Lewis Hamilton reveals that the old nightmare of porpoising is back haunting Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Janmeyjay Shukla | 20/11/2022
Lewis Hamilton reveals that the old nightmare of porpoising is back haunting Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton’s start-of-the-season nightmare has made a return during the final race of the season. This nightmare is called porpoising.

Abu Dhabi is the final Grand Prix of an eventful 2022 season calendar. Ferrari started strong against Red Bull while Mercedes struggled during the middle of the season.

Besides, Mercedes could not compete mainly due to the porpoising issue making the car bounce on a high-speed straight. This affected their pace and the drivers’ mentally and physically as well.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both had back and chest pains due to the car bouncing on the track. It did affect the health of both drivers.

Mercedes’ rollercoaster ride throughout the 2022 season

Things took a positive turn for Mercedes after they gained a moment in their quest to compete with the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari. Moreover, in the previous race at Interlagos, they had their work cut out.

George Russell secured a victory while Lewis Hamilton finished second securing a front grid lockout. However, things are not the same at the Yas Marina Circuit.

The 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix winner could only qualify sixth while teammate Hamilton qualified fifth. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen stood supreme with 0.6 seconds of difference for the pole position.

Also Read: Esteban Ocon pokes fun at 32 GP winner ahead of final race with Alpine

Lewis Hamilton on porpoising returning at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Mercedes were competitive during the practice session and it looked like they would secure a second successive pole position. However, the porpoising and brake issues are not helping the team.

Hamilton admitted that porpoising is back and is the major reason behind the team losing pace and time on the track. Another reason is the brake temperature and disk while turning the cars on the corners.

The German team who are 19 points behind Ferrari for the constructor’s championship will be looking for maximum points. They would strongly like to finish the season on a high note with a victory and a podium finish to their name.

Also Read: Alpine boss threatened Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon with replacement after Brazil GP

Post Edited By: Janmeyjay Shukla
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes

About the author

Janmeyjay Shukla

Janmeyjay Shukla is an artist who contributes his expressions through words as an F1 writer and editor at The SportsRush. He is an F1 historian who has been watching the sport since he was a baby. Passed on from generation to generation, he has seen the prime of Michael Schumacher to the rise of Max Verstappen. A Mercedes fan from the days of the Brawn GP era, the sport runs in his blood. Besides Formula One, Janmeyjay is a Marketing Head and a musician who loves to sing and play Rock & Pop songs on guitar. His love for sports will never die as he is a loyal Liverpool Football Club fan as well!

Don’t miss these