Sometimes, also in Saudi Arabia, it looks as if Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are in washing machines. Their Mercedes is again suffering a lot from porpoising. The bumping is certainly not comfortable for the drivers. Worse for the German team: the car is anything but the fastest in the field.

Third team

Also in Jeddah, Mercedes seems to be the third team on the grid, behind Ferrari and Red Bull. Since the Grand Prix in Bahrain, time was very short to make major changes to the car with which the porpoising disappears. Nevertheless, Mercedes is certainly not sitting still. The Italian version of Motorsport.com reports that already in Australia a new floor will be placed under the Mercedes.

It is expected that Mercedes will come up with a further update of the aerodynamic package not soon after. That will be in Spain (May 22) or maybe even as early as Imola (April 24). Until then, it's just a matter of making the best of it and trying to reduce the porpoising. During the first two free practice sessions, the team experimented a bit, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, chief engineer Andrew Shovlin told the website.

Ideal setting

Mercedes is making strides, Shovlin believes. The balance seems to be slightly improved, resulting in less tire wear. The ideal setting for a fast qualifying lap has not yet been found. Mercedes will work on that during the third free practice.