What are the principles behind aerodynamics of Formula One (F1 cars)?

F1 cars are required to move much faster than ordinary cars. To do this, changes are made to the structures of F1 cars. This also applies to other racing cars but here we’ll talk more about F1 cars as their structures are unique. The whole game is all up to how we can improve the aerodynamics of the car.

Two key components that play a big role in aerodynamics are drag and downforce. Drag is the amount of air resistance and airflow, and how it affects car performance. Downforce is how the car sticks to the floor, and the gravity acting on it.

If you reduce the drag of the car, it will go faster on the straights of the circuit. F1 cars are designed with the smallest possible frontal area to minimise drag (friction). This makes the body of the car more streamlined and allows it to cut through air faster. If you can use the shape of the car to generate some downward pressure (downforce) onto the tires, then the car will go faster around the corners of the circuit. Every F1 car is fitted with a variety of wings, splitters and diffusers, which direct air over and around the car in a controlled and uniform manner. They work on fundamentally the same principles as an aeroplane wing, except in reverse, pushing the car down on to the track to maximise tyre traction, particularly when cornering. Formula 1 cars use wing elements to generate down-force, however Aircrafts use their wing elements to generate lift. By flipping the front and rear wings upside down, it will apply pressure downwards keeping the car pushed towards the ground. The faster the wind moving over the wings, the more downforce pressure gets applied.

Each season, the motorsport governing body, the FIA, issues technical regulations with intricate details on car design, from width and height to thickness and weight. This means all racing teams have to design a new car each year to match the rules. This also means that the teams have to come up with new ideas for improving aerodynamics. Even the slightest of changes can improve lap times and allow the car to go faster than the other cars. Examples include car width, tire size, wing dimensions etc.

F1 teams use two main tools for aerodynamic research and development - wind tunnels and a computer analysis system known as computational fluid dynamics (CFD). CFDs allow teams to render virtual models of the actual car. With these virtual models they can test how fast the car can go and how to optimise each and every part of the car so that it improves the overall aerodynamics of the car. A wind tunnel is a tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects. It consists of a closed tubular passage with the car to be tested mounted in the middle. A powerful fan system moves air past the car. In CFD, the same experiment ( wind tunnel ) may be conducted in the form of a computer simulation. 

F1 Car in the Wind Tunnel                                       CFD simulation      

Some Interesting Facts About Aeronautics

Sir George Cayley is considered to be one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics. As an English engineer, inventor and aviator he is viewed as the first scientific aerial investigator. He was one of the first people to understand the principals of flight. Even back in 1799 he founded the concepts of a modern aeroplane in that it needed separate systems for lift, propulsion and control. Regarded as the ‘father of aviation’ his impact is long-lasting and telling. 

[Ref: https://www.mnbprecision.com/greatest-aerospace-engineers/]

This is the astronaut Tim Peake. Tim was the first British ESA astronaut to visit the International Space Station, launching on a Soyuz rocket on 15 December 2015 with crewmates Tim Kopra and Yuri Malenchenko. His Principia mission was an eventful and busy six months in space. In the first month, Tim conducted a spacewalk to repair the Station's power supply. Other highlights of his mission saw him drive a rover across a simulated Mars terrain from space and he helped dock two spacecraft. [Ref: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Timothy_Tim_Peake]

BAE Systems (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company. Its headquarters are in London and Farnborough in the United Kingdom with operations worldwide. The company is the largest defence contractor in Europe and among the world's largest defence companies; it was ranked as the third-largest based on applicable 2017 revenues. 

BAE Systems' first annual report identified Airbus, support services to militaries and integrated systems for air, land and naval applications as key areas of growth. It also stated the company's desire to both expand in the US and participate in further consolidation in Europe. BAE Systems described 2001 as an "important year" for its European joint ventures, which were reorganised considerably. The company has described the rationale for expansion in the US; it is by far the largest defence market with spend running close to twice that of the Western European nations combined.

[Ref: BAE Systems - Wikipedia]

British Army Dirigible No 1, christened Nulli Secundus was a Semi-rigid airship. First flown on 10 September 1907, it was Britain's first powered military aircraft. Two flights were made: during the first, the airship was flown for around three miles at a height of about 200 ft. The flight being terminated by an engine fault. A second flight was made later in the day, the propeller blades having been reduced in area in order to increase their speed of revolution.

A more public appearance was made on 5 October, when it was flown from Farnborough to London. Taking off at 11:00 pm and crewed by Capper, Cody and Lieutenant Waterlow, they made a tour over the city, taking in Whitehall and Buckingham Palace, and after circling St Paul's Cathedral, they attempted to return to Farnborough, but 18 mph (29 km/h) headwinds forced them to land at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham. The flight had lasted for 3 hours and 25 minutes and covered 50 miles (80 km) overland.

[Ref: British Army Dirigible No 1 - Wikipedia]