Despite the fact that most teams have been reluctant to modify the regulations to end the high-speed bounce that is causing so many physical problems for drivers, the FIA has decided to intervene unilaterally for safety reasons.
When you want to modify the regulation in the Formula 1 over the course of a season, at least eight of the 10 teams on the grid need to agree. However, there is an exception: that said modification is imposed for security reasons.
And that is precisely what the FIA is going to do after listening to the drivers and determining that they are right to warn of the danger to health and safety that the pouring or bounce at high speed. A characteristic phenomenon of single-seaters with ground effect and that in the last Azerbaijan Grand Prix was especially intense.
«A metric will be defined, based on the vertical acceleration of the car, which will give a quantitative limit for an acceptable level of vertical oscillations»
Although the specific measures to be taken have not yet been determined, the FIA has communicated to the teams that going to start taking measurements while he elaborates a mathematical formula that allows calculating the moment in which the oscillation of the car ceases to be acceptable from the point of view of safety. It will be at that moment when the FIA will intervene in a way that has not yet been determined.
Recently, Christian Horner had denounced that Mercedes instructed its drivers to exaggerate the effects of pouringalthough even Red Bull drivers like Pierre Gasly also reported the problem to the media.
The Canadian Grand Prix, which starts this Friday, promises to be another problematic event in this regard, as Montreal’s Gilles Villeneuve is a very fast and bumpy circuit.
Loading tweet…
1535217914046914562
FIA Technical Directive regarding porpoising
“After the eighth round of this year’s FIA Formula 1 World Championship, during which the phenomenon of aerodynamic oscillations (porpoising) of the new generation of F1 car, and the effect of this during and after the race on the physical condition of the drivers was once again visible, the FIA, as the governing body of the sport, has decided that, for the sake of safety, it is necessary to intervene to require teams to make the necessary adjustments to reduce or eliminate this phenomenon.
The FIA has decided to intervene after consultation with their doctors in the interest of the drivers’ safety. In a sport where competitors routinely drive at speeds in excess of 300 km/h, it is considered that all of a driver’s concentration should be on that task and that excessive fatigue or pain experienced by a pilot could have significant consequences and result in a loss of concentration.
“In addition, the FIA has concerns regarding the immediate physical impact on the health of drivers, some of whom have reported back pain following recent events.”
“This technical directive is issued to provide guidance to teams on the measures the FIA intends to take to address the issue. The first proposed measure is a greater control of boards and skatesboth in its design and in the observed wear».
“Secondly, a metric will be defined, based on the vertical acceleration of the car, that will give a quantitative limit for an acceptable level of vertical oscillations. The FIA is still working out the exact mathematical formula for this metric, and F1 teams have been invited to contribute to this process.”
“In addition to these short-term measures, the FIA will convene a technical meeting with the teams to define measures that reduce the propensity of cars to exhibit such phenomena in the medium term.
Font: FIA