The FIA has finally decided to take action against porpoising, but not everyone is happy with the decisions taken. The rebound phenomenon was evident from the first winter tests in Barcelona, and surprised many. The simulations in the wind tunnel did not allow reaching the same speeds as at the end of the straight on the real circuits, and it was on the track that the teams discovered the porpoising of the 2022 cars.
Since then, engineers and mechanics face a real headache. Rebound can be limited by increasing ride height, at the cost of performance (the car generates less downforce). It’s a balancing act between rider comfort and speed on the tarmac. But after numerous complaints from the main players, the FIA decided to intervene. The decisions came after rare footage seen at the finish line of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where several drivers (notably Lewis Hamilton) held their backs and showed clear signs of pain.
At this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, teams will have to find a compromise to limit that porpoise effect. Before the third free practice session, the FIA will calculate the vertical speed of the car: if the rebound is too great, the cars in question will have to rise, which will hurt them in terms of performance. A new line in the regulations that has received an uneven reception from the pilots.
“It’s not as bad for us as it is for other cars. It seems that some cars are easier to drive than others. But what is very positive is that the FIA is acting to take care of us, and that is very positive,” replied Esteban Ocon.
“There are two areas that I don’t think we should mix: they are the porpoising and the general stiffness of the cars. Because in some of the corners last year, for example in Monaco after the tunnel, when I hit the vibrator hard, I felt it violently. on my body, and it wasn’t at the end of the straight. The stiffness of the car in general is also an issue. It doesn’t necessarily come down to the amount of bounce at the end of the straight.”
Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team
While the Frenchman was quite happy, George Russell, who was one of the most denouncing porpoising in Baku, was more perplexed. “We have to wait and see [the results of the FIA’s data collection]. I think that even for the teams that suffer the least, it is still a very aggressive phenomenon. The FIA has access to all the vertical acceleration loads that we are experiencing. and it is well above what is considered safe. So we have to keep discussing to move forward and know where we are going.”
The one from Mercedes, the team that has complained the most about porpoising, defined the measure taken by the FIA as a patch, and expects more: “What has been presented this weekend is more of a band-aid than a solution.”
Charles Leclerc, who has coped quite well with the rebound of his F1-75 in this first part of the season, was against the decision. “I don’t completely agree. I feel like it’s the team’s responsibility to give me a car that’s fit to drive. So far I haven’t had any particular problems. Yes, it’s stiffer than last year’s. Make it impossible or very difficult to drive for me, I don’t think so, at least in my case. For our part we have found solutions to improve it”.
Finally, Lance Stroll wanted to highlight the safety aspect of this decision, which aims to limit an undesirable effect of this generation of single-seaters that could have been detrimental in the long term, especially for the health of the drivers. The one from Aston Martin believes that porpoising “is not viable for 23 grand prix”, and believes that this regulation, which has made ground effect fashionable again, is “hard on the bodies”.
