Formula 1: George Russell suggests a solution for the porpoising issue: New Mercedes driver, George Russell has suggested a unique solution for porpoising. George and some of the drivers felt extreme bouncing down the straight at the pre-season testing in Barcelona. Follow Formula 1 updates on InsideSport.IN.
George suggested, “I guess if the active suspension was there, it could be solved with a click of your fingers. And the cars would naturally be a hell of a lot faster if we had that. I’m sure all the teams are capable of that, so that could be one for the future. But let’s see in Bahrain. I’m sure the teams will come up with some smart ideas around this issue.”
Formula 1: Mercedes’ George Russell suggests UNIQUE solution after suffering porpoising issue – Check out
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Porpoising also occurred in Formula 1 in the early 1980s. It is triggered by the downforce pushing the car further down onto the track at high speed before the airflow suddenly stalls. Then the car rises up because of the sudden loss of load.
This results in a repeated cycle of the car moving up and down itself all the way down the straight. It is also nicknamed ‘Porpoising’ because it is similar to the way porpoises rises in and out of the water when swimming.
Teams after the pre-season testing in Barcelona are working in their factories to get on top of the issue. But it is not helping as F1 had banned the hydraulic suspension which was allowed before.
A video emerged on Twitter of Charles Leclerc where it is evident how his car is bouncing on the straight. Russell said, “We just saw with the Charles video just how bad it was for them. So, I think we will need to find a solution.”
Bumpy road to the top for Charles Leclerc! 🤕#F1 pic.twitter.com/Z6a5e6d3bo
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 24, 2022
Formula 1: Mercedes’ George Russell suggests UNIQUE solution after suffering porpoising issue – Check out
Active suspension was banned from Formula 1 ahead of the 1994 season. It was done as a part to push to cut back on driver aids that were dominating the sport. However, as of the 2014 season, teams have considered bringing back that technology. It is because it’s very easy to implement and also it is cost-effective. But F1 has elected to not allow it to come back in the motorsport.
George Russell further added, “I think it’s clear if we had active suspension. The cars will be a hell of a lot faster for the same aerodynamic surfaces. Because you’d be able to optimize the ride heights for every corner speed. And also optimize it down the straight for the least amount of drag.”
“So, it’s an easy way to make the cars go faster. And if you think of a safety aspect, then potentially it’s an improvement. I’m sure there are more limitations. I’m not an engineer. But we wouldn’t have this issue down the straight, that’s for sure,” he further added.
Even McLaren’s technical director James Key thinks active suspension is a positive thing for F1 in the long term. He stated, “Active would help in two ways. You could aim to try and keep around your peak aero performance for more of the lap. Which is a lovely place to be if you can do it.”
Formula 1: Mercedes’ George Russell suggests UNIQUE solution after suffering porpoising issue – Check out
