Motor Trend F1 article (Very cool facts)

[bullittandy]

I thought the part about 1G of deceleration being generated by the downforce was expecially interesting, as well as his 40 second slower lap time.

http://www.motortrend.com/feat...ience/

[maxnix]

It's really the aerodynamic drag generated by the downforce.

Race cars a very dirty when it come to drag since all designs in the last 30 years are all about downforce. This is where all the power is used, not in propeeling an serodynamically clean design to top speed on a straightaway, but getting a car to go faster in the corners by increasing down force to increase traction.

When these aerodynamic devices fail, the results a disatrous and hence movable aerodynamic devices are banned in most regulations. the stationary ones are limited by specifications, and don't even think about Chapparal's ingeniuos vacuum fan from the sixties.