Carlos Sainz has expressed his fears over drivers long-term health as a result of the pounding they are experiencing with porpoising.

As a result of the phenomenon, a number of drivers, most notably George Russell, have admitted to feeling back pain due to the extreme bouncing of the cars.

Speaking ahead of his home Grand Prix, admitted that he fears the phenomenon could have a long-term impact on drivers' health.

Asked how he thinks the new breed of F1 car will handle next week's Monaco Grand Prix, Sainz replied: "More than Monaco, it's how much of a toll a driver should be paying for his back and his health in a Formula One career with this kind of car philosophy?

"I think we need to open the debate more than anything," he continued. "I think the regulations are great, they're doing exactly what we needed for racing. But do we need to run as stiff for our necks and back as we are having to run lately?

"I've done my usual checks on my back, neck tightness etcetera and I see this year I'm tighter everywhere," he added. "I'm already feeling it... I don't need expert advice to know that ten years like this it's going to be tough, and you're going to need to work a lot in mobility, flexibility."

"I would have thought you'd have much worse effects from crashing a car at 50 or 60 G like some of us have done," argued McLaren's Lando Norris.

"There's also many ways for them to stop porpoising," he added. "Like lifting your rear ride height 20mm."

Coming weeks after the death of Tony Brooks, the last surviving Grand Prix winner from the 1950s, it is interesting to hear Sainz, who has started 145 races since entering F1 in 2015, suggest his career might last for another ten years. It wasn't that long ago that drivers measured their futures on a race-by-race basis, a stiff back being the very least of their concerns.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by kenji, 20/05/2022 11:00

"@ Max...sorry but I dont buy any of it. Porpoising is evidently by degree across the teams however if Mercedes and Ferrari are failing badly then then all they have to do is raise the rear ride height but to do that they would be sacrificing speed. So what? To even consider changing the rules because one or two teams have more porpoising problems than the others just establishes a return to the status quo of previous years. I say, no changes and then let them sort it out at their expense and leisure. After having spent the past seven years watching Mercedes dominate the series ad infinitum I am relishing their relegation. It makes me happy hahaha...but also unpopular."

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2. Posted by Max Noble, 19/05/2022 23:52

"I’d be keen to hear from the Red Bull drivers how much it is impacting them… If *all* the cars are suffering, just Ferrari, and the Mercedes stable worse than others, then possibly a rule change, or a technical regulation change is valid. If however Red Bull have got an acceptable solution, then the other teams need to work it out…

I do however agree with Sainz that on health, and safety grounds it should be addressed. A problem created by the FIA brains trust feeling they had it all over Miss Physics."

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3. Posted by kenji, 19/05/2022 23:00

"As has been stated, 'lift the rear ride height and the problem goes away'. I see this call by Sainz as having a base in the poor performances that he's acheived relative to Leclerc. Whether this speculation has any foundation is obviously debatable...just my opinion. Some teams thankfully have been better at controlling this issue so it's up to those suffering to come up with the solution and not seek changes such as movable ride heights as suggested a short while ago. "

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4. Posted by ChickenFarmerF1, 19/05/2022 22:28

""It wasn't that long ago that drivers measured their futures on a race-by-race basis, a stiff back being the very least of their concerns."

Thank God that has changed. "

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Sainz fears for impact of porpoising on drivers

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