Story highlights
The FIA tells Red Bull to change the hotly-disputed floor of the team's car
The RB8 has an isolated hole on its floor, which is against F1 regulations
Red Bull lead the Formula One constructors' championship after six races
Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber are joint second in drivers' standings
Motorsport’s governing body the FIA has told Red Bull to modify the floor of its controversial Formula One car ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Australian Mark Webber drove the RB8 to victory at last month’s Monaco Grand Prix, but rival teams questioned the legality of a hole in the car’s floor located in front of the rear tire.
FIA rules dictate the floor of an F1 car must be “continuous, rigid (no degree of freedom in relation to the body/chassis unit)” and “impervious.”
It has now taken the step of issuing a note to teams in order to reinforce the laws of the sport, with two-time constructors’ champions Red Bull set to make the appropriate modifications.
“Red Bull are expected to revise the much-talked-about ‘holes’ in their car’s rear floor ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix,” read a statement on the sport’s official website.
“Other teams had interpreted the rules to mean only floor slots are allowed and the FIA has now made clear that it will consider enclosed holes illegal from the Montreal race onwards.”
Webber and two-time world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel are tied for second in the drivers’ standings, with Red Bull also leading the constructors’ championship after six races.
The hole in the RB8’s floor was initially approved by FIA scrutineers, and the Austrian-owned marque have been running with their current setup since April’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
