In modern Formula 1, rain becomes a revealing tool to visually appreciate the aerodynamic concepts underlying the single-seaters, governed by physical principles that are difficult to perceive. The water reveals eddies and flow patterns carefully studied in the CFD and in the wind tunnel, but which rarely reach the eye of the outside viewer.
Racing in the wet proves to be even more precious in the 2022 Formula 1 season, allowing us to see directly how the aerodynamic setting of the cars has changed with the new regulations, drawn up with the declared intention of reducing the aerodynamic disturbance for car behind, therefore leading to more overtaking attempts. Drawing conclusions from photographs alone is always a precarious practice, given the difficulty in taking references of entities without defined edges such as the clouds of water raised by the cars. Other misleading elements are the different perspectives, car speeds, the level of water on the asphalt present at the time and place of the shot, as well as any deviations in the trajectory if the car is not traveling in a straight line. Thus, photographic analysis cannot provide quantitative information, but is equally useful for qualitatively appreciating the dynamics of how cars changed.
The first element of interest is the tow of the new single-seaters, the central subject of the FIA and Formula 1 studies during the process of creating of new regulations. Its management was one of the aspects that led to improved racing, thanks to a lower lower sensitivity of the cars to turbulence and greater thermal stability of the tires. In the photo shoots, from the different angles you can see how much the trail of the 2022 single-seaters is significantly higher than in the past, as explained by Carlo Platella for formulapassion.it.
Rear wing, beam wing and diffuser have been designed to deflect the turbulent trail upwards, so as to improve cleanliness in the lower part where the car behind tends to position itself.
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At the same time, taking the rear wheels as a reference, it is possible to appreciate a trail whose width on the 2022 cars remains contained, instead of widening without control as in the past. This is an expedient designed precisely to facilitate the upward deviation of turbulence. FIA Technical Director Nikolas Tombazis explained to FormulaPassion in July: “What we developed in the end was something that brought the rear trail up and held the trail of the front wheels tight, keeping it closer to the car body, so that then was diverted upwards ”.
The wet conditions, however, also allows us to analyze how the different management of turbulence starts from the front, being aware of the variability of the photographic shots based on the conditions. Until 2021 the front wing had a neutral central section, with the result that the sudden truncation of the various flaps left the ends uncovered, responsible for generating the Y250 vortex. The vortex in question propagated in the corridor between the nose and the front wheel, attenuating the turbulence thanks to its opposite rotation. Once in the center of the car, the bargeboards and other aerodynamic elements diverted the wake towards the outside, preserving the clean flow of the rear car body.
None of this is present on the 2022 single-seaters. The regulation front wing flaps extend until they connect with the nose, so that no end remains uncovered, hindering the exploitation of the previous Y250 vortex. In parallel, the banning of bargeboards and boomerangs prevents the diversion of noxious turbulence away from the car body. Here the bodywork becomes a fundamental part of the process. The rain highlights, for example, how the wide sides of the F1-75 act as a shielding action, as the turbulent eddies crash directly against their walls, preventing them from spreading in the delicate gear shift area.
The recent wet races have visually highlighted the different aerodynamic philosophy sought by the new regulations. The management of turbulence starts from the front, to create a narrow and above all high wake that reduces the disturbance for the chasing car. On the other hand, the entire season had already confirmed the beneficial effects of this change, with overtaking becoming much less difficult than in the past.
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