More setbacks for Mercedes in Monaco

Mercedes looked to have solved their porpoising problems last weekend in Barcelona after ringing three major upgrades, but it looked like they are back to square one in Monaco.

On a Monaco track that is difficult to master - during both FP1 and FP2 - the Mercedes W13 was bouncing around more than the norm seen in previous racing weekends.

With both drivers struggling on the day, it was still George Russel finding more out of the car than his senior mentor, Lewis Hamilton. Russel finished 8th with Hamilton behind him in 10th in FP1.

While the Monaco bounce may be down to a stiff suspension rather than the porpoising of the floor of the car, it is an unwanted headache for Mercedes as they looked to have turned the corner in Barcelona.

Former World Champion, Nico Rosberg says that Mercedes had gone too far with making the car lower going to a bumpy track like Monaco and that was the reason for their issues.

“It is not the porpoising, it is bouncing mechanically. They have been trying to make the car stiffer so it can run lower. The mechanical stiffness has put them in a difficult situation,” said Rosberg.

George Russel faired better in FP2 as he finished 6th with his much-decorated teammate finishing in 12th.