“Then you can hardly overtake,” Mercedes facing issues in dealing with straights

The 2022 Formula One season has already become significant due to the newly implemented rules and regulations which have taken form in the differences in the cars this season as compared to the cars of the previous season.

The ongoing pre-season testing at Barcelona can be extremely crucial for all 10 teams on the grid to see how they are performing in compliance with the new regulations and also give them the time to recuperate from any issues faced during testing ahead of the first Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit next month in the heart of the vast Sakhir desert.

Scuderia Ferrari CEO and Mercedes’ engineers- Mattia Binotto and Andrew Shovlin respectively, have been very vocal about the issues their respective teams are facing in dealing with the straights on the tracks during testing.

According to the new rules, it has been made easier for the drivers on the grid to chase one another and have a fair shot at overtaking. Due to the airflow being held under the car, the teams are facing an issue of “porpoising” on the straights which essentially means that the cars are bouncing once they encounter the straights.

“I think all teams underestimated the commuting and touchdown on the straights. I think solving the problem is not that difficult. However, not losing performance and keeping the aerodynamics efficient is the tricky part,” said Swiss-born Binotto in reference to the issues Ferrari faced during testing.

Is overtaking still an issue for the cars on the grid? : Shovlin provides some insight on this matter

The polarity in the construction of all the cars this season definitely stands out. It is also to note that the cars this season are 47 kgs heavier than they were last season is supposed to make overtaking slightly difficult.

It hardly occurs in the slipstream. It’s especially bad when the car is swaying and completely in the wind. Then you can hardly overtake. It would be a shame if the goal of making overtaking easier were not achieved in this way,” mentioned Mercedes’ engineer Shovlin in reference to the issue of overtaking.

However, pre-season testing doesn’t exactly provide the best insight to all the teams as they’re not necessarily competing with each other. Issues would become much clearer next month during the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Also Read: “It is not too pleasant at all,” George Russell flags porpoising as a safety concern

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