The Interlaced Aerodynamics Of Formula 1: Down Force & Ground Effect

August 31, 2025

Su Yazıcı

Işıkkent Highschool

11th Grade

Undoubtedly one of the most complicated vehicles of our time is Formula 1 cars. These cars have competed at the world’s highest tech competitions since 1950 with speeds up to 375 km/h. Every year, the magnificent aerodynamic structure of these cars keeps on developing. The concept of aerodynamics is the study of how gases interact with objects and the forces that emerge from them, which is a fundamental concept for all vehicles, particularly Formula 1. With changing regulations in F1 for 2026, downforce, ground effect, and how they impact the race have been major topics on the internet.

Downforce is a vertical component of aerodynamics that keeps the cars on track, especially when F1 cars make sudden turns during the race. The reason why downforce is one of the most important components of F1 is because of the grip and stabilization it offers during the race. As the car moves forward and air flows through the car, the downforce pushes the car simultaneously to the ground. This is also a result of Bernoulli’s principle.

The carefully designed structure of the F1 cars creates high-speed particles underneath and low-speed particles on top of the car during airflow. As Bernoulli’s principle states, pressure and speed are inversely proportional.This means the car has low pressure underneath and high pressure on top. As a result, the flow of particles goes from the top of the car to the bottom, which creates the downforce. For this force to be maximized, mechanics use front and rear wings. They help the airflow to go smoother and faster around the vehicle, resulting in a more effective usage of downforce.

Although downforce is fundamental, there is also a downside to benefiting from this force, and that is the inevitable drag. Drag is the resistance of forward motion caused by the difference in velocity between an object and a fluid. Even though drag is something to steer clear from in F1 because of its negative impact on the speed, downforce is way more of a priority because of its benefits. That drag is just dealt with during the design process of the car.

Now to a more controversial component of F1 cars: ground effect, which doesn’t generate drag! The reason for it being a controversial effect used in F1 is because of its risks—which will be later addressed within this article.

This effect again causes grip and higher cornering speeds; also, it is obtained when there is a high-pressure zone on top of the car while low-pressure zones are underneath. But this time, the difference in pressure around the car is achieved by using the Venturi effect. This effect occurs when a fluid flowing through a wider pipe generates lower speed and higher pressure compared to a narrow pipe. This difference in the area of pipes is how the Venturi effect is used.

Thanks to the diffusers and the Venturi tunnels in the F1 cars, ground effect can be used! These mechanisms are built underneath the car, resulting in a low-pressure zone at the bottom of the car—which is what we want.

The floor of the car, which has the Venturi tunnels, includes an inlet, an outlet, and the central area. The central area has a narrower space between the ground and the car—creating the low pressure that we aim for. The diffuser helps the air go through that narrow path that the central area creates, increasing the effect.

Like always, there is a downside to ground effect. Although it achieves better grip, it is also very dangerous because of the bouncing that occurs when high speeds are achieved through the Venturi tunnels. That is why, since the 1980s, ground effect was banned in F1 due to safety concerns; however, with better technology and regulations, they returned to the track in 2022. Since 2022, ground effect has again caused accidents to happen, mainly because of bouncing. There have been many controversies about it from the drivers, the mechanics team, and the audience. With that, the about-to-come 2026 F1 cars are designed without the help of ground effect.

There has been, and will always be, a constant improvement in the F1 vehicles in terms of their speed and safety, but most significantly, with their aerodynamic structure. The crucial part of the F1 sport is the engineering that goes into the design. From downforce to ground effect, they are all major components of design and engineering since the first F1 car that was introduced in 1950, named Alfa Romeo 158. These niche but crucial factors will keep on improving in these top-speed cars of Formula 1, and that is what this sport is all about.