The Most Important Area of Aerodynamic Development

[klthomas]

I was wondering, what part of a Formula One car is the most important for aero efficiency?

-Front Wing
-Under body
-Diffuser
-Side Pod Internal
-Side Pod External

or are all equally important? I'm talking more about straight line speed vs. total grip. I'll use as an example the Hispania car. It's external shape isn't that different than the Red Bull. What makes it so much slower even on straights?

[Byronrhys]

You are just scratching the surface here, Most of those parts you listed cant be singled out because each works in correlation with the one or another, the front wing and nose bodywork are the first to meet the air but does that make it the most important? The refinement of all these factors made that big difference between the HRT and the RB6.