‘The more dragging everything is’: Aston Martin comment on risk of ‘legal fight’ over 2023 change

The prospective regulations for next season have been protested by several teams.

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has called for a decision to be made as soon as possible on the potential 2023 regulation changes.

“Porpoising” and bouncing has been a key theme of the 2022 season after ground effect aerodynamics were reintroduced along with the new technical regulations.

The phenomenon can be caused one of two ways: the chassis can prove turbulent, this forcing the floor of the car to make aggressive contact with the track surface, or the ride height of the car can be too low, meaning that the floor is constantly scraping and riding over the bumps.

Mercedes have been the most vocal about it because of fears over the safety of the drivers; Sir Lewis Hamilton’s back pain was so bad in Baku that he struggled to climb out of his car.

READ: Christian Horner says Red Bull will copy Aston Martin aero component if it’s legal

However, Ferrari and Red Bull have done a fundamentally better job than the Silver Arrows this season in making a competitive car, so they feel as though any changes to the rules will unfairly swing the balance of performance in Mercedes’ favour.

They also suggest that the German side can simply raise the ride of their car to avoid bottoming, but that they do not want to do this because of the effect it has on performance in the corners.

However, some teams have been using moving skid blocks and flexible planks this year and, while the moving block was technically legal, it will not be as of the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of the summer break.

Flexible floors are still up for debate, and so are a host of other new regulations, which include a raising of the front wing floor edges, and of the diffuser throat.

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Not only do the top teams feel as though Mercedes are trying to influence the FIA to get them back to the front, but Christian Horner has argued that it is too late to change the rules, because work has already begun on the 2023 car.

Mercedes have affirmed that safety is paramount, and that there is no guarantee that the new rules would work in their favour, so there appears to be somewhat of an impasse at present.

Regardless of what happens, 2023 gets nearer each day, so Seidl has urged the FIA and the teams to find some common ground before it is too late.

“No issues, I do not expect any major changes in the ranking up and down the pit lane,” he said.

“In 2023, – if it is right or not right – the most important is we make a decision because we need to make some calls for next year’s cars.

READ: Michael Masi signed NDA with FIA as he opens up on ‘dark days’

“The later this gets the more expensive this gets, the more dragging everything is, so the most important is to have a decision as soon as possible.”

There is a chance that some teams might decide to launch a formal protest – six teams are thought to be against the changes – which would likely involve a court battle.

Krack, however, would like to think it will not escalate to that extent.

“I don’t think there will be a legal fight between the parties,” added the German.

“I think we will find a solution, as we have done with many things lately, but it is 10 past 12, it is time to move on.”

More stringent deflection tests and more accurate sensors to detect oscillating movement have also been proposed for next season.