Newey hints at porpoising solution for Red Bull: "That was the problem"

Red Bull Racing was one of the first teams to quickly get the problems with porpoising under control. Where many were surprised by the problem, top designer Adrian Newey seemed to have already taken it into account. He confirmed that it was a "well-known problem".

Newey is one of the few who lived through the previous ground effect era in Formula 1, so the question arises whether he foresaw the problem. In conversation with The Race he explains that it was indeed taken into account. "We knew it was a potential problem," the Brit acknowledges.

How did Newey solve porpoising so quickly?

According to Newey, porpoising is a "very well known problem" that had the possibility of rearing its head in 2022. "With these regs you could see that was a possibility but whether they would and how you model that, was the difficulty," he continued his explanation.

To solve the problem still in the preseason, Red Bull Racing had to gain experience with the possible causes of porpoising and try to take them into account. "At the same time, we didn't find a way of modelling it properly. In principle, you could do it in the wind tunnel," he continues. That could indicate that Red Bull has found another way. Mercedes, among others, complained that the problem could not be seen in the wind tunnel.

As to how Newey and his engineers managed to find a solution so quickly, the designer understandably doesn't want to go into detail, but he gives a very small hint: he points out that there is more than one airflow under the floor and that it is important to make them work together.