Porpoising

Porpoising is an aerodynamic phenomenon experienced by Formula 1 cars with ground effect floors. At high speeds, the ground effect floor generates enormous downforce, pulling the car very close to the track surface. When the gap between the floor and the track becomes too small, the airflow under the car stalls — the downforce suddenly disappears, the car rises, the airflow restarts, the downforce returns, and the car is pulled back down again. This cycle repeats rapidly, causing the car to bounce up and down at high speed — resembling the movement of a porpoise. Porpoising was a significant issue in the 2022 season when ground effect regulations were reintroduced. It caused driver discomfort and potential health issues, and the FIA introduced a "porpoising metric" to limit the phenomenon. Teams addressed it through floor design, ride height, and suspension setup.

Porpoising was first experienced in the original ground effect era of the late 1970s and early 1980s. When ground effect was reintroduced in 2022, porpoising returned as a major issue. Mercedes suffered particularly badly, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell experiencing significant discomfort. The FIA introduced a technical directive limiting the aerodynamic oscillations, which reduced but did not eliminate the problem.