Mercedes and Ferrari have confirmed that they have both reacted to an FIA technical directive that seeks to close a loophole in terms of wear to the plank.

Understandably, in order to extract the maximum downforce, teams seek to run their cars as low to the ground as possible. However, the regulations stipulate that the plank - first introduced in 1994 in order ensure cars confirmed to the ride height regulations - must not be worn down by more than 1mm.

To protect certain areas of the plank which suffer excessive wear when the cars bottom out, teams are allowed to use metal skid blocks in those areas most susceptible to such wear.

However, in Brazil there was talk of 'satellite skids', plates of an unspecified thickness that give extra protection.

Though the rules stipulate that these extra plates have to have the same vertical stiffness as the main skids in order to be legal, there was no mention of their thickness. The recent technical directive is intended to close that particular loophole.

"We had to make a change but we have also the confirmation before this that the plank was legal," said Fred Vasseur in Las Vegas today. "I think it was the right attitude for us not to fight because I want to stay focused on the championship and not on this kind of discussion. But the approach was strange."

"Yeah, we had to change the way we run the floor as well," admitted Toto Wolff.

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