The F1 teams were taken by surprise in the first pre-season test in Barcelona, by the way the cars triggered strange bounces along the straights, due to the aerodynamic properties of the cars designed according to the new regulations.
This phenomenon, which had not been seen in Formula 1 since the end of the 1980s, just when the ground effect cars were abandoned, is triggered by the downforce that pushes the car ever closer to the asphalt, before the air flow is blocks suddenly, generating a sudden loss of load that lifts it.
These ups and downs of the car are repeated throughout the straight and the phenomenon is called “porpoising”, because it is similar to the way porpoises come out of the water while swimming.
The teams are now working to try to fix the problem before the season starts, but the situation is not helped by the fact that F1 has also banned hydraulic suspension systems that were allowed in the past.
George Russell, whose team has adopted temporary tie rods to limit the flex in the bottom and improve the situation in the Barcelona tests, believes that a simple way to improve the new cars in the short term could be a return to active suspension.
Speaking of the porpoising situation, which was highlighted in a video of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari published by F1, Russell identified active suspensions as a possible fastest solution.
“We just saw with Charles video when it was bad for them,” he said. “So I think we have to find a solution. If there were active suspension, it could be solved with a snap of the fingers. Plus the cars would also be much faster.”
“I’m sure all the teams would be able to do that, so it could be a starting point for the future. But let’s see in Bahrain. I’m sure the teams will find clever ideas to solve this problem.”
George Russell, Mercedes W13
Photo by: Erik Junius
Active suspension was banned in F1 prior to the 1994 season, as part of a call to reduce aid to drivers who were ending up taking a dominant role at the time.
However, for the last time in 2014, the teams considered a potential comeback because they believe the technology would actually be quite easy to implement as well as cost-effective. In any case, their return has not yet been allowed.
Russell also underlined the advantage they could provide from a performance point of view, helping to significantly reduce lap times.
“I think it is clear that if we had active suspension, the cars would be much faster with the same aerodynamic surfaces, because we would be able to optimize the ride heights for each cornering speed and optimize them on the straight for the least amount of drag. possible, “he said.
“So, it’s an easy way to make the cars faster. And if you think about the safety aspect, then it’s potentially an improvement. I’m not an engineer, but we wouldn’t have this problem on the straight, that’s for sure.”
McLaren technical director James Key is among those who think active suspension would be something to consider in the long term for Formula 1. However, he is skeptical about whether to go this route in the budget cap era.
“Active suspensions would help in two ways,” he said. “You could aim to try to maintain your peak aerodynamic performance for most of the lap.”
“But it could also, somehow, counter some of the natural frequencies of the frame. So again, they wouldn’t eradicate the problem. The physics is still there, but it certainly would help manage it.”
“As technical director, personally, I’d like to see the return of active suspension. But, with the budget cap, it’s not the best project to do.”
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