Porpoising 1980 (Argentina)

An example of porpoising in early 1980s ground effect F1 cars

Transcript

00:00But all eyes, and there are several hundred thousand people watching, watching this, Lafitte and Jones.

00:08Yes, Jones was in the perfect position. He started about six or seven lengths behind Lafitte.

00:12He's towed closer and closer. They've come out of the loop, and now he's got the run-up,

00:15and he will for sure sweep past Jack Lafitte on the straight.

00:18Now, there he goes, pulled out, and it's all easy for him because he got his judgment just right in the starting place on the straight.

00:24And watch the way the cars are bouncing on the suspension as they go down the straight.

00:30That's because the ground effects, the skirts on the side of the car, are breaking traction.

00:36The car goes up, and then it regains the traction. It goes down again.