George Russell says some Formula 1 drivers are trying to preserve a competitive advantage by opposing changes to cars on safety grounds.
The Mercedes driver made his comments after the FIA announced yesterday it had taken the first steps towards reducing the effects of ‘porpoising’ and bouncing on drivers.Drivers from several teams have warned the poor ride in their cars following the introduction of new technical regulations this year has caused them considerable pain, and welcomed the FIA’s announcement. However others have said their cars are performing better over bumps and do not believe the FIA’s intervention is necessary.
Russell claimed drivers who oppose the moves to remedy porpoising are only doing so because they fear it could reduce the competitiveness of their cars.
“There’s obviously a lot of mixed agendas here from different teams and drivers,” he said. “We’ve heard it from Carlos [Sainz Jnr] at times and Checo [Perez] and Max [Verstappen] over the season how bad it’s been.
“But now that their performance seems to be strong, they obviously don’t want changes because it can only hinder them. So it is obviously a bit of a shame to see performance prioritised over safety.”
He pointed out drivers from other teams had serious problems in Baku due to the severity of the bumping they encountered.
“In Baku I could see my pit board but I couldn’t read my pit board because I was bouncing around so much. I saw a video of Lance [Stroll] on one of the laps struggling to change the buttons on the steering wheel because you visibly just saw how much the car was shaking around and how stiff it was and everything.
“We’re all competitive animals here in this sport and we all want to win. But we can’t put our bodies at risk before any of that.”
He said the FIA’s technical directive issued this weekend should serve as a starting point for addressing the ride quality problem.
“With what’s been brought forward this weekend, I think it’s really more of a sticking plaster than the solution. We need to wait and see.
“I think for even the teams suffering the least, it’s still an incredibly aggressive and bumpy ride. And the FIA have access to all of the vertical acceleration loads we’re going through and it’s far beyond what you’d expect is safe to deal with. So bigger conversation is definitely needed moving forward on where we go from here.”
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Russell isn’t convinced that, if the FIA does impose limitations on porpoising, it will necessarily diminish the advantage of the most competitive cars.
“From our side, from a performance aspect, having any change is a total unknown. The FIA are the rule makers and they could bring in any regulation change they want and nobody sat here knows if that’s going to improve their performance or have a negative effect on their performance. So we really have to see.
“There’s so many different aspects and elements of these cars that by raising the car doesn’t necessarily reduce it or remove it. You’re going between porpoising and bottoming, it’s two sort of different issues at play here, and obviously the stiffness of the cars is really bad.
“Time will tell. I hope it’s easy to drive for everybody and it doesn’t have a knock-on effect on performance for anyone.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is among those who said he “doesn’t completely agree” a rules change is needed to reduce porpoising. “I feel like it is the team’s responsibility to give me a car that is okay to drive.
“Until now I don’t have any particular problems with it. Yes, it is stiffer than last year’s car. Whether it’s un-driveable or very hard on myself, I don’t think it is, at least personally. On our side we found solutions to make it better.”
Leclerc acknowledged drivers from other teams have experienced more pain from the ride in their cars, but pointed out his team have been able to solve the problem.
“It’s clear when you look at Lewis [Hamilton], for example, getting out of the car after Baku, it doesn’t look nice. But again, I think we should be careful and take data from various cars and then see because I don’t think it is the same for everyone.
“When we race our car at least, it is okay. So I think we need to be careful a bit to that and see whatever the problem is in different teams.”
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Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
17th June 2022, 16:58
Is this upside-down world?
Where anyone but Mercedes is responsible for their bad car design and their choice of putting performance over the health of their drivers?
This man is an embarrassment.
grat
17th June 2022, 17:06
Mercedes of course, being the one team that’s held their hand up and said, they went too far in a particular direction, and risked injuring their driver at Baku.
So if there’s any upside-down world, it’s the idea that Mercedes isn’t taking responsibility for their problems.
Bob
17th June 2022, 19:00
So then why is Russell still crying? His team has promised to address the issue this weekend in Montreal. Did he not get the memo?
Dex
17th June 2022, 17:01
I mean, who do you guys think you’re fooling? I understand your position, you have the worst car in terms of safety and comfort and you’re trying to equalize the field, being unable to sort your own mess out. But lately you’re really insulting everyone’s intelligence with this charade. I don’t think you’re doing anything others wouldn’t try too (but with heavier administrative and financial backup than most), but tune it down a notch, this is overly melodramatic. And you sacrifice your own safety to be more competitive (raise the car and fight Haas instead of Ferrari, no, huh?), but expect others to sacrifice their performance mostly so you wouldn’t have to do it, relative to them. Yes, almost everyone suffers bouncing, but you suffer it more, much more. Maybe it’s your own fault as a team? You even have a different car from the first pre-season test that doesn’t suffer these issues, but refuse to use it because of… imagine, it’s because of performance.
