This weekend, Formula 1 would make its way to the city of Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, which would be the second race this month. As usual, there are a lot of expectations and hopes going into the race. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen still leads the driver standings, and his team dominates the constructors championship.
Heading into the race, F1 has said they would look into the issue of high-speed bouncing, which has affected some drivers in the last races. The issue, which F1 is referring to as porpoising, was very prominent in the last race, and seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, has described the Azerbaijan GP as the “most painful” for that reason.
The issue affected Hamilton’s back, and his appearance in Montreal this weekend is still not certain. Although he has said that he has had physiotherapy sessions and other forms of assistance and even said he would not miss the race for anything. But his team boss, Toto Wolff, has said that his participation at the Canadian Grand Prix was still in doubt.
This porpoising is not a new issue, but this is the first time in about 40 years that the F1 would have to deal with it and its resurgence is not unconnected to the new car changes.
Other drivers, including Valterri Bottas and Carlos Sainz, have also complained about what the high-speed bouncing is doing to their backs and how it is generally impacting their health. So it is not an issue that is restricted to just a team. It is something most drivers have been dealing with since the season began. But the experience at the Azerbaijan GP has brought the issue to the light.
Written by: Leon Osamor