And everyone owes a lot of gratitude to the CRB who DID NOT continue pushing STUPID and ILL CONCEIVED rules floated recently requiring a back brace on ANY seat, FIA or otherwise, unless it could be proven that the mounts used are the same PN as the mounts the seat was certified with, which is ONLY possible on seats conforming to FIA 8862-2009 (advanced racing seats) as listed on technical list #40. there's less than 20 of these. most FIA seats are homologated to 8855-1999, and listed on TL#12, specifying the TYPE of mounting used (lateral, lower) and nothing more.

in effect, it would have forced just about everyone to have back braces. if you think they are scary on a metal seat, try it on a composite, or worse, an entry level, steel-frame FIA seat with webbing through the back and seat floor.

a rare instane of safety rule restraint on behalf od the club. use FIA seats and avoid back braces for all of the good reasons above. even a well designed back brace is, to me, less desireable than a well designed and well mounted seat.