Lewis Hamilton says porpoising injuries are unacceptable before Canadian GP

The Canadian Grand Prix has long been a happy hunting ground for Lewis Hamilton. The seven-times champion counts it as one of his favourite meetings but this year, while a win appears as far off as ever, Hamilton is at least taking some pleasure from the FIA’s determination to eliminate the porpoising of the cars that has been identified as a potential long-term health risk.

Hamilton said he has been suffering from headaches since the season began.

After a bruising weekend in Baku, where the porpoising – a vertical jarring of the car – was particularly violent, a variety of drivers called for the FIA to intervene.

On Thursday the governing body issued a directive stating it would examine the problem and implement rule changes on safety grounds, in the short-term likely mandating teams to run their cars with higher rear ride-height.

At 37 and in his 16th season in Formula One, Hamilton wears his years of competition well but at the circuit Gilles Villeneuve was explicit that the toll the porpoising was taking was severe regardless of age.

“I have not spoken to a specialist on [spinal] discs but I can feel mine,” he said. “I am a little bit shorter this week and my discs are not in the best shape right now. That’s not good for longevity. There is no need for us to have long-term injuries.

“There’s a lot more bruising in the body after the race nowadays, it is taking more of the week to recover and you have to do a lot more to do it. I don’t think that’s to do with age, it’s because the bruising can be quite severe.

When you experience up to 10-Gs on a bump which I had in the last race that is a heavy, heavy load on the lower and top part of your neck. I have had a lot more headaches in the past few months, I am not taking