Formula 1: Toto Wolff wants FIA to take action on porpoising: Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff believes that the FIA can’t risk having an ‘NFL situation’ by overlooking the potential safety issues with the porpoising taking place and leaving an impact on Formula 1 drivers. FIA has launched new limits on the bouncing of the cars which will start from the Belgian GP in order for the regulation changes for the F1 2023 season. Follow Formula 1 & Belgian GP LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN
Meanwhile, Wolff has warned FIA that they can’t disregard the information highlighting the potential risks of porpoising, noticing the clinical examination led with American Football players connecting with head injuries after repetitive effects through their careers.
“It’s very simple: we have always said we can either do nothing, or do the right thing. We have, and FIA has, you can ask them, medical analysis, that frequencies of one or two hertz over several minutes can lead to long term brain damage. We have six to seven hertz over several hours,” Wolff added.
“The FIA has just no option than to do something, and I think that trying to leave things alone, or have teams lobbying for it or against it, it’s just completely irrelevant. It’s a medical question that needs to be answered. And these reports are a reality and they are fact. I don’t think that the gang around the FIA will let themselves be manipulated in either direction,” Wolff added.
“The GPDA gave their statements, the drivers have given the statements on an anonymous form. The competent specialists and doctors have been consulting, and the result is that it’s not good for long-term effect. The FIA says it doesn’t want to have an NFL situation,” Wolff concluded.
Various drivers present on the grid have raised the issue regarding their safety as some teams have addressed whether it is a real security matter and in the event that it is rather being utilized as support for changes that would offer an upper hand to certain teams.
Mercedes F1 team principal Wolff has seen his group face a portion of the most exceedingly terrible bouncing issues this season, most remarkably in Baku, where Lewis Hamilton was seen holding his back after getting out of the car while the race got concluded.
Meanwhile, FIA president Mohammed bin Sulayem took to Twitter recently that the updated specialized guidelines for the 2023 season had been sent out to the World Motor Sport Council. But, it is still unclear whether an agreement have been reached with groups concerning the floor changes.
Having discussed the porpoising issue with all 20 @F1 drivers & 10 team principals, I’m happy to confirm that we will be submitting updated 2023 Technical Regulations to the WMSC this week to address this, in addition to the measures already taken for the remainder of this season
— Mohammed Ben Sulayem (@Ben_Sulayem) August 8, 2022
Furthermore, Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner took a dig at Wolff and said in France that the ‘campaigning’ to change the guidelines for the 2023 season was to help a ‘certain group’, indicating towards Mercedes.
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