Pierre Gasly reveals hidden physical ‘toll’ in driver health warning

Pierre Gasly has revealed drivers have been suffering more than viewers realise with their backs taking “much more of a toll” in this current regulation cycle.

Porpoising was the buzzword during the early stages of this regulation cycle but even if the effect is not so visible for those of us watching on, Gasly said the drivers still feel the physical demands just as much.

Pierre Gasly warns of hidden toll from porpoising cars

The sight of drivers’ heads bouncing up and down as they drove through straights became a familiar one during the 2022 season, with Mercedes in particular suffering from the aerodynamic effect.

At the time, the likes of Toto Wolff campaigned for a minimum ride height, citing driver safety as his motivation, and the FIA agreed, enforcing a rule that meant cars had to be at least 10mm off the ground.

A better understanding of the cars has made porpoising a relatively infrequent occurrence these days but when Gasly, Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc were asked for their opinions on the current regulation cycle – which will end this season – the Alpine driver suggested the physical risks were still there.

“It’s definitely been rougher for us inside the car—especially with all that bouncing and porpoising,” he said. “Our backs have taken much more of a toll than what people could imagine, and what it looks like from the outside.

“So I’m pretty happy that we’re kind of going away from that.

“Driving-wise, we beat a couple of track records on some tracks. So in terms of actual driving and speed we carry through the corner—it’s pretty incredible on some occasions.

“Pretty amazing feeling inside the cockpit. But I’m sure there are different ways of achieving it. And I’m sure we can do better—on the weight and the way we achieve the performance.”

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While 2022 was Leclerc’s best year of this era but even then, he admitted he did not enjoy it, also highlighting the bouncing.

“I didn’t really enjoy the first year, especially,” he said. “Obviously, there was quite a bit of bouncing, and that wasn’t the best thing I’ve had in racing.

“So, the first year wasn’t enjoyable. After that, actually, it got a little bit better on our side.

“Sure, it’s still stiff. I mean, I’d love to have a lighter car, but, yeah, I actually kind of enjoyed the last three years. The car got better, faster, and it’s still extremely fast in high-speed corners. Probably not as enjoyable as the previous generation of cars, but still—I enjoyed it a lot.”

Stroll meanwhile was happy to see the back of the current rules.

“I’m not going to miss it. I think the cars—they’ve been very stiff these last few years. The idea behind this regulation change was to make racing better. I don’t know if we really achieved that.

“They’ve gotten heavier. They’ve just been too heavy and too stiff. Even just throughout the last few years, battling injuries and stuff has become more of a thing.

“I’m probably not the biggest fan of this set of regulations. But we’ll see what next year brings. Whoever’s going to be competitive I’m sure is going to love the regulations. That’s how it works in this sport.”

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