If you had told us one year ago that the Mercedes Formula 1 team would be struggling to climb onto the podium in 2022, we'd have asked you for some of whatever you were smoking. Lewis Hamilton was on for his 8th World Driver's Championship, Valtteri Bottas was providing some of the most solid support we'd seen from him yet, and Toto Wolff was in full "Smug Austrian" mode. Now, the tables have turned. Heck, Valtteri
beat Lewis
in an Alfa Romeo at one point this season. If you haven't heard right now, one of the team's biggest struggles is "porpoising."
Basically, that means the car is bouncing about more than a low-rider with air suspension. The air moving over the 2022 Mercedes Formula 1 car isn't behaving, causing the car's body to move up and down at speed. Understandably, that makes it hard to drive. How can you brake from 180+ mph when your feet are moving about against the pedals?