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Hamilton experiences 'worst porpoising ever' in the W13

Hamilton experiences 'worst porpoising ever' in the W13

09-04-2022 15:27 Last update: 15:52
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GPblog.com

The Mercedes team is happy with its performance during qualifying today. But Lewis Hamilton is anything but pleased with the car, which is still suffering greatly from porpoising.

Anyone watching the camera of Lewis Hamilton or George Russell during qualifying will quickly see how painful a lap around Albert Park will be for the drivers. This is because the Mercedes car still suffers from a lot of porpoising, which constantly shakes the drivers on the straights.

Although Hamilton is happy with the result today, he is not happy with the car's problems. According to the seven-time world champion, the new car is causing 'the worst porpoising he has ever experienced'. The Brit explains why porpoising is not just a problem on the straights.

"If the ride height keeps going from high to low, then you never know exactly what position the car is in when you take the corner. As a result, the car can get oversteer or understeer, depending on when you take the corner. Driving is therefore really challenging, the car is like a rattlesnake," Hamilton explained in Mercedes' press release.

Russell not happy with W13 either

Russell is also not very satisfied with the car. According to the new driver at the Mercedes team, the W13 was "constantly bouncing back and forth" during qualifying, causing him a lot of trouble when taking fast corners. As a result, the Briton is not comfortable in the car this weekend.