What Causes F1 Cars to Spark? Japanese Grand Prix Fires Explained – Sports Illustrated

Free Practices 2 and 3 at the Japanese Grand Prix were marred by fires on the grass near the track, which caused several delays and limited running throughout the weekend.

The fires started due to sparks from the cars that caught fire from the dry grass off the track.

The FIA has indicated they implemented measures to curb further fires, although the sparks proved unstoppable.

The sparks from the car originate from a titanium plank on its underside.

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The plank was initially designed to improve underbody aerodynamics and prevent the car from bottoming out, which happens when the underbody of an F1 car hits the ground.

The introduction of the 2022 ground effect cars has eliminated many of the issues the plank aimed to address; now, the plank is primarily used for the visual effect of sparks flying on the track.

The 2024 F1 technical regulations state that the skid block wear during a Grand Prix should be limited.

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“The thickness of the plank assembly measured normal to the lower surface must be 10mm [plus or minus] 0.2mm and must be uniform when new,” the regulations say.

“A minimum thickness of 9mm will be accepted due to wear, and conformity to this provision will be checked at the peripheries of the designated holes.”

The cars are very stuck to the ground due to the significant downforce generated, causing the skid block to wear naturally. During dry conditions, sparks tend to fly on specific corners.

In the 2024 U.S. Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton, who was driving for Mercedes at the time, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc were disqualified for failing to meet the minimum plank requirements.

The skid blocks gained increased attention during the initial years of the ground effect regulations, as cars would bounce up and down due to the intense downforce and extremely low ride heights.

To ensure the safety of drivers observed to be physically affected after races, regulations were changed to require teams to reduce their cars’ porpoising and avoid riding too low.

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Cars typically produce the most sparks while riding specific curbs or during braking, as these moments generate the highest downforce.

Since the ride height and porpoising have been controlled, the question remains whether the plank is still needed, given the potential for fires to start off the track in grassy areas.

The 2024 Chinese Grand Prix also saw sparks cause fires in the grassy areas, which could become something the FIA considers going forward.

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