McLaren F1 Provide Solution to Recurring 2022 Problems
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via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Pre-Season Testing – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain – February 23, 2022 McLaren’s Lando Norris during testing REUTERS/Albert Gea
The new 2022 cars have officially taken to the track! They looked fast and refined as teams took them out for their first real spin at the Barcelona testing. The new cars were reliable and got positive feedback from the drivers and teams alike, but there was one issue that plagued all the teams: porpoising. McLaren technical head James Key explained the phenomenon and stated that it might disappear soon.
The issue mainly occurs on the straights and can cause floor damage to the cars. The up and down nature of the issue also causes problems for the neck of the driver in the cockpit.
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I think after first five or six races you won’t talk about it much: McLaren F1 head
As reported by Motorsport-Total, Key mentioned that the issue might not get resolved completely, as it is just physics. But he affirmed that after the first 5 or 6 races, it won’t be such a major issue.
“It’s an issue because it’s very visible, but there will be solutions in set-up and aero development, with which you figure out how to manage it. I think after the first five or six races, you won’t talk about it much,” said Key.
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Formula One F1 – Pre-Season Testing – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain – February 23, 2022, McLaren’s Lando Norris during testing REUTERS/Albert Gea
“There will always be some reaction to ground proximity because they’re ground effect cars. I don’t think you’ll get rid of the phenomenon entirely because it’s just physics, but after some development work, it’ll be a lot less of a problem and a lot less of a topic of conversation,” said the McLaren technical head.
It might come as unbelievable to some that most of the teams did not prepare for this phenomenon for their cars. But it is indeed good news that there are solutions to lessen the effect of porpoising.
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It would be sad to see this becoming a safety issue for the drivers and the teams in the 2022 season. Hopefully, like Key mentioned, other teams can also start working on the issue soon.
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