A meeting of the top teams in Formula 1, known as the F1 Strategy Group, has agreed on a proposal to ban the controversial shark fin and T-wing elements for the 2018 season.
The strategy group, which consists of permanent members Ferrari, Mercedes, Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, along with the next-best team from the previous season — currently Force India — met in Paris on April 25 to discuss various sporting and technical changes to regulations. For the first time Chase Carey, CEO of Formula One Group, also attended, along with FIA President Jean Todt.
Several changes were agreed on, which will be put to the FIA’s World Motor Sports Council for approval, among which is a proposal to change the regulation boxes around the engine cover, limiting designs which incorporate the “T-Wing” and “Shark Fin” solutions.
The adoption of the shark fin, an elongated strip of bodywork extending backwards from the airbox towards the rear wing, has been divisive among fans, but it’s the T-Wing that’s really caused controversy. Six teams currently use this coat-hanger style attachment which sits on top of the shark fin, with varying degrees of complexity. One became detached from the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas during the weekend of the Bahrain Grand Prix, causing significant damage to Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.
In addition to this, the strategy group also discussed changes to ensure that oil could not be used as fuel, development of 2018’s wet weather tires and to change the red flag restart procedure to a standing start. A more immediate change was also agreed on, to make driver names and numbers more prominent on cars as of the Spanish Grand Prix in May.
Significantly, the teams also took a decision over driver head protection which is due to be introduced in 2018, with the proposed “Halo” option seen last year being trialled by Ferrari rejected in favour of the “Shield” screen system. A similar system, dubbed “Aeroscreen”, has been seen on Red Bull cars during practice sessions in 2016, but that device failed the FIA’s impact testing.