Quote:
Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks
This is true, but 2024 Formula 2 cars with 1500-2500kg of downforce also weigh 795kg, nearly the same as Formula One cars. The 2024 crash test regulations are tough, really tough! A tub weighs nearly 150kg now, compared to 60kg in 2005.
So F2 cars are also slow in slow corners, so dropping F1 cars to F2 downforce levels or less is not going to do much IMO. I'm guessing the superior low speed performance of 2021 F1 cars was due to the 50kg less weight (25kg of which in 2022 is safety stuff anyway), the much softer suspension and the more sophisticated suspension elements allowed.
I'm not sure how much was due to the flat floor and rake working better at low speed (obviously a car with rake could get the front wing really close to the ground to improve front wing ground effect and rotation and eliminate low speed understeer, then bleed that front downforce off at higher speed as the rear squats).
Everyone wanted to try venturi tunnel cars as the answer to close following and it worked somewhat in 2022.  |
Part of the problem is the amount of downforce, another part is how its generated. My guestimate is that 3000kg or so is generated by the floor of an F1 car and the other 2000kg is from the front and rear wings (plus any other upper surfaces). Single seaters generally have a 60/40 aero split, so for arguments sake the front wing would generate 800kg and the rear 1200kg. I think the reliance on these wing elements is what is causing the dirty air issues. They claim to have prioritised the cars ability to follow another car, but that flys in the face of being so reliant on the front wing to generate downforce. If the front wing was reduced in size and positioned closer to the ground, and made so that it only produced 200kg of downforce (and then 300kg for the rear wing) I would bet my house that the racing would be better, as when a car is following another, there is far less downforce to lose to start with. If we extrapolated this idea to having no wings at all then there would be no reliance on the wings at all in order to generate DF or to tweak handling.