'Ferrari is prepared to protest against FIA porpoising rules'

Several Formula One teams, including Ferrari and Red Bull Racing, oppose the FIA's proposed rule changes to further combat porpoising. The teams believe that it is not a safety issue, but that the changes are designed to help Mercedes. Ferrari are even prepared to lodge a protest, which could make life very difficult for the FIA.

To further combat porpoising, the FIA plans to make a number of changes to the floor mandatory. For example, each team will have to raise the floor edges by 25 millimetres, the throat of the diffuser under the floor will also have to be raised and stricter tests will be introduced to check the flexing of the floor.

These changes come on top of measures already taken by the governing body, which are due to take effect from the Belgian Grand Prix. At Spa-Francorchamps, the FIA wants to start taking measurements, with the floor being allowed to touch the asphalt to a lesser extent than before. If a team does not comply, the ride height must be adjusted. Tests will also be introduced to check the flexibility of the floor, for which a maximum has also been set.

Ferrari willing to appeal against FIA decision

Six of the ten teams are against the changes the FIA wants to introduce in 2023, including Ferrari. And that is an important one, because Ferrari has a right of veto with which it can block certain decisions. Whether this will be possible here remains to be seen, as the FIA claims that it is a safety issue and therefore does not need the teams' agreement in principle. However, it does open up the discussion as to what extent it is actually about safety, as the problem can already be solved by adjusting the ride height.

Ferrari would even be prepared to lodge a protest against the changes, according to Michael Schmidt in a video of Auto, Motor und Sport. Mattia Binotto would have told him this personally. The Ferrari team boss thinks that safety is not an argument, as measurements will already be taken from Spa-Francorchamps. If teams do exceed the limit, they run the risk of being disqualified. According to Binotto, more rules are not necessary for this reason.