Toto Wolff ponders Mercedes change to combat porpoising

Mercedes have identified porpoising as the key issue to be solved

Toto Wolff has been seeking solutions to Mercedes’ subpar start to the season (AFP via Getty Images)

Toto Wolff has admitted he is considering a switch of strategy as Mercedes continue to struggle to find solutions to their ‘porpoising’ problems.

Several teams have encountered issues with their cars bouncing due to the new car designs suffering with unexpected aerodynamic impacts, leading to the term which has become quickly widespread and adopted into the Formula One lexicon.

The German team, who have won the Constructors’ Championship every year since 2014, have been off the pace at the first four races of the 2022 Formula 1 season.

While new recruit George Russell has placed in the top five at every race so far, he is yet to contend for race victory, and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has already declared his title hopes over as Mercedes struggle to match the qualifying and race pace of rivals Red Bull and Ferrari.

A significant problem has been porpoising, the bouncing of Mercedes’ new W13 car due to downforce issues that left Russell with back and chest pains after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Wolff, team principal at Mercedes, has now indicated that the issue is proving difficult to solve, and that a switch to a “more conventional development path” may be considered if the problems persist.

“I think the fundamental issue that overshadows everything is our car is porpoising more than others and because of the bouncing we are not able to run it where it should run,” explained Wolff ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.

“That has huge ramifications on the set-up, on the tyre grip, etcetera, etcetera, so one is interlinked to the other.

“If we were to get on top of the porpoising we would unlock much more in terms of performance on the car.

“If we don’t get on top of that, then there is a more conventional development path that we have not yet taken.

“But I want to give us the time to really properly take such a decision.”

Mercedes are third in the Constructors’ standings, some way back from pace-setters Ferrari and Red Bull.

They have not finished outside the top two in the team competition since before Wolff’s arrival at the team in January 2013.

The decision the Austrian has to make could be complicated by concerns over the cost of a switch of strategy and concept, with the need to remain within the budget cap for spending during a long season that now encompasses 23 race weekends.

“On the budget cap, it hasn’t [had an effect] yet, because we haven’t changed the concept,” Wolff explained. “We still very much follow up the narrow body that we have.

“If you were to do something else, that could potentially go against your cost cap.”