they'd have been excluded from race results - especially when it was so visible for all to see.

This is yet another example of the clickbaity press and divisive nature of F1 these days.

Click bait headline based on a change that probably has negligible actually performance advantage and will be forgotten about in a few weeks time.

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Teams are constantly running devices or using procedures that are later made illegal. It's the nature of the game.

Even in extreme cases of rule "interpretation", results are not invalidated retrospectively. That just isn't done

[Vanja #66]

https://scuderiafans.com/fred-vasseur-a ... or-ruling/

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur revealed that the FIA had previously deemed Ferrari’s floor to be within the rules before the new directive was introduced. Fred Vasseur described the FIA’s revised interpretation as unusual, noting that the team had contemplated disputing it: “Yes, we had to make a change, but we had also the confirmation before this that the plank was legal, from the FIA,” the French manager confirmed.

“I think it was the right attitude for us not to fight because I want to stay focussed on the championship and not on this kind of a discussion. But the approach was strange.” – the Ferrari team principal added.

A nothingburger, and what a whopper...

[Andi76]

https://scuderiafans.com/fred-vasseur-a ... or-ruling/

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur revealed that the FIA had previously deemed Ferrari’s floor to be within the rules before the new directive was introduced. Fred Vasseur described the FIA’s revised interpretation as unusual, noting that the team had contemplated disputing it: “Yes, we had to make a change, but we had also the confirmation before this that the plank was legal, from the FIA,” the French manager confirmed.

“I think it was the right attitude for us not to fight because I want to stay focussed on the championship and not on this kind of a discussion. But the approach was strange.” – the Ferrari team principal added.

A nothingburger, and what a whopper...

In the end Vasseur confirms that Ferrari used such a floor and now has to make changes due to the new TD. However, the floor was never illegal or trickery. If you're smart in F1, you always get such things approved by the FIA (even if you sometimes prioritize the secondary over the primary benefit), or "get them on board" with certain developments. That's what Ferrari did. It wasn't illegal until now, but completely compliant with the rules, which it no longer is from now on.

If nothingburger (I haven't followed the discussion as I'm on vacation in Phuket and go back and forth between the beach and the pool) means a lot of smoke for nothing, I can only agree. There are just developments that are declared illegal. For whatever reason. Some are justified, some are not, some serve to influence the field, some do not.

[Vanja #66]

If nothingburger (I haven't followed the discussion as I'm on vacation in Phuket and go back and forth between the beach and the pool) means a lot of smoke for nothing, I can only agree.

Indeed it does mean exactly that!

[PapayaFan481]

Teams are constantly running devices or using procedures that are later made illegal. It's the nature of the game.

Even in extreme cases of rule "interpretation", results are not invalidated retrospectively. That just isn't done

Exactly. Doesn't mean they were cheating or using an illegal device at the time. But some people on social media clearly don't care about nuance.