FIA Concedes Ground-Effect Oversight, Says 2026 Floor Should Cut Porpoising
Tombazis says ultra-low ride heights became the unforeseen performance target, driving porpoising plus plank-wear problems.
Overview
- The FIA acknowledges it "missed" how far optimum ride heights would drop under the 2022 ground‑effect rules.
- Porpoising was not anticipated and, although improved, did not fully disappear through the 2022–2025 cycle.
- For 2026, a much flatter floor is intended to raise operating ride heights and reduce porpoising, though officials will wait for running to confirm.
- Early checks will come when cars first run in Barcelona later this month and at Bahrain’s pre-season tests in February.
- The FIA argues tighter suspension rules would not have been a first‑order fix, while varied floor and skid designs complicated plank inspections and contributed to disqualifications, including Ferrari and McLaren in 2025.