Lewis Hamilton had become the biggest talking point at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when he struggled to get out of his W13. Complaining about his back throughout practice and the race, the weekend was not easy for him. Besides Lewis, many other drivers have also complained about the porpoising of the new 2022 cars.
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With concerns about the health and well-being of the driver, it looks like the FIA could soon get involved to resolve the issue. Since the new cars will be around for a few years before the major rule changes in 2026, it is important to control the level of porpoising.
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While some teams are against the rule changes, Mercedes in a recent video explained that this cannot continue. Detailing the porpoising and providing an update on Lewis’ health, the video answered many questions from fans.
Mercedes explain Lewis Hamilton’s struggles and why it can’t happen again
Mercedes motorsport strategy director James Vowles was of the opinion that F1 teams were putting their drivers in significant discomfort. In the last race debrief video; The vowels explained the twists and turns Lewis Hamilton went through and why the pain they felt was not acceptable.
“I am happy to report that Lewis is here this morning, I spent a few hours with him and he is fine. He will be back in the car in Montreal,” James started to say. “He’s an elite athlete who will push the limits of endurance of himself and the car and that’s what Formula 1 drivers do, that’s what makes them exceptional.”
He further explained that Mercedes took the package to extremes on Lewis and George’s car. This caused major discomfort for both drivers and Mercedes can’t do it again. James also added that aside from Lewis, there are also other riders who have complained about the extreme levels of rebound.
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George Russell, in particular, had mentioned that it was only a short time before a major incident occurred. It remains to be seen what happens around porpoising issues.
Mercedes explains the difference: porpoising, bouncing and dips
Dragging the conversation away from the issues, James Vowles also explained the difference between the terms. According to him, porpoising, bouncing and dipping are three different topics. And while Mercedes witnessed porpoises; what happened in Monaco was more about rebounding.
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“We certainly suffered from porpoising in previous races and at Barcelona we didn’t and we put huge effort into our package to make sure we did our best to resolve it and I’m confident that we have taken a step forward.”

James added that in Barcelona the car was much more stable. That means they could lower it and the whole thing worked aerodynamically well; which helped produce performances.
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He concluded that the eight-time constructor champions had a long way to go in terms of performance; ending with the fact that Canada will be different from how their performance will be at Silverstone.