Jack (@jt1234)
17th June 2022, 17:06
Hahaha, his own team is putting their performance over his “safety”. Hahahaha.
Michael
17th June 2022, 17:35
Maybe thats why Hamilton is getting the “experimental” setups because Russell refuses.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
17th June 2022, 18:27
Ahah, that’s a possible reason!
Captain Pie (@captainpie)
17th June 2022, 17:12
I keep seeing the comment made that the red bull drivers are complaining about porpoising as well, does anyone have any links to interviews where they’ve stated this?
Robbie (@robbie)
17th June 2022, 17:31
@captainpie Haven’t been able to find a one. Only the odd comment about bumpiness of some tracks in some places which is not at all about porpoising.
Jantje Jansen
18th June 2022, 8:13
There isn’t any because they didn’t
Russell is the director of the GDPA and should be kicked out if he starts misinformation like this
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
17th June 2022, 17:14
Too many hypocrisy on what he was saying here. But at least he was right that raising the car doesn’t necessarily reduce it or remove it. He also right that porpoising and bottoming are different issues.
Barry Bens (@barryfromdownunder)
17th June 2022, 17:24
>Want bouncing to be gone
>Doesn’t want to lose performance, otherwise the car would’ve been lifted up>
>Tells others to bite the bullet as well so that it’s ‘fair’
>”Bbbbbbbbut it doesnt harm performance you guys”
>Others say ‘no’
>Russell: >:'(
Robbie (@robbie)
17th June 2022, 17:25
Lol was just making up a comment in my notes before I had seen any comments here in this thread, and it matches what you above are saying….it reads…
Wait, what? I think GR is taking some real license here with his comments. His own team is as guilty if not more as anyone for sacrificing driver safety over performance.
“But now that their performance seems to be strong, they obviously don’t want changes because it can only hinder them. So it is obviously a bit of a shame to see performance prioritised over safety.” Uhhh, RBR for example has been strong from the getgo. Ferrari has too and they porpoise and CL is fine with it…can live with it.
As to Max? I don’t think I have heard him make one single complaint about porpoising, but sure, he did say he hopes they smooth out some of the bumps at Baku for next year for example…but that’s not about porpoising which is what the TD is about.
Seems to me GR you have been every bit as vocal as anyone, if not the most, and your and LH’s car are the worst, and yet here you are pointing the finger at everyone else but yourselves. Other than to just slide in there that you couldn’t read your pitboard. I guess at Mercedes there is no such thing as a mirror.
I think GR is trying to convolute the stiffness of the cars and suspensions that cause a bumpy ride, that they always knew was going to be a reality with ground effects cars and the 18” tires, with porpoising. “I think for even the teams suffering the least, it’s still an incredibly aggressive and bumpy ride. And the FIA have access to all of the vertical acceleration loads we’re going through and it’s far beyond what you’d expect is safe to deal with.” Uhhh…the vertical acceleration loads are to address porpoising, not bumps in the road. That I can tell the TD is not talking about softening the ride, but rather about reducing porpoising and bottoming. And I don’t think a softer ride would prevent cars from bottoming. Sorry GR but methinks the aggressive ride is here to stay and it is the porpoising that is the issue and the two shouldn’t be confused by you to try to make a point.
SjaakFoo (@sjaakfoo)
17th June 2022, 18:10
Tell your team to sort it out George. The other drivers are entitled to their opinions as much as yours, but they and their teams have no responsibility in your ability to read the pit board or not.
RicoD (@ricod)
17th June 2022, 18:45
Doesn’t sound like the spokesperson for the GPDA…
What about: “we have been sitting together as drivers and the package of measures from the FIA has our approval”
He sounds more like a spokesperson from Mercedes…
Gozz
17th June 2022, 19:38
I bet if LH had of won he would of got out the car alot faster, other teams got it right so stop moaning
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
17th June 2022, 20:09
Russell have always been a likeable guy for me since his Formula 3 days. Though being managed by Wolff and driving for Mercedes, I didn’t have any doubts that he will be gradually fitting into their hypocrite corporate culture. The gloves are off now !
petebaldwin (@)
17th June 2022, 20:12
There is nothing anyone can do immediately. The discussions they are having can’t yield results this weekend.
Therefore, if it’s that unsafe that drivers should be expected to immediately surrender any competitive advantage they have, shouldn’t you sit out this weekend?
It seems incredibly reckless (for your own safety and that of your competitors) to run a car that is as unsafe to drive as George appears to be suggesting…
Illusive (@illusive)
17th June 2022, 20:28
Will blame everyone except for team, what a Karen.
Mayrton
17th June 2022, 21:10
He is learning fast and adapting well to the Mercedes culture
S
18th June 2022, 3:03
Hypocritical, much?
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
18th June 2022, 13:17
Meanwhile it is mercedes who is putting performance over safety. Their car is the stiffest, lowest running car.