Even F1 teams with a 1320 lb (including driver) vehicle and 800+ HP are searching for ways to reduce downforce/drag on the straights. As I mentioned in another thread, the aero mod the track MINI really needs is a way to get air to the huge low pressure area at the back of the car. We run with at least one window down. A nice hole (F duct) in the rear hatch would (I believe, but what do I know) greatly reduce the low pressure zone created and reduce drag. I'm willing to test this assumption...... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Since the beginning of the 2010 season, the F-duct of the Formula 1 cars is features in the headlines. How does it work? Auto123.com recently discussed the matter with the chief engineer of a Formula 1 team. The main idea of the F-duct is to reduce drag on the straightaway. Drag is aerodynamic turbulences that slows down the car on the straights. The air enters a duct located inside the monocoque. It circulates inside the engine cover and is blown underneath the rear wing. The high-pressure zone is represented the red arrow, while the low-pressure zone is represented by the blue arrow. (Photo: McLaren) Inverted wings as fitted on the F1 cars generate both downforce and drag. Both are produced by the difference between the high-pressure zone created on top of the flap of the wing, and the low-pressure zone created underneath the flap. Downforce, the vertical force that pushes the car down to the track, is needed in the corners, but is useless on the straights. The F-duct starts with an air duct located in front of the moncoque. The air is channeled inside the car, and inside the top of the engine cover. The air is then blown underneath the lower flap of the rear wing. Blowing air in this area reduces the difference between the high-pressure and the low-pressure zones, therefore generating less drag, and less downforce. The end result is a better top speed, in the neighborhood of 6 km/h on the longest straightaways. --------------------------------------------------------- Bold Added - Please excuse the translation...
When the F duct appeared on the McLaren in Bahrain I mentioned it to our engineer at G4. It's on the list of to do's but the problem is not many MINIs out there have a functioning wing. MINI, even the 2006 GP car, hides its wing too much to do any good. With a functional downforce device clearly in the windstream, as we are moving toward producing, "dumping" the downforce with an F duct would be possible. The question is, how many people would switch out their MINI wing? I've watched F1 closely, especially in Barcelona where you could see Fernando operating the F Duct on his Ferrari immediately after exiting a turn. We could do that too! I think this is a good discussion point, so let's keep the ideas flowing.