Alex Albon Calls for Full-Grid Checks Amid Renewed Plank Wear Controversy

Alex Albon says his issue with Formula 1’s ongoing plank-wear saga isn’t the rule itself, but the way it is enforced arguing that in an ideal world, the FIA would inspect every car rather than rely on random post-race checks.

Debate around skid-block regulations has resurfaced following McLaren’s double disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where both championship leader Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri lost their points after failing post-race inspections for excessive plank wear. Earlier in the season, Ferrari suffered a similar fate in China, a penalty that also cost Lewis Hamilton his result.

Albon supports the regulation but believes selective checks inevitably raise questions about fairness.

“Yeah, I mean we could run these things to the deck if we wanted to and have no legality issues, but then we’re all finding illegal performance,” he said. “The main thing for me is, I don’t like that it’s random. I’d almost rather have 20 cars get checked every weekend… it’s that randomly selected version that’s a bit tricky. But yeah, rules are rules.”

The Williams driver currently leading team-mate Carlos Sainz by 25 points emphasised how sensitive modern cars are to track and weather conditions. With extreme dependence on precise ride-height calculations, teams are constantly balancing performance with legality.

“These cars are incredible now,” Albon explained. “We are setting ride heights based on the wind you’re expecting the next day. If you get a headwind into a main straight, it completely transforms your ride heights for the weekend. Especially on sprint weekends, or weekends like Vegas with limited running, you have to play it safe. And sometimes you finish the race kicking yourself because you have hardly any plank wear and feel like you could’ve optimised more but that’s the way these rules are.”

A full legality inspection requires significant time and often partial disassembly of a car, making all-20-car checks impractical within the constraints of an already compressed race weekend. For now, random sampling remains the FIA’s most feasible compromise.

Looking ahead, Albon believes future regulations may reduce but not eliminate the plank-wear debate.

“It’ll be less of a talking point, but it’ll still be there,” he said. “The philosophy of running at least one part of the car as low as possible will always apply.”

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Written by

James Rees

A passionate motorsport journalist from Wales, with over 30 years of love for the sport. A dedicated father of three, working as a content manager, covering the fast-paced world of Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula E, and IndyCar.

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