FIA delays porpoising control directive until Belgian GP

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The FIA has agreed to delay until the Belgian GP its oversight policy regarding the porpoising and bouncing of Formula 1's ground effect cars.

On the back of two Technical Directives released in Montreal and last week at Silverstone, the governing body had planned to introduce at the French GP a vertical bouncing metric devised to force teams to limit the bouncing and bottoming of their cars.

A clampdown on the flexibility of the cars' floors was also planned, but the stringent monitoring and restrictions have been delayed until after F1's summer break following a meeting on Friday at Spielberg of the Formula 1 Commission.

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"There was a discussion regarding the draft technical directive that addresses safety concerns relating to the vertical oscillation of the cars (also referred to as porpoising)," said the FIA in a statement.

"Following feedback and consultation with the teams and in order to allow the teams to make necessary updates to the plank and skid assemblies, which will ensure a fair application of the metric used to measure this oscillation across all cars, the implementation of the draft technical directive issued to the teams prior to the British Grand Prix will come into effect from the Belgian Grand Prix.

"The enhanced controls by the FIA introduced as from the Canadian Grand Prix will continue," the FIA added.

"Several proposed actions to address this issue in the 2023 Technical Regulations were also discussed, with clear directions to be taken to the Technical Advisory Committee."

The FIA's delay comes in the wake of some pointed criticism of the governing body's technical directives, and specifically from Red Bull's Christian Horner who said that the decisions contained in the TDs equated to illegal mid-season regulations changes by the FIA.

"TDs shouldn't be regulatory changes, there is a governance and a process for that," commented Horner last weekend at Silverstone. "

"So I think we just need to talk through exactly why [they have been issued].

"It didn't look like there was a lot of porpoising in this race [the British GP]. So teams are sorting it out. I don't feel it needs the intervention of a TD."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.