Formula 1 is currently in a transition phase which is going to be crucial for years to come. FIA, the governing body of F1, is always at work making new rules. From 2026, an upheaval will arrive in the entire system where the races are conducted. And one of these changes will benefit George Russell the most, out of all other drivers. When the FIA put up a new set of rules in 2022, the F1 town became well acquainted with the word ‘porpoising’, a phenomenon where the wheels of the racecar touch the ground but the car itself bounces on its suspension.

This existed previously but has never been too much of a menace. But thanks to the new rules, the porpoising in the F1 cars plagued the drivers as it had an effect on them physically. Consequently, the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton suffered the worst. The team could not find a way around the phenomenon and thus, Russell became vocal about changing the rules that allowed porpoising to become such a menace in the first place. At that time, he had called for the FIA to allow active suspension. But did the rule-making body pay any heed to it while setting the regulations for F1 2026?

FIA Director assures George Russell will have no complaints in 2026

FIA’s Single Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis is directly responsible for the safety of the drivers in Formula 1. Thus, he should have listened to George Russell‘s complaints about porpoising when the Briton had made them. In his opinion, Tombazis’ organization did consider Russell’s suggestion of allowing active suspension in the F1 cars.

Tombazis spoke about the recently released 2026 F1 rules on the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast with Tom Clarkson. He talked about Russell’s proposition, saying, “We did consider it. It never got that far, but we did. It was one of the options.” However, despite tossing Russell’s idea, Tombazis went on to say how the FIA would solve the issue.

Moreover, Nikolas Tombazis explained the FIA’s way of dealing with porpoising as he claimed, “We will be solving this issue with the [new] characteristics of the cars. The cars we’ll be seeing in ’26 will be less prone to hug the ground, and will be running a bit higher.” The former Race Engineer noted that he believes this idea will prevent the drivers from complaining anymore. So now, this should come as a relief to George Russell, who once made a heartbreaking admission about porpoising.

George Russell once urged for a solution as porpoising “took his breath away”

George Russell entered Mercedes as a full-time driver in 2022. And in his very first season, he faced the enormous problem of porpoising. The pain from the bouncing racecar became so unbearable for the young race that, in Imola, he finally cried out for help. “The bouncing really takes your breath away. It’s the most extreme I’ve ever felt it,” Russell said. Then, he went on to find a solution since he did not consider it sustainable for the drivers at all.

But Mercedes have come a long way from the Emilia Romagna GP 2023 where George had made that confession. Only recently, the Briton finished the Canadian GP in the third position and helped his team earn some much-needed points. As of now, his career at Mercedes is set in stone as he looks to be in favor of outscoring teammate Lewis Hamilton in 2024.

Do you think George Russell can beat his much more experienced Mercedes partner during Lewis’ last season with the team? Let us know in the comments below.