Aerodynamic Regulations

[godlameroso]

Promote overtaking by having less mid speed corners, and removing chicanes at the end of straights. Reducing downforce won't affect overtaking, increasing drag will because the slip stream effect will be stronger.

As it is now, the cars can stay with each other because of the high drag, but they can't follow closely because they lose too much aero balance. As teams find more consistent downforce following will become easier, and slipstreaming will be more effective, therefore, I think more downforce is the answer. At worst nothing changes, at best cars will be able to follow closer.

I don't think more downforce is the answer. The slipstream is the same effect as dirty air, it's just beneficial on a straight and detrimental in a corner so has a different name. The problem with relying on the slipstream is that car's can't get close enough in corners to make use of it - even with DRS in some cases.

Because the corner is probably a mid speed corner or a chicane. I think a car can easily follow through a corner like 130R, or the long left turn in Sochi. Just like cars can easily follow other cars in most high speed ovals.

COTA and China had overtaking, why, long straights, no chicanes, more high and low speed corners than mid speed corners.

Spa had very little overtaking, why, sector 2 is only mid speed corners save for Pouhon, all long straights end with chicanes.

Abu Dhabi had almost no overtaking at all, why, every straight ends with a chicane some straights end in a triple chicane, and almost every corner is mid speed.

Spain and Hungary have very little overtaking, why, almost every corner is mid speed.

[johnny comelately]

What exactly is a Hansford Device?

A gurney-flap-like spoiler attached across the back of the rear wing to greatly increase drag. The result is a massive increase in the slipstream, which improves wheel-to-wheel competition as well as multiple lead changes per lap.

Thank you very much.

[johnny comelately]

Just on a technical note, i thought it may be interesting to look at the Auditron's aero from e-racing:

[johnny vee]

Regarding overtaking, does it make sense to look at reducing the maximum length of the cars?
We all know that all teams have a considerable gap between engine and gearbox.

[toraabe]

Do what indy is doing. Increasing thedownforce from the flor ( tunnes )

[johnny comelately]

Sans aero - F1 and F12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vx3ytIxC2o

[gambler]

I think it is more about making dirty air for the follower car, they probably eclipsed ultimate down force to drag ratios years ago. Ive heard rumors about some changes coming for this, but that may be just what I want to hear with my own ear to the ground.

[adrianjordan]

Since it's downforce compared with centripital force that determines how fast a car can take a turn, wouldn't a decrease in power have negligible effect on cornering?

Generating lateral force in corners the tyres also generates a drag (think about the slip angle and you’ll see it) that is proportional to vertical load (downforce + mg). Increasing downforce you increase the drag, both aero and tyre drag, in both cornering and straight line (also rolling resistance grows with vertical load), so you need more power (power required is drag * v), but, to put that power on the ground often you need more downforce... so more power etc...
Currently F1 cars have so much power that the ideal aero setup in most of the tracks is close to the maximum SCl the car can generate, reduce the power and they will be forced to use less downforce. Obviously that’s not a definitive answer, they will always work on aero to improve efficiency and on tyres etc, so they will be back to the same point they are now, but it could require, maybe, a bit more time. The rate of improvement on aerodynamics is too fast to be stopped working directly on aero parts and the potential for performance improvement too high to assume the teams will decide to reduce the windtunnel/CFD work, the only real way to reduce aerodynamics importance would be to race on the moon.

BTW, the reason car had such increment of performance this year isn’t downforce, it’s just FIA inability to understand the consequences of each new rule they introduce. FIA decided to increase pit lane speed. FIA decided to use in qualifying the fuel load for the first stint, FIA allows 20 people working contemporarily on the car during the pit stop so they can change tyres and refuel in 8 seconds. All the FIA new rules in the recent years pushed designers decisions towards an increment of number of stops and towards an aero design aimed to work at best in clean air in the single lap qualifying and in the 1-2 laps before the stop when the driver in front of you is already in the pit lane. Last year the new rules were introduced too late to modify cars and strategies were somehow locked by the cars characteristics but this year teams fully adapted and now we have 70-80 km (at maximum) long stints, with 70-80 km lasting tyres, with a variation of car weight of just 5-6% in the stint (it used to be 30+ % in early 90s), perfect setup and no difference in performance between qualifying, start of the race and end of the race, any time the car stops for refuelling the crew resets the car potential. Driver slows down at the end just because he prefers to, position is secured and he has just to cruise to the end preserving engine etc, but the potential of the car, bar reliability issues, is constant during the whole race. It’s obvious that car speed increases, it’s optimised to work always in qualifying trim.

You lost me when you started talking about refuelling and there not being much variation in weight between stints I'm afraid....