F1: ‘Porpoising’? What is this F1 phenomenon? – Gulf Digital News

F1: ‘Porpoising’? What is this F1 phenomenon? – Gulf Digital News

As the days tick closer to the start of the 2022 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, the 10 competing teams are racing against the clock to fix a unique problem in their new F1 cars: ‘porpoising’.

Drivers have complained their cars were bouncing excessively, much like a porpoise in water, at high speed on the straights, with ‘downforce’ being generated and lost during early testing in Spain.

It appears many of the issues have been resolved in Bahrain prior to the big race this weekend … although not all of the stars of the sport are fully satisfied.

After the second day of testing at the Formula 1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing at the BIC, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc sounded a more optimistic note, saying that the problem, while not entirely solved, was much better compared to Ferrari’s pace in pre-season testing in Barcelona.

That’s good news for Scuderia teammate Carlos Sainz who earlier described the ‘porpoising’ as ‘crazy’.

“It doesn’t feel great especially when you think that we’re doing 300kmph and we are jumping 3-40mm up and down.”

Red Bull is also said to have solved the problem but it appears champions Mercedes are still struggling, although seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton made no