Mercedes say porpoising problem solved but demand action on "phenomenon"

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Mercedes have confidently declared they have solved porpoising problems following their strong showing at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix.

The constructors' world champions have been beset with the issue, which is related to aerodynamics, since the major overhaul of technical regulations this season. Partly as a result, Red Bull and Ferrari have had a clear pace advantage. Team boss Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton have cut disconsolate figures for much of 2022 so far, but they were brimming with positivity following the race in Montreal, when Hamilton finished third and George Russell in fourth.

The team isn’t completely out of the woods as it still suffers from bouncing, which is subtly different to porpoising and is related to ride height rather than aero. But Wolff is sure the team is making progress.

"I think in a way we have dissected what we define as porpoising or bouncing, and it is that the porpoising, which is the aerodynamic movement of the car, I think that's solved and we got on top of this around Barcelona," he explained.

"It is more that the ride of the cars is really what causes the comments of the drivers. The cars are simply all too stiff. The kerb ride is bad, the bump ride is bad and I would say that now, with dissecting this problem, you can tackle it better."

Wolff believes all cars are being run too stiffly and would like to see a change of regulations, although his counterparts at Red Bull and Ferrari disagree with the idea of a mid-season rule change.

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"What we see in the cars is just the stiffness," he said. "You look at some of the slow motions from the two leading cars and the Alpines, you see that they are bouncing off the kerb in a very hard way.

"This is what the drivers actually complained about, the stiffness of the car. This is something we need to look at: how we can reduce the impact. And of course, the smoother the track, the better. The lower the kerbs, the less we see this phenomenon."

Mercedes are now hopeful of a strong showing when Silverstone hosts the British Grand Prix at the start of next month.

• Lewis Hamilton
• Toto Wolff

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