Old problem resurfaces at Mercedes? Wolff: 'You can't go faster like this'

F1 News

Toto Wolff concerns over porpoising Belgium 2023
30 July at 18:25
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  • Matt Gretton
  • Editor-in-Chief

It sounds like a problem from the past, but for Mercedes, porpoising is apparently still reality. Team boss Toto Wolff complained after the Belgium GP about the bouncing of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton's W14.

The Belgian race was closed by Mercedes with Hamilton on P4 and Russell on P6. Given the overall performance of 2023, not particularly good, or particularly bad for Mercedes. What did stand out was that Hamilton's W14 was bouncing around a lot on the long straight. The footage from the seven-time world champion's helmet showed this even more clearly.

Porpoising not yet completely gone at Mercedes?

"We had real problems with the car today and we were bouncing quite a bit," Wolff explained in a team statement. In front of German Sky's microphones, Wolff was more outspoken: "The car was bouncing massively. Both drivers said that the car bounced so badly when braking that the tyres overheated in the corners - and that the whole race. Of course, you can't drive faster with that."