Mercedes facing a new type of rebound in Monaco

For three months, Mercedes is dealing with porpoising which has compromised its start to the season. After the Barcelona Grand Prix last weekend, optimism reigned within the ranks of the German team with the effective modifications made to the W13. These corrections made it possible to erase this defect on the Silver Arrows. But less than a week later, the old demons made their return, this time in the Principality. The reigning world champions were hoping to bounce back in the standings in Monaco and ended up with a completely different type of bounce that they experienced on the first day of racing.

« This is the bumpiest track there has ever been, our car bounces a lot, emphasized Lewis Hamilton, 10th and 12th of Friday sessions. It's a different twist than what we've experienced in the past, because you feel it at low speeds too. But it's not the aero, I think it's just the bumps on the track that make things worse ».

It was just a matter of time before the @MercedesAMGF1 de @LewisHamilton hits the rail 😓#MonacoGP ???????? #F1

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— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) May 27, 2022

During the two free practice sessions this Friday, the Silver Arrows were unable to reproduce the potential seen in Catalonia due in particular to the characteristics of the princely route. With this new problem, it is even more complicated for drivers to successfully complete a lap on the streets of Monaco. “ It's a fight against the car, making a good lap is difficult, continues the Mercedes driver in difficulty faced with the pronounced return of porpoising. I don't remember experiencing this before. I think we've made some improvements. When you try to go for a spin, the grip isn't great. »

Mercedes behind Red Bull and Ferrari in Monaco

This observation is also shared by George Russell, more successful than his British teammate with the 8th and 6th of the two free practice sessions on Friday. “ It's really tricky to be honest, the car is very heavy, he admits, pessimistic about the idea of ​​reproducing the performances in Barcelona where he set the 4th fastest time in qualifying before taking the podium on Sunday. She hits the ground constantly. We've experimented a lot with rebounds this year but it's a very different philosophy and thinking ».

As expected, this year's new single-seaters are not completely suitable for driving in Monaco and this makes the pilots' task even more difficult. “ I remember back then, my first year (2007. Editor's note), it was so much better, but now we have this very heavy car, heavier than ever, and the braking zones are different “, remembers Lewis Hamilton. It is with this new rebound that the two Mercedes drivers will try to reduce the gap with Ferrari et Red Bull who seem to be a step ahead of the rest of the field after the first day in the Principality.

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