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Max Verstappen believes there is no need to overdramatize the adverse health effects of porpoising and the lower ride heights of the current generation of F1 cars can have on drivers ahead of the 2022 F1 Canadian GP.
Porpoising was such a hot topic among drivers following the 2022 F1 Azerbaijan GP that the FIA had to intervene with a new set of directives aimed at ensuring their safety this weekend in Montreal and beyond.
In a pre-race press conference at the Circuit de Gilles-Villeneuve, the reigning world champion was asked to weigh in on the risks that come with driving in F1 and the need for the FIA's intervention on the matter. He said:
“Yeah, I mean, there are a lot of sports out there where I think you damage your body in general. I mean, once you retire from your career, you won’t be like you were when you were 20. That is simply how it is. I mean, football players have problems with their knees, all sorts of injuries, or when you’re a motocross rider or a Moto GP rider, the amount of bones they have broken in their body. You can always judge, ‘yeah, is that safest thing to do? No, but we are willing to take risks.’ That’s our sport. That’s what I love to do. For sure.”
Red Bull has not suffered on track due to porpoising as much as the likes of Mercedes or Ferrari. The Red Bull RB18 has been one of the more stable cars in a straight line while also being rapid. Max Verstappen added:
“The porpoising we have at the moment is not nice and I don’t think it’s correct, but some teams are able to handle these things a lot better than others. So it is possible to get rid of it. So, I don’t think we have to overdramatize what is happening at the moment.”
Max Verstappen believes porpoising can be eliminated by redesigning 2022 F1 cars
Max Verstappen believes that porpoising can be eliminated if all the 'smart people' in F1 put their minds together. However, it will require F1 and the FIA to allow teams to redesign their cars while also changing their existing philosophies.
Speaking at the aforementioned pre-race press conference ahead of the 2022 F1 Canadian GP, the Dutchman said:
“We have a lot of smart people in this sport, who can get rid of these can get rid of these things and for sure, in general, I think all the cars are bouncing a bit too much. But yeah, I do see a possibility of already…Well, you can see clearly at the moment that there are a few teams who don’t really have that issue as bad. But it’s something we have to look into. It’s just how the car is designed, because of having to run it so low for downforce and having to run it so stiff. It just the whole design of the car. So if you want to get rid of that, you need a whole change of philosophy as well with the car.”
Max Verstappen currently leads the World Drivers' Championship standings with 150 points, with his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez 21 points behind him in P2.
