Red Bull Protest Forces F1 Cars Higher at Las Vegas

FIA Bans Skid Plates: Ferrari, Mercedes Hit Before Vegas

21/11/2024

The FIA’s skid plate ban, triggered by Red Bull, forces Ferrari and Mercedes to adjust ahead of the Las Vegas GP.

Formula 1 has surprised teams by banning protective elements on the “skid plates” under the 2024 cars.

In the new ground-effect era, driving as close to the track as possible offers a performance advantage—but the risk is excessive plank wear, rendering the car illegal.

Many teams devised special protective solutions, with nearly half finding a loophole in the regulations through innovative skid plate designs that generate the iconic sparks.

Red Bull filed a complaint with the FIA against rivals like Ferrari, Mercedes, and Haas F1, warning of potential protests if the governing body failed to act.

A week before the Las Vegas GP, all teams received a technical directive by mail. The FIA announced that the protective skid plates in question were not permitted.

Ferrari had hoped to delay the ban until the Qatar Grand Prix but failed to secure approval.

This decision could force teams like Ferrari to raise their car ride height for the remaining three races of the season, resulting in a loss of performance.

FIA Bans Skid Plates: Ferrari, Mercedes Hit Before Vegas

Red Bull Protest Forces F1 Cars Higher at Las Vegas Red Bull Protest Forces F1 Cars Higher at Las Vegas

F1 Standings 2025
F1 Standings 2025
#
Driver
Points
1
Driver Flag
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
0
2
Driver Flag
Lando Norris
McLaren
0
3
Driver Flag
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
0
4
Driver Flag
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
0
5
Driver Flag
Carlos Sainz
Williams
0
6
Driver Flag
George Russell
Mercedes
0
#
Team
Points
1
McLaren
Norris & Piastri
0
2
Ferrari
Leclerc & Hamilton
0
3
Red Bull
Verstappen & Lawson
0
4
Mercedes
Russell & Antonelli
0
5
Aston Martin
Alonso & Stroll
0
6
Alpine
Gasly & Doohan
0
F1 Calendar 2025
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race Date
Australia Flag
Australian
Albert Park
16 Mar
China Flag
Chinese
Shanghai International
23 Mar
Japan Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Bahrain International
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabian
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
FULL CALENDAR
Race Center

Race Center

Australian flag
Australian GP
13 Mar - 16 Mar
Your time Local time
FP1 13 MAR 15:30
FP2 13 MAR 19:00
FP3 14 MAR 15:30
QU 14 MAR 19:00
RACE 15 MAR 18:00
Go toTop