At the opening test of the season in Barcelona it was evident that teams could potentially benefit from having flexible edges to the floors of their cars.
When running at speed, the floor could in effect seal the gap to the road and act like the skirts on the original ground effect cars of the late seventies.
At the same time some teams – notably Mercedes – have explored ways of making their floors stiffer by using stays.
That was in part a response to the porpoising issue seen in Barcelona, which some attributed to floor deflection.
Teams are also struggling to make floors stiff enough to meet the FIA’s flexing tests without adding too much weight.
Although the overall minimum weight limit has gone up considerably this year, most cars are understood to be significantly over it.
They have been obliged to make floors stronger by adding extra material to them, and stays are a way of meeting the FIA tests without adding further weight to the floor itself.
“I think floor stiffness…
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