'Porpoising' a recipe for disaster, warns Russell

BAKU • Formula One teams have been affected to varying degrees by the bouncing of their cars and have had to run their cars at a higher ride height to mitigate it, which has compromised performance.

The phenomenon, in which the cars bounce dramatically at high speeds as aerodynamic grip is gained and then lost, like the motion of a porpoise through water, has resulted from a radical rules overhaul introduced this year.

Mercedes, in particular, have struggled with the problem this season, with the cars now generating a significant chunk of their grip from the underside of the floor.

George Russell, who joined the Silver Arrows in the off season from Williams, on Saturday called the "porpoising" he has experienced a "recipe for disaster", warning it was only a matter of time before it caused a crash.

The Mercedes driver said: "I think it's just a matter of time before we see a major incident. A lot of us can barely keep the car in a straight line over these bumps, we're going around the last two corners at 300kmh, bottoming out, you can visibly see on the tarmac how close the cars are running into the ground.

"With the technology we have in today's environment, it seems unnecessary we're running an F1 car at 200mph (320kmh), millimetres from the ground and it's a recipe for disaster.

"I don't really know what the future holds but I don't think we can sustain this for three years or however long these regulations are in force for."

But while "porpoising" is prevalent, Ferrari, among the most affected teams, have not let it stop them from being in the fight at the front. Still, team bosses admitted they needed to understand why some outfits were affected to a greater degree, adding a solution would be found with time.

"I'm pretty sure we will find a solution, medium-long term," Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said. "So, I think we need to accept it. It's certainly something on which we need all to better understand to improve."

REUTERS