Porpoising has been a major point of debate in the ongoing F1 Championship. Most drivers, including seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton, have voiced their concerns about the problem. However, Max Verstappen of Red Bull and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari have been the exceptions. Interestingly, Red Bull and Ferrari are the two companies leading the Championship at the moment. Meanwhile, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff claimed the two drivers are also concerned with the problems of porpoising. But they avoid commenting on it in public.
Toto Wolff Claims Verstappen and Leclerc Grouse About Porpoising!
Porpoising is an issue that emerged with the new Formula 1 vehicles that are racing in 2022. The new cars have heavy bounce, which many drivers find annoying, especially on long straights. Drivers who demand change, like Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly, have already voiced their complaints in the media. However, Verstappen and Leclerc are two more drivers who have chosen to remain silent.
The Mercedes Boss recently spoke to the Australian new paper OE24. In his conversation, Wolff talked about how the team chiefs control their drivers so that they don\’t have to publicly accept that bouncing is a health concern. He said, \”I spoke to each individual and said, at least one driver in all of you has said publicly that he either has pain or a headache or that he has poor vision and is impaired when driving. And you all act like it\’s nothing. This is irresponsible.\”
Addressing Verstappen and Leclerc\’s silence on the debate, Toto mentioned, \”You cannot influence a Formula 1 driver not to say anything in public if there is a health risk.\” \”The only ones who don\’t say anything about it are Leclerc and Verstappen, but they do talk about it behind closed doors,\” he added.
Pirelli Sends Message To Mercedes Amid Porpoising Concerns!
Some teams have found it difficult to control the bouncing of the newest versions of ground effect F1 vehicles at high speeds. With the W13, Mercedes, in particular, has had a difficult time controlling the phenomena. Porpoising has been one of the biggest problems this season, but Pirelli claims that despite the new tyres\’ reduced clearance, their new design is not to blame. In light of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell\’s problems this season, Pirelli has issued a warning to Mercedes. To work with the new automobile model for this season, the tire manufacturer created new 18-inch tires for 2022.
Mario Isola, the head of Pirelli, has made it clear that the 18-inch tires produced by his business are not the cause of the issue. He said that the sidewall functions as a sort of suspension and that the old model of the tyre had a far greater sidewall effect than the new one. Mario believes that the 18-inch tires that are now being used are easing rather than worsening the situation. He said, \”Maybe with the higher sidewall of the 13-inches, this bouncing effect could have been even more.\”
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