The terror of Mercedes’ porpoising issues will live fresh in the memories of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, and according to a number of engineers within the paddock, the relentless bouncing may return after the FIA adjusted technical directive No.18.
Mercedes’ first ground-effect challenger produced brutal bouncing down the straights due to its low ride heights.
This was intensely uncomfortable for the drivers, who were subjected to intense forces within the cockpit before the FIA stepped in and introduced a technical directive on driver safety grounds.
The Silver Arrows solved their issues by running more ground clearance, but this came at the expense of performance for Toto Wolff’s team, who won just one Grand Prix during the first two seasons of the ground effect era.
According to a report from AutoRacer, paddock engineers are fearful that the problems of 2022 could return in 2025.
This is due to a new technical directive addressing the flexibility of F1 cars' front wings.
Changes won’t occur immediately, though. The new technical directive will not be implemented straight away and will instead affect the teams from around May onwards, meaning Hamilton and his rivals should be safe from bouncing during the early stages of the campaign, at least.
If the bouncing does return as a result of returning to the old flex gauge designs, teams will likely be forced to sacrifice performance to keep the drivers safe in the cockpit.
The need for greater ground clearance could have a detrimental effect on floor development in 2025.
What is certain is that the drivers will not put up with porpoising’s return. After suffering intense discomfort during the opening stages of the 2022 campaign, Hamilton revealed fears about long-term injuries from the bouncing.
“I have not spoken to a specialist on [spinal] discs, but I can feel mine,” he said. “I am a little bit shorter this week, and my discs are not in the best shape right now.
That’s not good for longevity. There is no need for us to have long-term injuries.
“There’s a lot more bruising in the body after the race nowadays; it is taking more of the week to recover, and you have to do a lot more to do it. I don’t think that’s to do with age, it’s because the bruising can be quite severe.
“When you experience up to 10 Gs on a bump which I had in the last race, that is a heavy, heavy load on the lower and top part of your neck.
I have had a lot more headaches in the past few months, I am not taking it too seriously. I am just taking painkillers. Hopefully, I don’t have any micro-concussions.”
