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A skid block, also known as a plank, is a common term for a mandatory attachment to the underside of a racing car. Initially applied to Formula One cars in 1994, it has also been used in other categories including Formula 3000 and Formula 3. It is a flat rectangle, usually made of fiberglass or a wood composite, designed to impose a minimum ground clearance and to regulate the use of ground effects to enhance handling.
According to Formula One regulations, a rectangular skid block must be fitted beneath the central plane of the car. This skid block may comprise up to three pieces but must:
The skid block was introduced in F1 as part of the safety changes that followed Ayrton Senna's death. It has been made of a light, strong and non-flammable fiberglass called permaglass since the late 90s. [1]
The block used to be made of a material called Jabroc. Jabroc is made of beechwood and built in a composite process. Veneers are layered and a high strength resin is used in each layer. It is pressurized and pressed, and brought to a certain and very consistent material density. [1] As a result, each Jabroc skid plank is all but identical in terms of wear rate and material density. This material is still used in other motorsports. [1]
The plank does not in itself restrict airflow under the car. It is used as a gauge which restricts the minimum ride height attainable by the car. The closer the car is to the ground, the more efficient the front wing and rear diffuser. The higher the down force levels, the faster a driver may corner. Cornering loads can push the car down much lower to the road, which can be dangerous and so the skid block was introduced to counteract this. The thickness of the plank is one of the parc fermé tests. If it is found to be worn beyond the allowed limit, the car is disqualified.
Michael Schumacher in a Benetton was disqualified for an excessively worn plank in the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix. Schumacher spun out across the curb at Pouhon corner. Although the curb carved a pattern out into the plank, it was deemed by the FIA to have not been the cause for the excessive wear.
Jarno Trulli in a Jordan was initially disqualified for plank wear after the 2001 United States Grand Prix but the Jordan team successfully appealed the decision to the FIA International Court of Appeal because a steward was absent when the original decision was made, and Trulli's 4th-place finish was allowed to stand. [2] [3]
André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer and Marcel Fässler, driving the #7 Audi Sport Team Joest R18 e-tron, were excluded from the 2016 6 Hours of Silverstone after finishing in first place. Post-race scrutineering determined that the skid block was less than the 20 mm dictated by FIA World Endurance Championship rules. The ruling was a blow to Audi's hopes in the first round of the WEC season, handing victory to the defending champion Porsche team. [4] The team chose not to appeal.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified for excessive plank wear in the 2023 United States Grand Prix after being randomly selected for a post-race inspection. Hamilton had originally finished in second place and Leclerc in sixth after starting on pole. [5]
Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in England, near the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. It is the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted as the 1948 British Grand Prix. The 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was the first race in the newly created World Championship of Drivers. The race rotated between Silverstone, Aintree and Brands Hatch from 1955 to 1986, but settled permanently at the Silverstone track in 1987. The circuit also hosts the British round of the MotoGP series.
The 1994 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 28 August 1994 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, near the village of Francorchamps, Wallonia. It was the eleventh race of the 1994 Formula One World Championship.
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The 2000 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 23 April 2000 at the Silverstone Circuit, England, United Kingdom. It was the fourth round of the 2000 Formula One World Championship and was the 51st time that the British Grand Prix had been included in the championship since 1950. McLaren's David Coulthard won the 60-lap race after starting from fourth position. His teammate Mika Häkkinen finished second and Ferrari's Michael Schumacher was third.
The 2001 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 30, 2001, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It was the 16th and penultimate round of the 2001 Formula One World Championship, and the second United States Grand Prix hosted at Indianapolis. It was the first international sporting event to take place in the United States since the September 11 attacks, which occurred 19 days before the Grand Prix. McLaren's Mika Häkkinen won the 73-lap race after starting fourth. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher finished second, while Häkkinen's teammate David Coulthard was third.
The 1997 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 51st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1997 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1997 Formula One World Championship for Constructors, which were contested concurrently over a seventeen-race series that commenced on 9 March and ended on 26 October.
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The RAC Tourist Trophy is a motor racing award presented by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) to the overall victor of a motor race in the United Kingdom. Established in 1905, it is the world's oldest automobile race. The 18-carat gold trophy is based on Giambologna's sculpture of the Greek god Hermes. Series to have featured the trophy include the World Sportscar Championship, the FIA GT Cup, the World Touring Car Championship, the European Touring Car Championship, the FIA GT Championship, the British Touring Car Championship, the FIA GT1 World Championship, and the overall winners of the British GT Championship in the 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2004 seasons. It has been presented to the overall winners of the Silverstone Circuit round of the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2013 on.
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