How Do F1 Cars Generate So Much Downforce?

[thepowerofnone]

Quada - a Cd of 0.74 is huge, not so bad for a car but if that were the properties on a plane then it just wouldn't fly. You should look a little less at F1 for inspiration and a whole lot more at Le Mans because those cars are much closer to what this is than an F1 car. There are a lot of huge differences here in terms of design, the biggest single factor probably being open vs closed wheel which makes huge differences to the aero design. If you look at photos of LMP1 cars you will notice that there aren't that many flaps on the upper surface of the car, in part due to restrictions but largely because the most efficient way to generate lift is with your floor - its closer to the ground so you get a better ground effect and the method by which it forms now pressures (vortices) are much better for low drag properties as you don't get the same induced drag problems. One area you are really going to want to look into is a front diffuser - yes they are a real thing, people on F1 sites tend to forget that since we are way more concerned by the rear of the car and don't have 4WD but a front diffuser can be as effective if not more effective than a rear diffuser because you have more bodywork with which to control the flow. Anyway have a look there and see what you like.

sch7: Are you sure you have enough information about existing front wings to form an accurate model? Assuming you do, start from the mid plane which is a mandated (NACA 0010?) aerofoil section and reference everything from that. Loft through planes from there outwards to start building your wing. Do you have any more details on exactly what your project is trying to achieve? I'm unsure what specifically you are trying to compare. Its also worth remembering that the front wing on each car is part of a much bigger package, its very difficult to compare the performance of wing A to wing B without considering how each wing benefits the rest of the car downstream. To that end, analysis of the rear wing could well be easier for you and there is still plenty going on there to talk about. Maybe make your own thread so that more people see your problem and help out.