MONTREAL – The racing governing body, the FIA, has introduced measures to eliminate the dangerous level of bouncing some Formula One cars have done at high speed this year.
There are concerns about Lewis HamiltonHealth of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as he climbs out of his car with extremely severe low back pain after 95 minutes of being violently bouncing around in the cockpit of his car.
Hamilton went through the race through 6 G at vertical load due to disrupted airflow underneath the car, something Mercedes has struggled with more than any other team this year.
Earlier in the weekend, Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, George Russellwarns that F1’s current rules are a big accident waiting to happen.
Mercedes is not alone in difficulties in Baku – McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo said his race felt like someone was banging his head like a basketball.
Ferrari has also experienced a huge growth in its car sector this year.
On Thursday, ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, the FIA confirmed it was intervening in the situation in the interest of driver safety.
The FIA has issued a technical directive to 10 F1 teams saying they will take a closer look at boards and skis, for their design and observed wear.
It is also giving a mathematical formula that will determine the acceptable bounce level.
The index is still being invented by the FIA and groups have been invited to contribute to the process.
The FIA said it consulted doctors about the matter after Hamilton complained in Baku.
A statement released on Thursday ended with the words: “In a sport where competitors regularly drive at speeds in excess of 300km/h, it’s imperative that drivers stay fully focused on the task at hand. and excessive fatigue or pain experienced by a driver can have significant consequences if it leads to loss of concentration.
“Additionally, the FIA is concerned about the immediate physical impact on motorists’ health, some of whom have reported back pain following recent events.”
Mercedes has since admitted it went too far from Hamilton’s setup, with chief strategy officer James Vowles saying “we pushed our package and driver too far”.
This issue will likely be a major theme in the Canadian race.
After Baku, Red Bull boss Christian Horner suggested that Mercedes over-considered the problems that arose in their cars as an excuse to make their cars uncompetitive enough to win races. this year.
