McLaren Confirms 'Extensive Porpoising' Led to Las Vegas Double DNF
McLaren's Andrea Stella confirmed "extensive porpoising" caused their double DNF in Las Vegas, where both cars exceeded plank wear limits. He attributed the issue to unexpected vertical oscillations exacerbated by unique track conditions, rather than an aggressive pursuit of performance. The team is confident it was a one-off, but will integrate lessons learned for future races.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has confirmed that "extensive porpoising" was the direct cause of the team's double disqualification at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's cars exceeded the maximum plank wear limits due to unexpected and severe vertical oscillations during the race.
Why it matters:
- McLaren's double DNF in Las Vegas, despite strong on-track performance, raised questions about the team's car setup and risk assessment.
- Understanding the root cause is crucial for McLaren to avoid similar issues in future races and maintain their competitive edge.
- This incident highlights the fine line F1 teams walk between maximizing performance and ensuring regulatory compliance, especially with ground-effect aerodynamics.
The Details:
- Plank Wear Infraction: Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's cars were found to have excessive plank wear in post-race inspections.
- Norris had two measurements below the 9mm skid block limit (8.88mm front right, 8.93mm rear right).
- Piastri had three illegal measurements (8.96mm front left, 8.74mm front right, 8.90mm rear right).
- Unexpected Porpoising: Telemetry data during the race showed unexpected and extensive porpoising, leading to large vertical oscillations of the car.
- Mitigation Attempts: The team instructed drivers to 'lift-and-coast' to try and minimize plank wear, but it was not enough to prevent the disqualifications.
- Track-Specific Conditions: Stella emphasized that the porpoising level was exacerbated by the specific track conditions in Las Vegas, which were not anticipated from practice data or pre-race predictions.
- Safety Margin Negated: McLaren had added a safety margin for ride height in qualifying and the race, but the unexpected onset of vertical oscillations negated this buffer.
- Difficult to Mitigate: Even reducing speed, which should theoretically increase ground clearance, was only effective in some parts of the track and counterproductive in others due to the nature of the porpoising.
Looking Ahead:
Andrea Stella maintains that the Las Vegas incident was an anomaly due to specific car behavior and track characteristics, not an "excessive or unreasonable chase of performance." McLaren remains confident in their established car setup approach for upcoming races, starting with the Qatar Grand Prix. The team will, however, incorporate lessons learned from Las Vegas into their ongoing understanding of the car's operating window and porpoising characteristics, aiming to prevent a recurrence.