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Red Bull open up RB5 for additional cooling

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Formula One teams often open up extra cooling apertures in the bodywork to allow better cooling for the car's internals. The hot temperatures have forced Red Bull to open the tail end of the engine cover, just where the shark fin begins. Additionally, on each side of the cockpit, one small opening was made. Any aperture further away from the cockpit is impossible due to this year's regulations.

Equally interesting is to see how the car is designed to provide as smooth as possible airflow onto the car's rear wing. The outboard mirrors are out of the way, while the steep slope of the sidepods and low positioning of the exhausts allow to an optimal airflow towards the upper and lower elements of the rear wing.

Comments

By tahadar on 05-04-2009 at 20:53

with such curved sidepods, don't you think there is a production of life (as in, negative downforce) over the 'pods before the airflow reaches the tyres and wings?

By gcdugas on 05-04-2009 at 21:17

Yes I would think so. And I also think there is a good bit of drag produced by the Force India solution which has a steep and sudden drop off in the side-pods. But what do I know... there could be a turbulence spot just looking to perfectly fill these low pressure voids.

By hecti on 10-04-2009 at 19:25

Since the side pods are tucked into the main plane they create enough down force to counteract the little lift that is created. Also, since the side pods are large when you compare them to other down force generating areas, it takes a much higher velocity to see a change in the amount of lift they create thus at cornering speeds the lift created from the side pods is close to negligible.

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