Inside a Formula 1 car – Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics in Formula 1 is often described as a black art,
the real secret to success on the track. In the second part
of Panasonic Toyota Racing’s ‘Inside a Formula
1 Car‘ series, Head of Aerodynamics Mark Gillan explains
that the answer is blowing in the wind.
First and foremost, aerodynamics is the science of manipulating
and making use of air flow. In Formula 1, high speeds mean
the air is a formidable force and it can be used to the car’s
advantage, as well as presenting an obstacle to speed.
Put simply, the bigger the frontal area of an object, the
more wind resistance it will encounter, so a bigger object
will travel slower than a smaller object with the same amount
of power to propel it.
As always in Formula 1, things are not that simple. Downforce
complicates matters, because wind resistance can be used to
improve a car’s performance, if the forces are transferred
in the right way to provide extra grip around corners.
Mark explains: “Downforce is simply the force acting
down on the ground. If you think of an aircraft, it has lift
- a force acting upwards. On our car we have wings which work
in the opposite direction to those on an aeroplane. On our
car we have a force which acts down on the ground to keep
the car fixed to the track as it is going around corners.”
Maximising the positive effects of the air and minimising
the negative effects is the aerodynamicist’s challenge.
The first attempts to harness aerodynamics in Formula 1 were
relatively crude and dangerous, but the technology and knowledge
has evolved into a fine art, which literally dictates who
succeeds and who doesn’t in Formula 1.
“Aerodynamics in Formula 1 has been around a long time,”
Mark says. “Way back in the late 1960s the first aerodynamic
wings were sprouted and then, in the 1970s, understanding
of aerodynamics on racing cars became more apparent. But it’s
really in the last 10 years that Formula 1 aerodynamics has
progressed beyond all recognition. It is really very impressive.
“Aerodynamics is now the most important item on the
car which a team can actually change, because if you look
at the tyres, everyone has the same tyres and the engine is
homologated. So aerodynamics is the single biggest item we
can change - the biggest performance item on the car.”
Although every part on the outside of Panasonic Toyota Racing’s
TF107 car is designed with aerodynamics in mind, the most
obvious aerodynamic elements are at the very front and rear
of the car.
As the first part of the car to encounter air resistance,
the front wing is a key to the aerodynamic puzzle. It channels
the air around and over the car, ensuring it reaches the right
areas to generate downforce but avoids places where it has
a negative effect.
Mark explains: “The front wing is one of the more efficient
areas on the car. It basically provides the downforce at the
front of the car, to provide stability and increase grip.
But it is also a mechanism for directing the air away from
the tyres. The tyres are one of the main items which generate
drag. From a legality point of view, we cannot cover the tyres
so we have to find a way to move the air around and over them.
“To get the perfect set-up, we typically start at the
front and work our way back because each item at the front,
for example the front suspension, will have a knock on effect
on the rest of the car.”
But that does not diminish the importance of aerodynamics
at the other end of the TF107, as Mark adds: “The rear
wing, like the front, generates downforce. It is the balance
between downforce at the front and the downforce at the rear
which provides stability.”
Because Formula 1 cars are incredibly sensitive to small
changes in set-up, the TF107s are built to allow fine-tuning
to maximise the useful effect of the wings. “If you
look at the rear wing, you can see various hole positions,”
Mark says. “What we can do is change the angle of the
wing elements which generates less or more downforce as required.”
Of course, with aerodynamics being such a pivotal factor
in determining performance on the track, Panasonic Toyota
Racing leaves no stone unturned as it searches for the small
improvements which combine to deliver success.
At its headquarters in Cologne, Germany, the team uses the
latest technology to put designs to the test before they even
make it on to a race track with a two-pronged approach. Powerful
computers are able to simulate the effect of air flow over
the car without it even needing to be built, while in the
wind tunnel, an exact scale model of the TF107 is subjected
to a wind flow which replicates driving at speed.
“Basically we spend roughly 8,000-9,000hours a year
just to develop the car in the wind tunnel,” says Mark.
“That is in addition to a similar amount of time in
CFD, computational fluid dynamics, which is a computer programme
which models the air flow over the car.”
The comprehensive data from these tests shows the team how
the car behaves at racing speed, giving Mark and his colleagues
the information they need to constantly improve the aerodynamics.
Constant improvement – kaizen - is a fundamental philosophy
of Panasonic Toyota Racing and aerodynamics play a pivotal
part in its challenge to reach the front in Formula 1.
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