The Las Vegas Grand Prix, the opening event of the final triple header of the 2024 World Championship, lights up before it even begins. A new technical directive issued by the FIA, as revealed by the German newspaper Car engine and sport, risks changing the balance on the track, hitting some of the top teams, including Ferrari and Mercedes.
The origin of the controversy
The new directive prohibits the use of special protections on the skid-blocks, the pads that are located under the floor of the cars and that serve to protect it from contact with the asphalt. These protections, used by about half the grid, were designed to preserve the fixing screws and allow the teams to lower the height of the cars, maximizing the aerodynamic load without exceeding the wear limits set by the regulations.
The case came to light thanks to a report from Red Bull, which led the FIA to intervene to close this gray area. The ban comes into force as early as the Las Vegas GP, forcing teams like Ferrari, Mercedes and Haas to modify their setups to comply with the new rules. On the contrary, Red Bull and McLaren, who had not exploited this loophole, will not suffer significant impacts.
Ferrari and Mercedes forced to change strategy
The directive is a major blow for Ferrari, which is locked in a tight battle for the constructors' title against a McLaren in great form. With the impossibility of using protection, the cars will have to be raised, sacrificing some performance. This could be particularly penalizing on a circuit like Las Vegas, which combines long straights and slow corners, where aerodynamics and stability play a crucial role.
Secondo Car engine and sport, Ferrari would have even asked to postpone the application of the directive to the Qatar GP, but the FIA rejected the proposal. Now the Maranello team will have to quickly find a solution to avoid losing ground to its rivals.
A season of controversial regulations
This is not the first time that the FIA has intervened during the season to regulate the grey areas of the technical regulations. Since the beginning of the year, numerous episodes have concerned the “flexi wings”, perforated brakes and other innovative solutions introduced by the teams. However, regulatory changes so close to the end of the championship raise doubts about the management of the competition.
Changing the rules mid-race risks altering the technical balance, favoring or penalizing some teams right at the key moment of the season. For Ferrari and Mercedes, this directive represents a further obstacle in their pursuit of McLaren, while Red Bull continues to consolidate its role as a protagonist on and off the track.
What to expect in Las Vegas?
With three races still to go, the fight for the drivers' and constructors' titles is far from over. The new directive could affect the hierarchies on the track, opening up new scenarios in a championship that promises to be unpredictable until the last lap. In the background, there remains the debate on the opportunity to introduce such important regulatory changes at such a delicate stage of the World Championship.
