Porpoising

Porpoising is a repetitive bouncing motion that race cars experience at high speeds, where the vehicle rapidly moves up and down like a porpoise jumping through water.

This phenomenon occurs primarily in Formula 1 and other open-wheel racing series that use ground effect aerodynamics. Ground effect is a design technique where cars create downforce (the force that pushes the car down onto the track) by generating low-pressure areas underneath the vehicle.

The porpoising cycle begins when a car reaches high speeds and the increased downforce pulls it closer to the track surface. As the car gets too close to the ground, the airflow underneath becomes disrupted or "stalls," similar to how a wing can lose lift on an airplane. When this happens, the car suddenly loses downforce and shoots upward.

Once the car rises, the airflow underneath reattaches and downforce returns, pulling the car back down toward the track. This creates a continuous cycle of bouncing that can be quite violent and uncomfortable for drivers.

Porpoising significantly impacts race performance in several ways. Drivers struggle to maintain control and focus while being bounced around in the cockpit. The constantly changing downforce makes the car's handling unpredictable, especially when braking or turning corners. The repeated impact of the car's floor hitting the track can also cause mechanical damage.

Teams combat porpoising through various methods. They may raise the car's ride height to reduce ground effect intensity, though this also reduces overall downforce and speed. Engineers also modify the car's floor design to create more stable airflow and adjust suspension settings to better control vertical movement.

While ground effect aerodynamics were used in Formula 1 during the late 1970s and early 1980s, porpoising became a major issue again in 2022 when new regulations heavily emphasized this aerodynamic approach, forcing teams to find new solutions to manage this challenging phenomenon.