F1 S-duct
The F1 S-duct is a clever aerodynamic trick that has been on Formula 1 cars since 2012 when Sauber introduced it. However, the details of how it works can be easily misinterpreted so we spoke to F1 aerodynamicists to find out the real reason behind the S-duct.
‘Dirty’ air
Whenever air flows over a surface, it loses energy, which causes the flow to slow down and become turbulent. Therefore, once the flow has travelled over the elements in the front wing, it becomes ?dirty?. In particular the gap between the underside of the nose, the upper surface of the front wing and the inner faces of the front wing pillars can cause an expanding tube of turbulent air. Add to this the fact that the air hitting the top corners of the nose can also accelerate round and roll underneath, and the airflow under the nose can become extremely turbulent. This flow not only feeds the main turning vanes but also the leading edge of the underfloor, so the cleaner the teams can get this airflow, the more performance they can extract from the other aero devices rearwards of the nose such as the turning vanes, bargeboards, underfloor and the diffuser.
The area highlighted in blue, can cause an expanding tube of turbulent air underneath the nose
?The airflow under the nose is ?dirty? which means it is a slower speed flow that has been worked by the presence of the nose and the front wing,? explains Arron Melvin, Principal Aerodynamicist at Haas F1 Team. ?To be legal, it is nece...