F1 ground effect era ends with harsh health warnings from drivers. From dominance to controversy: the hidden cost of F1’s ground-effect era.

One of the key protagonists of recent Formula 1 seasons has launched a strong accusation regarding the health effects of the ground-effect era. The 2025 season marks the end of the latest regulatory cycle, which began in 2022 and has now reached its conclusion. The ground-effect era started with the dominance of Red Bull and Max Verstappen, before closing with McLaren and Lando Norris securing his first Formula 1 world title. However, according to Pierre Gasly, the four-year cycle that has just ended may have had significant consequences for the drivers’ health.

Despite the progress made over the past few seasons, the phenomenon of extreme bouncing, known as porpoising, has been a constant presence since the introduction of the new ground-effect cars in 2022. While teams and the FIA worked to mitigate the issue through regulatory adjustments and car development, the problem never fully disappeared.

Highlighting the potential consequences was Alpine’s French driver, who believes that the intensity of the vertical movements has had, and could still have, long-term repercussions on the physical well-being of Formula 1 drivers. According to Pierre Gasly, the demands placed on the body during this regulatory cycle pushed drivers to their limits.

Gasly’s words

“The only thing we weren’t very happy about as drivers was the amount of bouncing,” Pierre Gasly explained, as reported by Motorsport Week. “Obviously, ground-effect cars need to be as low as possible, but physically, for our backs, I think we all agree that it was very tough.”

According to the 1996-born driver, this was a situation that would have been extremely difficult to sustain over the long term. “It’s not something you can go through for an entire career,” he said. “So I think it’s positive that we are, in some way, moving away from this direction.”

Porpoising generated complaints throughout the entire regulatory cycle. One of the most emblematic episodes remains the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. On that occasion, Lewis Hamilton revealed at the end of the race that he had “prayed for the race to end” due to severe pain and serious breathing difficulties.

Nikolas Tombazis confirms concerns

On at least a couple of occasions, the Ferrari driver also showed difficulty getting out of the cockpit after the race, further highlighting the physical strain caused by the cars. The issue was also addressed by FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis, who recently admitted that the porpoising problem was effectively an oversight during the drafting phase of the technical regulations.

Nikolas Tombazis also warned that the risk may not be completely eliminated in 2026, suggesting that the issue will remain under close observation during the next technical cycle as well.

As the curtain falls on this technical era, the focus shifts to whether the 2026 overhaul can truly balance peak performance with driver safety. The physical cost of speed remains a major concern for those behind the wheel. The next generation of cars will need to prove that F1 can be both the pinnacle of engineering and a sustainable environment for its world-class athletes.