Scuderia Ferrari’s F1 driver Charles Leclerc complained about the “porpoising” that was occurring in the 2022 F1 car and admitted that he was “a little sick” while driving.
The porpoising phenomenon, where the car bounces up and down at high speeds on the straight, was a hot topic after the first F1 preseason test in Barcelona last week.
The porpoising phenomenon has been a problem in the past, but since the ground effect car was banned in the 1980s, I had never experienced it as an active driver. However, with the resurgence of the grand effects car in this year’s F1 regulations, the problem has recurred and some teams find it more difficult to manage than others.
Due to the significant design variations due to the 2022 F1 regulation review, the aerodynamic effects of the F1 team vary in seriousness due to the porpoising phenomenon.
Both McLaren and Mercedes experienced problems during the opening session in Barcelona, but the hardest part was Ferrari.
A video released by the F1 official website shows Charles Leclerc’s car bouncing straight on the Catalunya circuit, and Leclerc admitted that he was driving the car and “feels uncomfortable.”
“It feels like an eddy plane moving straight up and down,” said Charles Leclerc.
“I don’t feel good. I feel a little sick, but it’s okay.”
Scuderia Ferrari’s teammate Carlos Sainz agreed, saying it was a “whole new world.”
“It depends on the setup you drive and whether you use DRS,” said Carlos Sainz.
“It’s a whole new world, and it’s understandable that it’s been talked about. It looks like it could be the theme for this year.”
Despite driver dissatisfaction, Scuderia Ferrari set a good pace in the final session of the third day, behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin.
Mattia Binotto, Scuderia Ferrari’s F1 team representative, isn’t too worried and says the solution will be “very simple.”
“I think most of us at least underestimated the problem,” said Mattia Binotto.
“You shouldn’t compromise, so you need to optimize performance, but you have to get the most out of your car and avoid backing.”
George Russell of Mercedes F1 also believes that the engineers on his team can solve the problem.
“It’s not very comfortable. Looking at the other teams, it’s a safety issue and needs to be resolved in some way,” said George Russell.
“There are so many intelligent people in this area that I am confident that sooner or later everyone will be in control of the problem.”
Category: Category: F1 / Charles Leclerc / Ferrari