‘Which has a more slippery shape: a road car of a F1 car?’

Howdy! F1DataAnalysis right here 🙂

I did a Twitter ballot to check the technical information relating to Drag Resistance in F1. After 3400+ votes, the outcomes have been EXTREMELY polarised! However just one could be the right reply, so I’ll clarify which one, and why! So suppose a minute in regards to the reply you’d give, after which scroll down…

First, what’s ‘Drag’? A car travelling by way of the air, which continues to be. The air tends to gradual the car down: in the event you cease pedalling on a bicycle, you lose pace over time because of the drag (or ‘Air resistance’)! Cyclists cut back it by leaning ahead, just like the DRS

The ‘Drag Drive’, or Fd, is the power utilized by the air that tends to gradual the car down. It is determined by air density (which is decrease at increased altitudes, like within the Mexican GP) and on two constants: the Drag Coefficient Cd and the frontal space of the car A

The upper the frontal space A, the upper the drag power as a result of, intuitively, the car should move by way of extra air! The drag coefficient Cd, nonetheless, solely is determined by the car form: the decrease the coefficient, the decrease the air resistance Discover that Fd grows with v^2!

…I feel you are now prepared for the reply

An F1 automotive is … the car with the draggiest form! The Cd worth is between 0.7 and 1.1, relying on the wing stage. Sure, it’s at all times a lot increased than that of a Hummer! A manufacturing automotive has a form offering 1/3 of its Cd.

However why do F1 vehicles have a form producing this MASSIVE drag? One cause is the uncovered tyres, which produce A LOT of drag. Another excuse is that the rear wing works as a parachute, as you’ll be able to see from the form of this factor…

So… is it value it? Completely sure! See right here the impact of the downforce generated by the wings: ranging from the ’80, the wings made the automotive a lot quicker within the corners that the induced drag was a minor penalty compared. Within the final years, the distinction received loopy!

‘However… I want definitive proof to wrap my thoughts round this…’ I current you… the Lamborghini Aventador! This beast reaches 350km/h with a ‘pitiful’ 700hp. F1 vehicles have round 1000hp however solely attain 350km/h at Monza, with the ‘low drag’ setup and far much less elsewhere …

That’s it! I hope you now have a a lot clearer image of this intriguing technical side! Have been you proper or unsuitable? Let me know within the feedback! I’ll clarify different facets, like tyre-induced drag and the impact of setup on high pace: discover me by way of this link, and comply with me to not miss it! 😀