Porpoising has been a major factor throughouღt the current F1 regulations.

As a result of the ground effect cars, seeing the new F1 cars bounce oꦑn the straights has been a common sight.

What is porpoising?

P🏅orpoising is an aerodynamic phenomenon𓄧 that F1 cars have been affected by since the introduction of the new ground effect regulations for this year.

Ground effect is when air is sucked underneath the car to pull i🌊t down onto the track at high-speed, producing downforce as a result.

Porpoising occurs when the floor gets too close t🥂o the ground and it causes the airflow to stall, forcing the car to spring upwards.

Ho𓃲wever, once the car’s floor is clear of the ground, the air flow gets in again and the car is sucked downwards again causing a bouncing sensation known as porpoising.

What causes porpoising?

The current regulations ha༺ve changed the airflow around the cars in a bid to reduce turbulent air and imp🦩rove overtaking.

Downforce is no🔴w generated through ground effect (underneath the cars) by forcing the air 🃏through ‘venturi tunnels’ at high-speed and thus creating a suction effect.

Porp🍸oising happens when you can’t control what the downforce does to the airflow und♑er the car.

How can you stop porpoising?

One easy way to stop it is by raising the ride heig🌳ht𝄹 of the car - something a lot of teams simply didn’t do in the early part of the season. 

Tဣhe lower the ride 🃏height, the more downforce generated as a result of the new ground effect cars.

T𒊎his explains why teams like Mercedes ran their cars as low as possibl⭕e despite a severe amount of porpoising.

Does porpoising have health implications?

Porpoising has potential long-term heal൩th implications.

Lewisཧ Hamilton suffered backache at the 2022 Azerbaijan G🐻rand Prix.

The FIA introduced a technical directive 𝐆for the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix to combat it.

Mercedes’ George Russell even reported ‘che🌼st pains’ and ‘sore necks’ ﷽at Imola in 2022.

"When the car is in the right window and the tyres are in the right window, the car - except for t🌞he bouncing - feels really good to drive.

"But the bouncing, it really takes your breath away. It's the most extreme I🐠've ever felt it.

"🉐I really hopওe we find a solution and I hope every team struggling with the bouncing finds a solution, because it's not sustainable for the drivers to continue.

"This is the first weekend I've truly been struggling with my back, and almost like chest pains from the severity of theꦦ bouncing.

"It's just what we have to do to go and do the fastest laps.𝕴"

Sinc꧒e last year, the effect of po🐭rpoising has lessened.