In 2023, the outer edges of the underbody in Formula 1 will be raised by 15 millimeters. That’s less than the FIA, the world automotive association, had initially aimed for and more than what the teams had hoped for. And at least with Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, this compromise to reduce bouncing does not meet with much approval.
Before the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps, he said: “In my opinion, these changes overshoot the mark a little.”
According to Verstappen, porpoising or bouncing has recently decreased noticeably. “In the past few races, you could see that most teams had things more or less under control. Even the teams that had advocated a change had it much better under control,” said Verstappen.
The extent to which the new rules for 2023 could affect the individual cars is “currently unforeseeable,” said the Red Bull driver. “It should be interesting.”
However, Verstappen does not expect any restrictions for his team from the measures to reduce bouncing that are already taking effect in Spa. Rather, he plans further successes. True to the motto: “It would be wrong to slack off now. A lot can still go wrong or go right.”
Red Bull’s goal is “to continue winning races,” says Verstappen. “That’s how we approach the rest of the Grands Prix. Because we’re not here to finish second. We always strive for the best. That’s why we don’t want to give away wins to other teams just to be on the safe side. There are nine races to go , and we want to win it.”