Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes 'won’t be helped' by FIA plan to stop porpoising
dailystar.co.ukFormula 1’s governing body has vowed to take action against porpoising on the advice of its medical team – just days after Lewis Hamilton suffered chronic back pain in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion needed help to get out of his Mercedes which had bounced up and down at high speed throughout the race.
Mercedes ran their machines close to the ground in Baku to produce lower downforce, but the move exaggerated the bouncing. A number of drivers, including Hamilton’s teammate George Russell, former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas and McLaren’s Daniel Ricciado, have spoken out against the problem and the potential health risks.And the FIA, which sets the sporting regulations in F1, has issued a new technical directive in a bid to ease the stress on drivers’ bodies.
However, it will not necessarily help the Silver Arrows, who could be required to raise the ride heights of their cars. While that would ease the strain on their drivers, it could also see them lose performance at a time when they are already well off the pace compared to Red Bull and Ferrari.“I don't think this helps, in the short-term, Lewis Hamilton at all," said Sky Sport F1 reporter Craig Slater following the announcement of the news. “What they're saying is that you must not allow your car to vibrate like this.“Teams that don't have a problem with it won't have to make any changes.
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