A closer look at the black art of aerodynamics in Formula One

“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.”

Thus, aerodynamics has become a key element of setup for each racetrack the Formula One cars visit. At tracks where high top speeds are more important, the aeros are adjusted for minimum drag, and at other tracks where corner speed is the key issue, the car is tuned for extra downforce and traction.

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.

“The front wing is one of the more efficient areas on the car," explains Gillan. "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 maximize 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.”

...continued