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The FIA single-seater director, Nikolas Tombazis, has admitted that the sport’s governing body missed a key flaw in the F1 cars of the ground-effect era.
The FIA single-seater director, Nikolas Tombazis, acknowledged missing a key flaw in Formula 1 cars of the ground-effect era.
The recently concluded four-year cycle of cars received criticism from drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen for issues like extreme porpoising and plank wear.
Teams had to adjust ride height due to plank wear concerns, potentially leading to disqualifications, as seen with Ferrari and McLaren in 2025.
Tombazis admitted that the missed opportunity to anticipate the optimal ride height change in the 2022 regulations was regrettable.
While he expressed confidence that porpoising issues should diminish with the new 2026 cars’ floor design, he remained cautious until the cars hit the track for testing in February.
Despite potential risks, he believed that teams had gained experience in addressing such challenges, making it likely for a smoother transition to the next generation of F1 cars.
