The containment of porpoising was a priority for the Federation in 2022, which late in the season put its hand to the technical regulations to reduce the sensitivity of the cars to aerodynamic rebound. After the initial proposal to raise the outer edge of the floor by 25mm, the teams convinced the FIA to stop at 15mm, confident they could handle the phenomenon. “Porpoising was a big problem last year”explains Pat Symonds, technical director of Formula 1. “In an attempt to contain it, the FIA has made changes to the floor, raising its outer edge by 15mm. The aerodynamicists all had to optimize the cars again. When there are regulatory changes that reduce performance, the first objective is to recover it. In general, I think all the teams have succeeded”.
Symonds then focused on the progress of Mercedes. The W14 presents itself as an unstable single-seater from an aerodynamic balance point of view, with shortcomings also in straight-line speed, but the 2023 project appeared to be a significant leap forward in terms of porpoising management. Based on the data available to Formula 1, Symonds was also able to quantify the reduction of peaks in vertical accelerations recorded in the car: “Compared to this point of the season last year, Mercedes appear to be in considerably better shape in terms of ground clearance stability. The difference is huge. I don’t know the same details that the team has, but the oscillation peaks are about a third compared to the beginning of 2022”.
question of philosophies
However, the technical director of Formula 1 clarified that, even with the new regulations, there is the possibility that the phenomenon could recur: “If you start pushing the limits again, the porpoising returns. If you go looking for it, of course it comes back.” In confirmation of this, since the first day of testing, Ferrari has shown that it suffers from porpoising in those circumstances in which the SF-23’s trim is adjusted with low ground clearance. Some teams may therefore be willing to suffer from porpoising in a controlled manner, in order to lap closer to the ground.
The same Mercedes technical director, Mike Elliott, predicted during the winter that the changes to the bottom and the reduced sensitivity to porpoising could encourage lower revs. In fact, from the first results of the tests, Red Bull has significantly lowered its height from the ground compared to 2022. At the moment, Mercedes does not seem to be able to go down to the same heights as the RB19, but from the team’s words, the limit does not seem to be porpoising, but a suspension equally effective in preventing the frame from impacting the ground.
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