The rise and fall of F1 cars

PORPOISING HAS MADE ITS reappearance in F1 after a break of four decades – from when cars last ran venturi underbody tunnels. Even the two fastest cars of the early season races, the Ferrari and Red Bull, are controlling it rather than eliminating it.

But the way each is doing it seems to be quite different, perhaps because the aerodynamic concepts of the two cars are so dissimilar, as suggested by their radically different sidepod designs. Whatever the reason, Red Bull has been running noticeably less rear wing, , than Ferrari and has greater end-of-straight speed as a result.