Front end downforce generation on closed wheels sports cars

[MadMatt]

With the recent addition of a nice LMP1 prototype (the Nissan), with a very different aero package that what we have seen in the recent years, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about front downforce generation.

Not only wings and diffusers, but as we have seen with the Nissan, flow path and extraction as well! There are many different ways to exhaust the air that has just gone around a wing or under a diffuser, for example behind the front wheels, over the body, at the back of the car.

If you go to this topic here, you will find already a lot of different ideas: http://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewto ... =5&t=21291

This topic might also help people in the KVRC 2015 challenge to get ideas for their design!

In a relatively free formula with LeMans-style cars, what would be the best configuration (downforce device, flow extraction) not only for front end downforce, but overall downforce. We don't want a car whose CoP is 90% on the front axle! Let's keep it real

[MadMatt]

To attract more interest, let's illustrate some of the different solutions we have:

Old design right behind the front wheels, around the monocoque


Modern design behind the front wheels further back, around the monocoque


Over the body


At the back, around the monocoque

[wesley123]

The Ferrari 333SP exited it's diffuser over the top of the bodywork.

Front downforce still is limited on LMPs because of it's regulations regarding bodywork. These really limited the evacuation of airflow from the front diffuser.