Application of Aerospace Aerodynamics and CFD in Optimizing Formula 1 Car Performance

Formula 1 car designers are increasingly looking to the aerodynamic solutions of the aerospace industry and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for ultimate performance achievement. The work presented here examines the capability to utilize CFD in the investigation and optimization of front and rear wing geometries in response to track demands. By utilizing SimScale simulations, prevailing aerodynamics such as drag, downforce, ground effect, dirty air, slipstream, and the Drag Reduction System (DRS), were examined. The results are that wing optimizations yield high performance differences per lap, where DRS alone can result in up to 40 km/h speed advantages on straight-biased circuits like Monza. The work establishes the value of CFD as a cheap aid in the prediction of aerodynamic response and in assistance to the decision-making process prior to track testing, as the relevance of the procedures of aerospace engineering to motor sport becomes increasingly important.