If you have opened this article, you most likely have at least a little interest in F1. Compare the 2021 and 2022 F1 championship leaderboards and you will find a lot of differences. Ferrari and Red Bull are fighting each other, but Mercedes is in third place with a smaller loss than the headlines might suggest. At least before the race at Silverstone.
The new technical regulations for 2022 are to blame for everything, which fundamentally changed the rules of the game. And they are also to blame for the bouncing of single-seaters, which has basically been solved since the first pre-season tests. Referred to as “porpoises”, it is an aerodynamic phenomenon that individual teams have dealt with better or worse. Because of this, Hamilton almost cries after every race, and the FIA is already dealing with it, which has issued rules and recommendations that should reduce jumping. The pilots will no longer have back pain, they will be disqualified.
Photo: Mercedes AMG F1
Hamilton finished the Grand Prix in Baku in pain, then the cameras caught him getting out of the car, when it was anything but dignified
But gradually… Behind the bouncing of this year’s single-seaters is the newly permitted aerodynamics of the floor. Specially shaped channels cause a suction effect – the faster you drive, the more the car is sucked to the road. But then there is a moment when the single-seater sticks to the asphalt so much that the air stops flowing under it, so the car suddenly loses pressure, detaches and then sticks again. And so on and on. But the suction effect also causes cars to overtake more, because they no longer drive only on the downforce from the spoilers, so they can get closer to the car in front of them.
And why a porpoise? Because this cetacean, a smaller relative of the killer whale, swims in the sea in such a way that it seems to jump around. The Lotus 78 from 1978 already suffered from this problem, when Mario Andretti aptly mentioned porpoises for the first time.
But according to the riders, jumping is also a problem. And the one who complains about him the most is Hamilton, who, for example, said after the Grand Prix in Baku: “The adrenaline got me to the finish line, I just prayed that it would be over.” But beware, he was not alone. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll even withdrew from the race because of it. On the other hand, Mercedes’ George Russell has the same tools as Hamilton and complains considerably less. And it’s a bit faster too.
Photo: Mercedes AMG F1
Mercedes, like other teams, is looking for a solution. The FIA prepared new rules
But according to the riders, jumping is also a problem. And the one who complains about him the most is Hamilton, who, for example, said after the Grand Prix in Baku: Adrenaline got me to the finish line, I just prayed that it would be over.” But beware, he was not alone. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll even withdrew from the race because of it. On the other hand, Mercedes’ George Russell has the same tools as Hamilton and complains considerably less. And it’s a bit faster too.
The FIA has already decided to take action and has issued technical regulations that will apply from the French Grand Prix onwards. In essence, there are several measures that could limit hopping. They are internal, but are known to include, for example, additional floor struts. Bouncing will then be measured by sensors, and the FIA will determine oscillation values (oscillation, porpoise) on each track before the third practice session. Exceeding them can lead to disqualification from the race.
It is a paradox that this can be a problem for Mercedes, which has the most problems with bouncing and complains about them the loudest. The word in the paddock is that both Russell and Hamilton have to complain after every race and talk about how dangerous it is not only for the health of the drivers, but that there is even a risk of losing control of the car. But if the Mercedes were to stop bouncing, they would have to be higher off the ground. And therefore they will be slower. Simple.
But it is not easy to unravel why Russell is in fourth place with 111 points in the running order of the F1 championship and why Hamilton is sixth with 77 points. And it’s not easy to understand that Hamilton sometimes complains about everything and everyone, but when he finished third in Canada, he squealed like a young man. There is a lot of talk about a loss of motivation and that Hamilton gets distracted by things around him, such as his various activism. But what is certain is that Russell did not have a quality car at his disposal before and had to adapt to it more, while Hamilton certainly did not have to solve this problem in recent years.
Anyway, David Coulthard, for example, is clear: “Sport is not for princesses and Formula 1 is sport. A boxer catches a blow, a soccer player gets spikes on his feet. If someone feels uncomfortable, they should leave. There are a whole bunch of drivers out there who would love to jump in your car if you’re not comfortable in it and race it. Pilots should stop complaining and act more like men.’
Teams now have two big prizes to understand how the new FIA rules work and how to grasp them correctly. In addition, Toto Wolff believes that on the smooth track of the Silverstone circuit, where Hamilton has repeatedly succeeded and which Mercedes considers his home, Hamilton can win. Well, we’ll see where this all goes. Above all, it should be “just” racing again…
