FIA issues new measures to tackle F1 driver back pain caused by porpoising, which has affected Lewis Hamilton

The FIA has issued a technical directive to Formula One teams in an attempt to reduce porpoising after several drivers reported back pain. The bouncing of cars occurs when they lose and regain downforce in quick succession, which leads to vehicles moving up and down.

Ad/> Lewis Hamilton was in visible pain following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff saying he was unsure if the former world champion would be fit for the next race in Canada. Hamilton has since confirmed he will be taking part.

Canadian Grand PrixSeidl labels Ricciardo speculation as a 'broken record' ahead of Canadian GPYESTERDAY AT 12:56 McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo stood by Hamilton, saying he was “not exaggerating” his discomfort, having felt the full force of a bumpy ride in Baku himself. /> The FIA says teams will be required to make any necessary changes in order to comply with new measures, which currently include: Closer scrutiny of the planks and skids, both in terms of their design and the observed wear.

The definition of a metric, based on the car’s vertical acceleration, that will give a quantitative limit for acceptable level of vertical oscillations. The exact mathematical formula for this metric is still being analysed by the FIA, and the Formula 1 teams have been invited to contribute to this process.

A meeting with teams will take place in Canada ahead of this weekend's race to discuss how the measures will be implemented. A statement from the sport’s governing body said: “In a sport where the competitors are routinely driving at speeds in excess of 300km/h, it is considered that all of a driver’s concentration needs to be focused on that task and that excessive fatigue or pain experienced by a driver could