© Sebastian Kawka for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
Red Bull’s advisor Dr Helmut Marko says it’s a lot easier for Lewis Hamilton to get out of his car, “when he’s on the podium”.
At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton had a hard time getting out of his car after the race, due to severe back pain brought on by his car’s incessant bouncing.
Lewis however wasn’t the only driver who warned of possible health and safety risks of bouncing, and it has been a big topic in Formula 1 since then.
Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, the FIA has stepped in with a technical directive aimed at reducing the effect.
However, those teams that have a competitive advantage right now, are not happy with the FIA’s intervention. Red Bull is one of those teams, and its advisor Dr Helmut Marko is very vocal about it.
“I don’t think the FIA’s decisions are right,” Marko told Sky Sports Germany.
“One team, Mercedes, have the biggest problems and then you react in the middle of the season.
“There is a simple solution: you just have to raise the car. Then you no longer have this bouncing, but you lose speed.
“The fact that they are now reacting in this way and trying to impose such powers on the FIA, which practically determine the set-ups of the cars, is a quick fix that has certainly not been thought through.”
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Marko went on to imply that the effects of bouncing on the body has to do with the drivers’ physical condition.
“Our drivers are one of the biggest capitals we have,” he said.
“We make sure that they are in top physical condition.”
He also called for the technical directive to be improved.
“There are still improvements to be made, because all the parameters are far too vague for that.
“You would be exposing yourself to arbitrariness. That would mainly affect the team that criticised it.”
Worst of all, Marko took a dig at Lewis Hamilton, implying that he was faking his back pain in Azerbaijan, since he did not suffer from the issue in Canada, where he finished in P3.
“Hamilton got out of the car quickly today. When he’s on the podium, it’s a lot easier,” the Austrian concluded.
