emi explains f1: front wings
Welcome to the first part of my F1 Explained series! I'm kicking if off by going through all the different aspects of the car, but since there's a lot of them, today we're just focusing on the front wing, which is the first part of the car.
If you're new to F1 like I am, then there's probably a lot of things you don't understand on the technical side of things, so let's learn about it together.
It's pretty obvious that an F1 car needs to be as aerodynamic as possible to maximise its speed. When you have less than 0.2 seconds separating first and second place in a grand prix, you don't want your car to be the reason you missed out on first place.
The front wing plays a pretty big role in this, and it was something that both perplexed and entertained me a great deal when I watched my first F1 race. I thought it was crazy but also kind of cool how the mechanics could just *swap the entire front wing out* during a pit stop. But what's the point of it?
It actually does a few things!
Downforce - as the car drives around the circuit, the air hits the front wing first and it helps direct the stream of air. One of the reasons it needs to do this is to generate downforce - this is what it sounds like. It forces the car down and helps it stay on the ground. According to F1Chronicle, F1 cars actually generate enough speed for takeoff on straights!
Steering - following on from the point about downforce, directing airflow also helps make the car more responsive and easier to handle and drive around corners
The front tires - the front wing also regulates the air flow around the front tires. By creating a little vortex in front of the tires, the airflow around the tires (and the rest of the car) is improved and reduces the amount of force the car needs to move forwards
Streamline air flow - the front wing also helps streamline the air flow around the car as a whole, which is super important because it helps minimise drag and allows the car to go as fast as it can.
Sources:
F1Chronicle - in depth look at front wings
F1Chronicle - parts of a formula one car
Further reading:
This page has a great diagram of the parts of the front wing:
The front wing of a Formula 1 car is without doubt the most complex aerodynamic device in race car design. Its main function is to generate