The Aerodynamics of Overtaking - Part 2

Ready to dive deeper into F1 aerodynamics of overtaking? In Part 1 of our overtaking series, we explored how two different generations of F1 cars performed during those crucial overtaking moments. We discovered something fascinating—modern F1 cars struggle significantly with downforce when they’re chasing their rivals, especially at the front wing.

Now, let’s get to the really interesting part! In Part 2, we’ll unravel the science behind this downforce loss and explore an intriguing question: why did the older generation of F1 cars handle these situations so much better? Buckle up as we decode the aerodynamic mysteries that make overtaking in modern F1 such a complex challenge.

aerodynamics of overtaking, downforce distributions for the 312T

Understanding the Aerodynamics of Overtaking

Picture this: a lead car rockets down the racetrack, slicing through still air like a bullet. As it moves, this car will impact and interact with the air, imparting momentum as it does so. The previously peaceful air suddenly springs to life, pushing forward, shooting upward, and swirling in spectacular vortices around the car.

Here’s where Newton’s Third Law makes things really interesting! Remember that famous principle “every action has an equal and opposite reaction”? Well, as the car shoves air forward, the air pushes right back—that’s what we call drag. And when the car throws air upward, the air presses down on the car, creating that crucial downforce.

Behind the lead car trails an invisible ribbon of disturbed air—we call this the ‘wake.’ When a following car enters the wake it will experience a loss in both drag and downforce.

This occurs because the air in the wake of the car is already moving forward, reducing the speed differential between the air and the car. As a result, the car will transmit less momentum to the air. Resulting in less push back (drag) and less push down (downforce).

Why this is a modern problem

Let’s solve an intriguing F1 mystery: why do today’s cars struggle more with overtaking than their predecessors? The key lies in how the front wing battles with the lead car’s wake. But what makes the modern SF16’s wake so much more disruptive than the classic F312’s? To crack this puzzle, we need to examine their wake signatures—and the differences might surprise you!

Take a look at these revealing images. On the left, you’ll see our SF16 model positioned in what we call the ’10m offset’ configuration. Now, shift your eyes to the right, where we’ve revealed something fascinating—the lead car’s wake visualised in blue (technically, it’s an iso-surface of constant total pressure, but let’s not get too technical!). Notice how the following car isn’t just touching this wake—it’s completely swimming in it!

aerodynamics of overtaking in F1. Showing SF16 wake

The comparable images for the F312 are shown below. If you look closely, you can see the front wing of the following car is still visible in this scenario. This means the front wing will be working in ‘clean air,’ or air that hasn’t been disturbed (or, more likely, has been less affected) by the lead car. As a result, it loses less performance than the wing of the SF16.

aerodynamics of overtaking, F1 car following F1 car

showing the F312 wake impact for aerodynamics of overtaking

Wakes

The two images below show a cross section of the lead cars’ wakes. This more clearly shows how the SF16 has a much wider wake that encompasses the front wing of the following vehicle. By contrast, the F312 is only impacted down the car’s centreline.

To be continued…

We now understand why the performance of the SF16 is impacted more than the F312. However, the question remains, why do the cars have such different wake structures. We’ll take a look at this in the final part of the aerodynamics of overtaking series.

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