Health effects of new rules questioned

BARCELONA: Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz raised questions yesterday about the longterm health implications of Formula One’s latest generation of cars.

The Spaniard said he was feeling the pain of having to race with a stiffer suspension to counter the bouncing, or ‘‘porpoising’’, that some teams are experiencing due to aerodynamic rules introduced this season.

Asked at the Spanish Grand Prix how the cars might handle around Monaco next week, Sainz called for a broader debate.

‘‘More than Monaco . . . it’s how much of a toll a driver should be paying for his back and his health in a Formula One career with this kind of car philosophy,’’ he told reporters.

‘‘I think we need to open the debate more than anything.

‘‘I think the regulations are great. They’re doing exactly what we needed for racing. But do we need to run as stiff for our necks and back as we are having to run lately?’’

Sainz, who came into Formula One in 2015 and has started 145 races, said he felt the change.

‘‘I’ve done my usual checks on my back, neck tightness etc and I see this year I’m tighter everywhere.’’ — Reuters