FIA stepping in mid-season on porpoising issue is 'a bit unfair' on some F1 teams, feels Nico Rosberg

Nico Rosberg feels a mid-season F1 rule change to resolve porpoising is unfair on some teams. The 2016 world champion felt the politics of the sport is playing a role in propelling a rule change to contain the bouncing phenomenon in the new generation of cars.

Speaking to Sky Sports about the row on the porpoising issue, Rosberg said:

“All drivers got together and agreed that it’s a problem apart from one – [Fernando] Alonso. Well, you know, that’s the politics in F1. That always plays a big big role and, and the teams that are fastest of course don’t want any changes to happen. That’s clear. So that’s why when in public you don’t go with that but behind the closed doors. It’s a better way of doing it. So it’s more manageable in that way and that’s the F1 has always been there. So that’s quite normal.”

Rosberg believes there are better ways of pushing for a rule change than in public. The former world champion believes that the politics of the sport is making it a more dramatic situation. A mid-season rule change to contain porpoising will be unfair to many of the teams who have resolved the issue, according to the former Mercedes champion.

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Driver safety issue a difficult problem for F1 and FIA to tackle

The driver safety angle involved in propelling a mid-season rule change is an important one to address, according to Nico Rosberg. The 2016 F1 world champion, however, believes it is a tricky situation for the FIA to tackle while trying to be fair to the teams.

Since the former Mercedes champion’s team has been the primary voice behind using the driver safety angle to push for a rule change, the issue has upset many other teams who built safer cars and contained the bouncing phenomenon.

On tackling the driver health and safety issues amidst the porpoising row, Rosberg said:

“It’s such a difficult question. I’m not sure there’s a right answer because, of course, the FIA needs to make sure that drivers are healthy. But then one could also say that it should be the responsibility of the team to make sure you’re not injuring your drivers. It’s a difficult one. I don’t really know what the right answer is and and I do understand that it wouldn’t be very… it’s difficult and maybe a bit unfair on some teams.”

The FIA has been put in a difficult situation while teams suspect that Mercedes might have been tipped off by a former employee about the technical directive before the 2022 F1 Canadian GP. Heading to Silverstone, the story will gain momentum as the FIA intervenes to help teams resolve the porpoising issues in their cars.