During the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton encountered difficulties with speed, consistently falling behind his teammate George Russell in all sessions, including qualifying. He expressed frustration with Mercedes’ ongoing inability to resolve the issue of porpoising, a problem that has plagued the team for three seasons. Porpoising emerged as a significant concern in Formula 1 at the beginning of the 2022 season. This aerodynamic problem, caused by the venturi tunnels beneath the car generating excessive downforce, resulted in cars violently bouncing on the straight sections of the track. Despite the efforts of most teams to solve this problem, Mercedes remains one of the few that has not yet overcome it, much to Hamilton’s disappointment.
After qualifying, Hamilton shared his struggles and stated, “Unfortunately, the bouncing is still present. It is extremely difficult to navigate through that first section. That is why we are so slow in that part of the track.” Despite his ongoing issues, Hamilton remains somewhat optimistic, referring to a more positive performance in the third practice session with a larger rear-wing. Although the larger rear-wing slowed him down on the straights, it provided better balance and allowed him to approach corners with greater confidence.
However, the improvements seen in the practice session were not reflected in the qualifying session, and Hamilton found himself back at square one. Nevertheless, he remains hopeful about the car’s potential, recognizing significant advancements compared to previous models, except for the persisting porpoising problem. He remarked, “I believe that if we could eliminate that [porpoising], the car would be much better than last year in every aspect. It’s just that this issue is causing us significant trouble.”
Reflecting on his performance, Hamilton emphasized his improved pace compared to previous years, despite being slower than Russell. He has shown progress at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, although Mercedes has fallen behind their competitors. Hamilton’s journey in recent years at the Saudi Arabian GP has been marked by fluctuating fortunes, including a notable elimination in Q1 in 2022 (the first since 2017) and finishing eighth in 2023, significantly behind the pole position. However, his narrower gap to Russell in 2024 demonstrates improved pace, despite the team’s broader struggles against their rivals.