F1: a bumpy start to the season for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Only four races in and Mercedes already look off the pace
Since 2014, Mercedes has dominated Formula 1, said Luke Slater in The Daily Telegraph: they’ve won an unprecedented eight constructors’ titles in a row and seven drivers’ championships. True, having Lewis Hamilton, the outstanding driver of this period, has been a big help. But they’ve also had something else: the fastest car.
How different things have turned out this season, said Giles Richards in The Guardian. Only four races in, and already Mercedes looks well off the pace – third in the constructors’ race, with just two podium finishes. And Hamilton is seventh in the drivers’ standings. At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, he endured one of the most torrid afternoons of his career, finishing 13th and suffering the indignity of being lapped by the winner, Max Verstappen. After the race, the seven-time champion said there was “no question” but that his title hopes were over.
At the root of Mercedes’s problems, said Laurence Edmondson on ESPN, is a regulation introduced this year by F1. In order to make races more exciting and overtaking easier, it has given teams more freedom to “generate downforce” from the underside of cars. This gives rise to a phenomenon known as “porpoising”, which occurs when, on reaching top speed, a car bounces up and down from the sudden increase, then decrease, of downforce.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It’s long been known that when cars generate their own downforce, porpoising becomes an issue, said Rebecca Clancy in The Times, but it was thought teams would get the problem under control. Surprisingly, Mercedes has been less efficient than others in doing so. Hamilton’s teammate, George Russell, has even admitted that his car was so bumpy he’d suffered back pains and breathing difficulties. “The bouncing really takes your breath away,” he said. It has taken away Mercedes’s dominance as well.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - December 21, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - losing it, pedal to the metal, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Three fun, festive activities to make the magic happen this Christmas Day
Inspire your children to help set the table, stage a pantomime and write thank-you letters this Christmas!
By The Week Junior Published
-
The best books of 2024 to give this Christmas
The Week Recommends From Percival Everett to Rachel Clarke these are the critics' favourite books from 2024
By The Week UK Published
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Dignity in defeat
Opinion Chicago White Sox players during a baseball game in Detroit, Michigan
By Theunis Bates Published
-
Raygun: heir to Eddie the Eagle?
Talking Point Australian Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn has become 'a worldwide meme'
By The Week UK Published
-
Graham Thorpe obituary: 'chameleon' batsman with 100 England caps
In depth Cricketer's 'bottle in abundance' endeared him to fans
By The Week UK Published
-
Boxing at the Olympics: the row over sexual differences
Talking Point Controversy over Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting shines a spotlight on the murky world of gender testing – and the IOC's inaction
By The Week UK Published
-
Gareth Southgate's England: a bittersweet swan song
In Depth History books will favour football manager who transformed culture of football in England
By The Week UK Published
-
A brief history of the modern Olympics – and the winner's curse
Paris 2024 will be the 30th instalment of the summer Games
By The Week UK Published