Albon Prefers Full F1 Car Checks Over Random Plank Tests
Alex Albon has called for all F1 cars to undergo post-race plank wear checks instead of the current random sampling method. His comments follow recent high-profile disqualifications, highlighting concerns over fairness and the practical challenges teams face in balancing performance with strict technical regulations. Albon believes a universal check would ensure a more level playing field, despite the logistical difficulties for the FIA.
Williams driver Alex Albon voiced his concerns over Formula 1's plank wear enforcement, advocating for all cars to be checked post-race instead of relying on random sampling. This comes after recent disqualifications, including McLaren's double penalty at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Why it matters:
The recurring controversy surrounding plank wear regulations highlights a critical aspect of F1's technical rules and their inconsistent enforcement. For teams, ensuring legality while pushing performance limits is a constant balancing act, and the current random testing approach can lead to significant, race-altering penalties. A more systematic checking process, as Albon suggests, could enhance fairness and potentially reduce debate over these sensitive technical parameters.
The details:
- Enforcement Debate: Albon's primary issue isn't with the plank wear rule itself but with the FIA's random selection process for post-race checks. He believes this method lacks fairness, as only a few cars are typically scrutinized.
- Recent Disqualifications: The debate reignited following McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix due to excessive plank wear, costing them valuable points. Ferrari also faced a similar disqualification earlier in the year at the Chinese Grand Prix.
- Performance vs. Legality: Albon acknowledges that teams could push the limits of plank wear for performance gains, stating, "We could run these things to the deck if we wanted to and have no legality issues, but then we're all finding illegal performance kind of thing."
- Sensitivity to Track Conditions: Current F1 cars are extremely sensitive to ride height adjustments, which are often fine-tuned based on expected track conditions and even wind direction. This sensitivity means teams often adopt a safer setup, potentially sacrificing optimal performance to ensure legality.
- "We are setting ride heights down to what wind you get for the next day in the race," Albon explained. "If you get a headwind into a main straight, it completely transforms your ride heights for the weekend."
- FIA's Challenge: Full legality inspections are time-consuming, often requiring partial dismantling of the car. Checking all 20 cars after every race would be an impractical logistical challenge for the FIA given compressed race weekend schedules.
What's next:
Despite upcoming regulation changes, Albon predicts that ride height and plank wear will likely remain a talking point in F1. The fundamental engineering philosophy of running cars as low as possible for aerodynamic advantage will persist, meaning teams will continue to push these boundaries. While the extent of the issue might lessen, the challenge of balancing performance with strict technical legality will undoubtedly continue to be a factor for all teams.