As a result of the season’s porpoising, Pierre Gasly has confessed that he was required to visit the hospital following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Formula 1 racer Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri claims that the porpoising that occurred throughout the course of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix race left him in need of an MRI scan.
The new ground effect technological restrictions have made it so that porpoising, or bouncing, has become a significant issue throughout the entire F1 grid in 2022 as both racers and squads try to find a means to deal with the phenomena.
The cars start to bounce up and down as they experience an aerodynamic stall as they gain and afterwards lose downforce.
It was particularly noticeable at the beginning of the season and on fast, bumpy courses like Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Baku in Azerbaijan.
After the race in Baku, with its lengthy pit straight, Gasly has now admitted that he felt compelled to go to the doctor for examinations.
Gasly was hospitalised after Baku race
As the porpoising worsened, the Baku street track’s rough, high-speed characteristics started to negatively affect the racers’ wellbeing.
There were calls for the FIA to intervene to try and stop porpoising when Lewis Hamilton’s back became numb from the constant strain on his body.
According to RacingNews365.com, a 15mm increase in ride height starting with the Belgian Grand Prix will serve as a temporary solution.
The squads were unable to agree on the 25mm the FIA requested, therefore it is not what they intended. Because a higher ride height results in lower speed, drivers and teams are reluctant to use it.
Gasly said in an interview with the Italian edition of Motorsport.com that he visited the hospital after finishing fifth in Baku.
“Baku was the worst of all the circuits we raced on, even if for me, it wasn’t just a matter of pure porpoising,” he explained.
“Our car has to be extremely low to be competitive and there are many, many bumps on that track.
“It was really hard on my back, to the point that after the weekend, I had to do an MRI [scan] to check that everything was okay with the vertebrae.
“In our case, this problem is definitely linked to the type of track.”
Below par season from AlphaTauri and Gasly
Gasly has become one of the top F1 drivers since since he was returned to Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri in mid-2019 from the previous Red Bull squad.
He earned podium finishes in Brazil and Azerbaijan in 2021 in addition to his first-ever Grand Prix victory at the Italian Grand Prix in 2020. He also frequently beat more well-known drivers in quicker cars to earn solid points.
Nevertheless, he and colleague Yuki Tsuonda have failed in the AT03 in 2022, with the Frenchman scoring just 16 points.
Comparatively, he had 50 points at the end of the previous summer vacation and finished with 110.
“On tracks with slow-speed corners, such as Monaco and Baku, it is better. Baku was our best weekend (he finished fifth), because on that track there are no corners in fourth gear,” said Gasly.
“They are all in second or third gear, and for us this is the perfect scenario, where we do well. In Monaco, in the second sector, we were always in the top five.
“As soon as there is a corner at high or medium speed, the problems begin, and for us, it means sliding.
“Either the front is too weak and you have too much understeer or the car – all four wheels – simply slips.”
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AlphaTauri, F1, F1 2022, Formula 1, Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku