The effect is unlike anything the current generation of drivers has seen before, as ground effect cars were banned in the 1980s.
Follow Us
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has expressed his dissatisfaction with the porpoising effect that the 2022 cars are experiencing, admitting that it makes him nervous. The talk of the pit lane after the first testing session in Barcelona last week was porpoising, as drivers discovered their cars bouncing up and down when hitting the straights. The effect is unlike anything the current generation of drivers has seen before, as ground effect cars were banned in the 1980s. However, with the change in regulations this year, the issue has resurfaced, and some teams are finding it more difficult to manage than others.
Read More – New Pirelli 18-inch tyres help push more: Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz
The severity with which teams have struggled with the aerodynamic effect has been mixed due to the vast variations in design as a result of the 2022 regulations overhaul. McLaren and Mercedes both had problems during the first two sessions in Barcelona, but it was Ferrari that seemed to struggle the most. Leclerc’s car was seen bouncing wildly down the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya straight, and the 24-year-old admitted it felt unpleasant.
“It feels like turbulence in an airplane going up and down the whole straight,” he said as reported by Motorsport.com. “I can’t say it feels good. It makes you a bit sick, but it is okay.”
Read More – FIA allows Russian, Belarusian drivers to race, but under neutral flag
Despite the driver’s complaints, Ferrari maintained a strong pace during testing, with only Mercedes, Red Bull, and Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin posting faster times in the final session on day three. Mattia Binotto, the CEO of Ferrari, was less concerned and stated that the solution could be quite simple.
“I think most of us at least underestimated the problem,” he said. “You should optimise the performance because it shouldn’t be a compromise, but you should try to avoid bucking by making the most of the car’s performance. But that might be a less easy exercise.”
