FIA action on bouncing 'probably more of a sticking plaster than the solution', says Mercedes' George Russell

George Russell believes that the FIA's technical directive to intervene and investigate the porpoising issue is like "sticking plaster" on a wound and not an actual solution. The Briton, who was vocal about the issue in the GPDA and public domain, feels that the FIA needs to have more conversations about the bouncing phenomenon to move forward.

Speaking at the drivers’ press conference ahead of the Canadian GP, the Mercedes driver said:

“Firstly, what’s been brought forward this weekend, I think it’s probably more of a sticking plaster than the solution. And we need to wait and see, I think, for even the teams suffering the least, it’s still an incredibly aggressive and bumpy ride.”

He continued:

“And you know, 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 I mean, bigger conversations are definitely needed moving forward and where we go from here.”

After several teams and drivers complained about the bouncing in the cars and its effect on the drivers’ health, the FIA decided to intervene to help them resolve the issue. However, George Russell believes there needs to be more discussion over the topic to find an actual solution to the problem. Most drivers have welcomed the directive and hope to see change in the future.

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George Russell welcomes FIA’s prompt reaction to the porpoising issue

After discussing the matter of porpoising affecting driver health in the GPDA as director, George Russell praised the regulatory body for taking prompt action over the issue.

Welcoming FIA’s technical directive, the 24-year-old driver said:

“I mean...I’m not a technical expert. So, I don’t really know if that’s going to improve things or not. But I think we, definitely as drivers, it’s good to see them on the front foot and actioning something straightaway.”

Mercedes seemed to struggle the most in Baku due to porpoising and called for a change in regulations, citing the negative impact bouncing was having on drivers' health. Since then, the regulatory body has decided to examine and investigate the issue and have discussions on the issue to determine a healthy level of oscillation. The decision has somewhat gone against the team, for if a rule change were to be implemented, they might not be the winners.