Aero for team drafting?

[captainmorgan]

Is it possible to design the front and back wings of both cars of a team differently such that they get max performance when they draft? I mean within or nearly within the current regulations.

[miqi23]

What do you mean by performance over here, are you refering to drag or downforce? and .............

[captainmorgan]

I suppose I mean to reduce drag. I can't see any increases in downforce from designing 2 cars specifically for drafting unless the two cars are allowed to attach somehow nose to tail.

But would the decrease in drag provide enough straightline speed to compensate for the decrease in downforce resulting from redesigning the wings?

I guess to provide a picture I'm imagining redesigning the rear wing of car 1 and the front wing of car 2, and whatever else needed, to improve aero, but only if they drive nose to tail for the entire race.

[greenpower dude reloaded]

I was seriously considering doing something similar in the two racing series im involved in.

I was already working on two cars but one was for a higher formula which was just for fun really and the other was for the lower formula, which is far more competitve.

The higher formula (F35) has a 600w motor and the lower (F24) just has a 240watt motor big difference but looking at the current cars theres not a huge difference in speed. However they have decided to shake up the race format so F35 has a 1 hour race instead of a 6hour race and this is now before the start of the f24 races instead of alongside which are now 4hours.

But my point was to do something like this the "tow car" would probably need to have more power to overcome the fact that it is "towing" another car in its wake. Which could work well with say LMP1 and LMP2 the problems would arise around pit stops though and im not sure how favourably the governing body of the race would veiw 2 cars following each other for a whole season.

[Ciro Pabón]

... But my point was to do something like this the "tow car" would probably need to have more power to overcome the fact that it is "towing" another car in its wake. Which could work well with say LMP1 and LMP2 the problems would arise around pit stops though and im not sure how favourably the governing body of the race would veiw 2 cars following each other for a whole season.

About the following cars the whole season.... thanks for the laugh.

I am not sure (I also have not the slightest idea, I mean, expressed in numbers) if the "towing" imposes extra-drag or something on the leading car. I'd appreciate if you can ellaborate, because I don't understand it very well.

Let me explain: in NASCAR, two cars move better than one, that's for sure, and the leader speed increases. I've heard the drivers say they feel a push when a car comes closer from behind. In principle, it seems perfectly logical, as the relative surface diminishes: you have less than twice the dragging area while the power for the "composite" car doubles. Besides, the "pressure wave" in front of the car following, or whatever the CFD guys call it, seems to have to help the leading car. Anyway, thanks if you find the time to explain to the "aerodynamicly impaired" like me.