Red Bull and Ferrari work together on compromise for new floor rules

Team bosses met with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on the Friday before the Hungarian Grand Prix over the porpoising issue. Ferrari and Red Bull are trying to find a compromise on the new 'floor rules', while Mercedes is arguing for the rule change.

On August 2nd, the decision will be made on the new rules regarding the floors, reports Auto, Motor und Sport. The FIA wants to make a mandatory rule change because it fears the increased downforce will cause even more problems in 2023. Among other things, the edge of the floor must be raised 25 millimetres.

Ferrari says it can prove there is no safety problem and leaves open the possibility of legal action if the FIA tries to push through the rules. Red Bull is also against the rule change. According to the team, they would have to rebuild half of the car, so Red Bull thinks the rule change comes far too late. The smaller teams are also concerned and are warning the FIA of the high costs of the new rules.

Mercedes pleads for new rules

Mercedes is convinced that the crashes of Mick Schumacher and Daniel Ricciardo in Monaco were the result of the porpoising problem. The team is therefore in favour of the new rules. Charles Leclerc's crash in France last weekend can also be blamed on the porpoising problem, according to Mercedes. Ferrari and Red Bull Racing deny this.

The two title rivals say that the new rules favour the Mercedes concept. Mercedes contradicts this by saying that Red Bull and Ferrari are causing a fuss because they are investing a lot of money in the title fight in 2022, so they cannot afford an extra programme in the wind tunnel for 2023.

Ferrari and Red Bull seek compromise

Christian Horner brought Adrian Newey to the meeting to show Sulayem the perspective of an engineer. Newey showed him the consequences of the measures. Mattia Binotto also points to the engineers' view. "At a meeting of the technical engineers, the majority was in favour of our compromise proposal of ten millimetres", the team boss is quoted as saying by AMuS. Horner adds: "In the end we will come to a compromise. The only question is what it will be."