Formula 1 is never short of drama, but recent developments in the sport are raising alarms as teams face a potentially catastrophic challenge. With the FIA’s upcoming regulation changes for 2025, teams are bracing themselves for a major new porpoising crisis. Following the drastic changes to the car design and floor specifications introduced in 2022, the sport is now looking at an entirely new set of regulations that may bring about even more problems for teams, drivers, and engineers alike.

Porpoising — a term that emerged in the 2022 season — refers to the phenomenon where the car experiences an up-and-down motion due to aerodynamic issues, particularly with ground effect aerodynamics. This caused major concerns last year, with teams and drivers struggling to get to grips with the new era of F1 cars. In fact, the issue was so severe that it directly impacted some teams’ performances, including Mercedes, who publicly struggled with porpoising throughout the 2022 season. Despite attempts to fix the problem, the issue has not gone away, and now, with the FIA’s new regulation changes for 2025 on the horizon, there are growing concerns that we could be in for another turbulent ride.

To understand the gravity of the situation, it’s essential to look back at the origins of the porpoising problem. When the FIA introduced new regulations in 2022 to reduce the ground effect created by the cars’ floors, they aimed to promote closer racing and enhance the spectacle for fans. However, the unintended consequence was the exacerbation of aerodynamic instability at high speeds, which led to porpoising. Teams like Mercedes and Ferrari struggled to find a balance between the increased downforce generated by the new floor designs and the car’s overall stability. While the issue affected various teams to different extents, Mercedes, in particular, found themselves with a car that struggled to maintain consistent performance.

By the latter part of 2022, the FIA had stepped in, introducing technical directives aimed at limiting the severity of porpoising, forcing teams to adjust their setups and mitigate the effect. In 2023, the problem was largely under control for most teams, but the scars of the porpoising crisis were still visible. Fast forward to 2025, and now, the teams may once again be facing an even bigger challenge with the new regulations set to come into play.

The FIA’s regulatory changes for 2025 will be focused on a variety of aspects, from aerodynamics to sustainability. However, one of the most concerning changes revolves around the floor design and the aerodynamics of the cars, which could reintroduce porpoising in a whole new form. These new changes have left engineers scratching their heads, with many fearing that the increased reliance on ground-effect aerodynamics will make porpoising even more severe.

1. Aerodynamic Changes: The primary changes will involve the alteration of car floors and the venturi tunnels beneath the chassis. While these modifications are intended to improve the overall efficiency of the aerodynamics, they could create a perfect storm for teams if the car’s ride height becomes too low, exacerbating the porpoising effect. The increased reliance on underfloor airflow could mean that any slight disturbance to the airflow under the car could trigger the dreaded bouncing effect, leading to further instability and potential damage to the car.

2. Ride Height Regulations: The introduction of stricter ride height regulations is also contributing to the uncertainty. Teams are concerned that the FIA’s new ride height requirements will affect the balance of the cars, creating conditions ripe for porpoising to re-emerge. While teams have made progress in managing the effect of porpoising over the last few years, the new regulations could undo much of that work, leading to a resurgence of the problem.

3. Sustainability Measures: Another significant factor in these new regulations is the push for more sustainable technology, including the increased use of biofuels and the integration of hybrid systems. These changes are expected to affect the overall weight distribution of the car, possibly making it even more challenging for teams to manage the aerodynamics and avoid instability.

For teams, the new porpoising crisis could create a host of new challenges. In an era where fractions of a second matter, even the slightest aerodynamic instability can result in a major loss of performance. For teams that are already struggling to keep up with the technical demands of modern F1, this could be a devastating blow. Furthermore, the 2025 regulations require teams to adapt quickly to stay competitive, and a major issue like porpoising could set teams back in their development programs.

Mercedes, for example, who faced the brunt of porpoising issues in 2022, may find themselves in a similar situation, forcing them to re-engineer their car from the ground up once again. Red Bull, on the other hand, is expected to have the resources and expertise to adapt quickly, but even they may struggle with the implementation of the new regulations. Meanwhile, teams like Ferrari, Alpine, and McLaren, who are in the midst of trying to close the gap to Red Bull, could find themselves at a significant disadvantage if the new regulations once again throw a wrench in their development plans.

For the drivers, the return of porpoising could be a painful ordeal. While the problem isn’t as severe as it once was, porpoising still causes discomfort, with drivers reporting back pain, nausea, and general fatigue due to the relentless bouncing of the car on track. If the issue were to re-emerge with the 2025 cars, drivers could be forced to contend with a level of physical strain that would affect their ability to race at their best.

Moreover, porpoising not only affects driver comfort but also car performance. As cars bounce, they lose downforce, which can lead to a lack of grip in corners and slower lap times. This impacts not just the drivers but the overall racing spectacle, as teams struggle to find the right setup to minimize the effect.

As Formula 1 prepares for the 2025 season, the possibility of a new porpoising crisis looms large. While the FIA’s changes are designed to improve the sport in various ways, the unintended consequence could be the return of one of the most notorious issues in modern F1 history. With teams scrambling to adjust their cars to meet the new regulations, it’s clear that porpoising will once again be a key focus in the coming years. The teams, the FIA, and the drivers will have to work together to find a solution, but whether they can avoid the mistakes of the past remains to be seen. One thing is for certain — the 2025 season promises to be one of the most unpredictable and turbulent in recent memory.