FIA check zero planks just a week on after Austin double DQ drama

After two cars were disqualified for excessive plank wear in Austin, the FIA decided to check no planks after the race in Mexico.

Checking the planks is not always part of the FIA’s scrutineering process and in fact, before the race in Austin the last time planks were checked came in Singapore.

But given the interest in the fact that only four cars were checked in the US, 50% of which failed, it is perhaps a little odd that the FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer did not appear to check any panels after the chequered flag in Mexico.

This decision could be made as a result of the downforce nature of the circuit. Mexico is a low downforce track similar to the upcoming race in Sao Paulo while Austin is regarded as a medium to high downforce circuit.

But Qatar would also fall in the high downforce category and planks were not checked there either.

The decision not to physically check the planks in Mexico backs up a reported theory that it was data observed during the race that promoted the investigation in the US.

Ahead of this weekend’s proceedings, it was revealed on Sky Sports F1 that the vertical oscillating data of Lewis Hamilton and

Charles Leclerc had propmpted Bauer to investigate their cars in particular with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris also being chosen for comparison.

But many thought Mercedes could have featured once again after Toto Wolff admitted he would always choose to run a lower car and hope to get away with it.

“I would take the same thing and I would also take the disqualification because we got it wrong,” the Austrian told Sky Sports F1.

“I take the disqualification running for a race win and see the performance, against running P3 and ending 25 seconds adrift.

“Every day of the week I would go for the disqualification.”