There has been widespread distress between F1 racing teams because of porpoising issue troubling Mercedes since the start of the season. However, the violent bouncing was experienced by other drivers during the weekend in Baku as well. As a result, the FIA decided to introduce a porpoising technical directive to ensure the safety of drivers. But, some of the rival front-running teams were against a change in the regulation and deemed the bouncing a Mercedes team problem. They accused the Silver Arrows of using their influence over the motorsport to get back to the front.
However, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was left displeased during the team principal meeting on Saturday ahead of the qualifying. The discussion between the team bosses turned into an argument when the porpoising and the bouncing issue was discussed. The Silver Arrows have been the third fastest team in the circuit this season and have not won a single race so far. They have been unable to stay in the championship fight with Red Bull and Ferrari.
The FIA introduced a potential rule change ahead of the Canadian GP, which was a topic of discussion all weekend. The governing body will closely monitor the car and order teams to make adjustments in the set-up of their cars if deemed unsafe.
Mercedes’ George Russell, one of the directors of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, was happy with the decision. However, some other teams like Red Bull and Ferrari are not too happy with a mid-season regulation change. They have claimed that the Silver Arrows were trying to level the competition for their own ends.
Wolff Lashes At Binotto & Horner In Front Of Netflix Camera
Wolff was not happy with the criticism from some of the bigger outfits in Formula One. He accused his rival team bosses of keeping their own interests ahead of the drivers’ safety. However, things took a turn for the worse during Saturday’s meeting when Wolff and Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto reportedly clashed.
Red bull’s Christian Horner also weighted in and sided with his Italian rival team boss. It was also revealed that the whole instance between the three team principals happened in front of the Netflix cameras shooting the fifth season of Drive to Survive. The show has been crucial in generating more motorsport fans worldwide, especially in North America.
This did not end here. F1 journalist Adam Cooper took to Twitter to reveal that he heard more and more about the heated exchange between Wolff and Binotto. Adam wrote, “Christian Horner joined in too, and all this in front of Netflix camera.”
After the meeting, Wolff revealed that he was pretty upset with his rival teams’ reaction to the regulation change. He advocated that porpoising/bouncing was not only Mercedes’ problem. It is an F1 problem that needs to be solved quickly to ensure drivers’ safety in all teams.