Following the conclusion of the 2023 Belgian GP, an important point of discussion was the return of the infamous porpoising of the Mercedes car. Mercedes and Toto Wolff weren’t happy with the result because they brought in new upgrades, but the porpoising affected Lewis Hamilton severely, as he ended up finishing the race in fourth position.
Before the race at Spa, Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff revealed they would be bringing substantial upgrades to the W14. This included an upgrade on the sidepod configuration, which would allow improved flow quality to the radiators. Mercedes also introduced a revised floor body, improving the flow to the diffuser. A circuit-specific wing was also used to produce less downforce and drag.
However, as the race ended, Hamilton complained of experiencing major bouncing of the car, popularly known as porpoising. This brought back bad memories for Hamilton and all Mercedes fans because the Silver Arrows had to deal with this problem for the majority of the 2022 season.
Hamilton and his teammate George Russel finished 4th and 6th respectively in the race. Tot Wolff, although not very happy with the results, blames the new F1 format for the return of this infamous phenomenon.
Toto Wolff believes the new sprint format led to the return of Porpoising
Even though they were aided by the new upgrades, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell could not match Red Bull or Ferrari’s pace. The return of porpoising did not help their cause either. Having qualified in the 7th and 8th places respectively, Hamilton and Russell geared up, hoping to overtake enough drivers to make it to the top three. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be, as Hamilton finished in 4th place behind Ferrari’s Leclerc.
Going into the race, Mercedes knew their latest upgrades might not be as effective as they hoped since they did not have enough time to test them during the practice sessions due to rain. The imperfect setup window, leading to the main race may have been a major cause behind Mercedes not foreseeing a possible return of porpoising per the team’s technicians. Toto Wolff was not impressed with the lead-up to the main race as he said (as per Formu1a.uno), “The race was very frustrating, the W14 still ran below the team’s expectations. I think the underbody may have been the reason for the rebound.”
The latest F1 sprint format sees the removal of practice session two on Saturday morning. Instead, a Sprint Shootout takes place, which is a separate entity from the main race altogether. These new changes could have acted as the primary reason behind Mercedes not having enough time to work out their issues with the underbody of the car.
Mercedes’ misery continues from the previous season
While Mercedes enjoyed tremendous success until 2021, the following seasons have been tremendously underwhelming. With the introduction of new norms, Mercedes’ position at the table has seen a serious downfall with the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull benefiting the most.
Both their drivers have only achieved a combined five podiums this season, with no wins yet. The start of the season was particularly upsetting for the Silver Arrows as they struggled to finish in the top three. But, with timely upgrades, they have found their groove and are starting to settle in with the latest changes in the sport.
While the driver’s standings may be a sorry sight for them, the Constructor’s standing will put their hearts slightly at ease. Mercedes are currently ranked 2nd with 247 points to their name. But they are closely followed by Aston Martin and Ferrari with 196 and 191 points, respectively.
