Why Do F1 Cars Have A Wooden Plank? Here's What The Skid Block Does

Formula 1 race cars are designed to have fast acceleration, incredible aerodynamics, and eye-watering top speeds. That's why some Formula 1 fans are thrown off when they see a wooden plank fastened to the bottom of the car. This piece is called a "skid block" and it serves a pretty important purpose. Not only does the skid block protect the floor of the car, it helps limit the car's downforce to ensure driver safety. It seems counterintuitive for Formula 1 cars to be engineered to go slower, but the skid block was implemented after some fatal race incidents. 

Two racers died during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix race weekend, bringing driver safety to the forefront. During qualifying, Roland Ratzenberger hit a wall at over 195 miles per hour after his car's front wing got lodged under the car. During the race, Ayrton Senna crashed while trying to negotiate the Imola circuit's bumpy Tamburello curve, and died later that day at Maggiore hospital in Bologna. Like one life-saving rule change that was implemented in 2018, the skid block regulation is meant to keep drivers safe. The block must remain at a mandated thickness throughout a race, forcing cars to sit a bit higher off the ground. This increase in ground clearance prevents the cars from being thrown off course when going over bumps, and the plank is measured after each race for excessive wear. 

Formula 1's rule book is extensive, covering everything from tire usage to the dimensions of front and rear wings. Big changes to engine regulations are coming in 2026, with an increased reliance on electric power and sustainable fuels. Current rules state that the skid block must be of uniform thickness of one centimeter, with wear of about one millimeter permitted during each race. Wear is measured at four spots on the underside of each car, and teams are allowed to attach metal plates in those places to reduce the erosion of the wooden block. 

In 2023, Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc were disqualified after the United States Grand Prix for excessive skid block wear. After the penalties for that race were announced, Ferrari sporting director Diego Ioverno and Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin both blamed the weekend's tight schedule for the oversight. In one of the most surprising off-track developments in recent years, Hamilton announced that he will team up with Leclerc at Ferrari next season.