After a race in Baku that was particularly hard for the drivers due to back pain, as was seen in Lewis Hamilton, who highlighted the general malaise on the grid, the FIA ‘s intervention to try to eradicate the problem has added a new dimension to the debate.
In a statement issued on the Thursday ahead of the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix to teams by the international federation’s single-seater technical director Nikolas Tombazis , the governing body set out how it plans to resolve porpoising and help drivers.
Although the FIA’s technical guidelines are never officially published, here is how the governing body explained to the teams its plan for the immediate and long-term future.
Immediate changes to Formula 1 cars for the 2022 season
One of the main difficulties that the teams on the grid have faced when dealing with porpoising has been trying to keep the aerodynamics intact as the levels increase on the straights.
Things have gotten complicated, because some flex the ground as speed increases, causing an increase in downforce. This, in theory, sounds great, but the reality is that the increase in aerodynamics pushes the car downwards, that is, towards the asphalt, so the rebound effect worsens.
This was the problem that prompted the FIA to allow a bottom brace to help reinforce the edges and limit flexing. Starting with the Canadian Grand Prix, the governing body will allow two more things to help teams maintain their ground, and that is that they will be able to add an additional piece further forward than the one already present, something Mercedes has already done.
In addition, teams will be allowed additional thickness on the upper surface of the bottom, even if this is not in the rules on curvature or if it protrudes beyond the volumes defined by the regulations.
If these changes are of tangible benefit in helping to address porpoising , the FIA will propose a formal rule change that can be voted on by the teams for approval by the World Motor Sport Council .
Metric of porpoising
One of the things the FIA wants to gather during the Canadian event is whether “excessive vertical accelerations” when bouncing can be determined. This will be looked at through a more detailed inspection of the wear patterns of the cars’ plates and skids, as well as how some teams are reducing wear on these parts.
The FIA also hopes to gather what has been dubbed an aerodynamic oscillation metric ( AOM ), which will help determine if cars are drifting too far from the values. This will be achieved by analyzing a sensor already fitted to the cars near their center of gravity to help understand vertical acceleration, in the hope that an AOM figure can be agreed upon to set an upper limit.
If this is achieved in future races, teams will be asked to calculate their own AOM for three consecutive laps in the final free practice session on Saturday morning without using DRS (laps not done at fast speed will be discarded). racing or following other single-seaters).
With this figure, the teams will have to maintain their values of height, vertical stiffness and additional configuration for the rest of the weekend. The only exceptions will be lifting the car, if the weather changes, modifications to cooling or tire pressure, or adjusting the angle of the front wing flaps.
If someone cannot deliver a setup that meets the AOM figure, they will be asked to submit a trim sheet with the lowest possible AOM and increase the static height of the car by 10 millimetres .
The penalty for not complying with the AOM is clear, as the international federation has warned that if the cars bounce too much and exceed the limits, they risk being disqualified from the grand prix. This would be in line with article 1.3 of the 2022 F1 Technical Regulations , which refers to “dangerous construction”, where it is stated: “The stewards may exclude a car whose construction is considered dangerous”.
Should the teams agree on procedures for determining an AOM figure, something many within the paddock view skeptically, then the FIA could try to offer a metric for when the car is running on track.
long-term changes
Whether the AOM rule proves successful or unworkable, the FIA is determined to come up with better regulations for 2023 and beyond, all to eradicate the problem of porpoising .
The governing body wants the teams to support the development of CFD by testing possible modifications to the cars that could help reduce the rebound effect in the current generation of single-seaters.
As options that could be explored, Tombazis noted: “Geometries to be investigated could include raising the edges of the ground, reducing the bottom shelf, removing the leading edge spoiler, etc. We are also open to the possibility of allow for increased soil stiffness, through additional support, if deemed beneficial.”
The FIA and the teams are expected to start discussing the matter at a meeting very soon, where they will decide what the process will look like to change the rules for next season.
