Mercedes drivers happy with FIA decisions on rebounds

Their reaction was expected. At a press conference on Friday, the two pilots Mercedes were questioned at length about their reaction to of the circular published by the FIA ​​on Thursday, concerning porpoising. The German team was the most vocal on this subject, asking the federation to do something to resolve the bouncing problem, for the safety of the drivers. A call heard since the authorities will look into the phenomenon from the Canadian Grand Prix.

And the two Mercedes drivers share the same opinion: they are satisfied with the FIA's decision and believe that it was the right thing to do. “I'm glad to see the FIA ​​has taken action, but we need to see if it will make a difference” said George Russell. “I'm not a technical expert so I don't know if this directive will improve things, but as a driver it's good to see that the FIA ​​is on the front foot and taking immediate action. »

Lewis Hamilton notably mentioned the health of pilots, which should be the priority in this situation according to him. “For me, safety is the most important thing. I believe at least one driver in each team has spoken about this problem. (…) But it's positive to see that the FIA ​​is working to resolve and improve this, because we have this car for at least a few years. It's not a matter of just rolling with the rebounds for the next 4 years, it's a matter of completely eliminating them. Pilots do not want to have back problems in the future. »

A loss of performance for Mercedes?

From the Quebec event, the FIA ​​will analyze data concerning the wear of the floor and the oscillations experienced by the drivers on the track. Teams like Mercedes will have to adapt accordingly, but this did not seem to worry the two drivers of the German team. 

Still at a press conference, Russell said he wanted to take the time to see the measures taken by the FIA ​​to judge their effectiveness. “We have to wait and see what happens. Even for the teams which suffer the least, it remains an aggressive and bumpy phenomenon. The FIA ​​has access to all the vertical gforce data we experience, and it is beyond what we would consider healthy. (…) Nobody knows at Mercedes if this will bring performance or, on the contrary, have a negative effect. »

“We cannot raise it any further” the W13

Regarding the capricious Mercedes W13, Lewis Hamilton admitted that his team could not go any further in improving the car. “In the last races we already improved the car but we still had some bounces. The porpoising is more linked to the structure below the car » explained Lewis Hamilton. “Realistically, we can't upgrade the car any further. We are constrained by the rear suspensions. We naturally lose performance as we drive higher, but porpoising occurs because of the disturbed air under the car. »

The Silver Arrows don't know what to expect if the regulations change. “On our side, from a performance point of view, this is the unknown” admitted George Russell. “ There are so many different aspects to these new cars that simply raising the car a little doesn't necessarily reduce bounce. Already, between porpoising and tailgating, there are two different problems, also because of the rigidity of the car. Time will tell, hopefully it will be easier for drivers to drive and there will be no impact on performance. »

In Canada, Mercedes expects to suffer less than in Baku, on a flatter circuit. Mercedes had pushed the package too far in Azerbaijan, which caused a lot of bounces in a straight line.

ALSO READ > Understand everything about the FIA ​​circular concerning porpoising