Fan boost! No more holding back!

[PlatinumZealot]

A fan is the least good idea to create downforce going. There was a reason why it was banned because it was bloody dangerous to other competitors and spectators in the event of a crash which sent supersonic debris into the air. If you've watched motor racing long enough you know that the maxim, 'if it can happen it will happen', to be a truism.

I think your perception of the fan is a wild one! The basis of this "fan boost" is to compensate for the dynamic pressure losses experience while following dirty air and nothing more. In other words the fan will push just enough air to bring the energy under the floor up to what the car would have in clean air, so the exhaust would be quite gentle - not the hellish hurricane that you have in mind.

If I have the time I would do three CFD simulations of the car in clean air, then behind another car, then finally equipped with the fan while behind another car. Then seeing how much fan is required to bring the down-force back to normal.

[fiohaa]

or.................just fix DRS with a proximity sensor in the nosecone, which shuts off again when the cars are within a few metres of each other. Tech that already exists in radar cruise control systems on posh cars.
Done.

[Just_a_fan]

Do you mean that DRS gives you benefit up to the car ahead but closes as you approach? A kind of tow-plus. So you get to close up but once you're close you are both high drag? Interesting.

Clever drivers will learn to pull out early enough to avoid detection and so keep DRS all along the straight. Will still require some braking expertise to make the move stick as they won't be so far ahead. Does sound interesting.

[Andres125sx]

IMHO DRS has shown it´s not a drag reduction system what is needed, but a downforce enhacement one. Low drag is useless if you can´t get close enough at the start of the straight, so it´s hugely dependant on the track, and also IMHO, makes both front and back cars way too different to enjoy proper racing.

What I think it´s needed is matching both cars perfomances both at the corners and straights, not adding one more difference. I like PlatinumZealot idea about a fan only to compensate for the downforce reduction when in dirty air

I´ve also have some idea at the respect on past threads and have had extensive discussions around here. I´ve even wondered about something when Bhall said dirty air problem can barely be solved wich is, if you can´t compensate for that DF reduction on the trailing car, reduce DF on the car in front too so both cars perfomance differential is kept constant (or close).

A different DRS (Downforce Reduction System) wich would apply to the car in front. Not ideal, but much better than current DRS as both cars will perform similar both at the corners and the straights, so we might see some battles similar to those series without huge DF levels

[marmer]

IMHO DRS has shown it´s not a drag reduction system what is needed, but a downforce enhacement one. Low drag is useless if you can´t get close enough at the start of the straight, so it´s hugely dependant on the track, and also IMHO, makes both front and back cars way too different to enjoy proper racing.

What I think it´s needed is matching both cars perfomances both at the corners and straights, not adding one more difference. I like PlatinumZealot idea about a fan only to compensate for the downforce reduction when in dirty air

I´ve also have some idea at the respect on past threads and have had extensive discussions around here. I´ve even wondered about something when Bhall said dirty air problem can barely be solved wich is, if you can´t compensate for that DF reduction on the trailing car, reduce DF on the car in front too so both cars perfomance differential is kept constant (or close).

A different DRS (Downforce Reduction System) wich would apply to the car in front. Not ideal, but much better than current DRS as both cars will perform similar both at the corners and the straights, so we might see some battles similar to those series without huge DF levels

the simpleest system would be to have drs for a whole sector and be able to use it when the driver feels he can. would get quite interesting to see drivers use it too early or exit of a corner e.g exit of 3 in spain but some find the sweet spot