Alpine annoyed with FIA rule change: 'That's frustrating'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
At Alpine they are not happy with the new floor support that was allowed by the FIA. Alpine had just made a solid floor and is now seeing that advantage disappear completely, according to Pat Fry at Motorsport.com.
In 2022, porpoising is the word in Formula 1. The cars bounce around the track tremendously and every team is looking for a solution for that. Several teams came up with a rod from the chassis to the floor before the season and this was approved by the FIA. However, this addition to the regulations came at a bad time for Alpine.
Bad luck for Alpine
According to Fry, the French racing stable, like all teams, was not aware of the porpoising problem beforehand, but had taken into account additional pressure on the floor. Because of the amount of downforce generated there, Alpine deliberately chose a strong and therefore heavier floor. This gave it an advantage over the competition for the season.
That advantage disappeared like snow in the sun when the FIA allowed the other teams to strengthen the floor with a rod. That bar was not allowed in the first rules. As a result, Alpine is now stuck with a heavier floor that is no longer needed. Fry states that it is frustrating for his team, but the experienced engineer also knows that it is part of the game. In Imola, however, Alpine will only come up with updates for the current car.