The FIA will not allow grass fires

      In April, the free races of the Japanese Grand Prix were interrupted several times by red flags due to the ignition of dry grass on the roadsides. The reason was sparks from under the bottom of the cars when the asphalt came into contact with the titanium plate installed there.

      The FIA decided to prevent further problems by replacing titanium plates with steel ones. Steel sparks do not reach such high temperatures as titanium sparks, which will reduce the likelihood of grass ignition.

      But the sparks from the contact of asphalt with steel do not look so great on the TV picture, so it was decided to divide the tracks – of the remaining races in Silverstone, Spielberg and Montreal, where there is grass around the track, steel plates will be used if the tests are successful. And in Baku, Singapore, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, where there is no grass around the track, titanium roads will remain. The steel blocks will be tested during Friday's free races in Barcelona.

      This idea was met with criticism at the Formula 1 Commission. There were concerns about the increased weight and accelerated wear of the steel plates. If the decision is made, the teams will have to increase the suspension height at some Grands Prix, which may affect the balance of power.

      The idea of spraying the grass with water or flame retardants has not passed, the FIA is more satisfied with the transition to steel plates, but the decision will be made based on the results of the tests.