Post here all non technical related topics about Formula One. This includes race results, discussions, testing analysis etc. TV coverage and other personal questions should be in Off topic chat.
Aero drag is drag, the more stuff you stick in the wind increases it. And it's also squared relative to velocity. Go twice as fast, you get four times as much drag. Just because one device may counteract another you get cancellation of forces, you don't cancel out the aero drag.
If that is the be all and end all the the teams should just rip off all these aero devices... no?
The device is clearly there to reduce drag, and it's position relative to the front wing suggests its designed to reduce drag created by the front wing and turbulent air coming off of it...
The drag to lift ratio is not constant for a same wing. It depends on the speed of air passing, and not only because it is squared relative to velocity.
There are two types of drag: one because there is "vertical wall" for the air to pass, and another because of the vortices formed when the air leaves the wing profile, difficulting the air to pass through this region (turbulence). This last one with greater importance in high speeds, like Monza.
If you place a device downstream the wing so it changes that place favorably, it will reduce drag, with minimal loss of downforce, which is what every aerodynamicist tries to achieve.
When the amount of drag being reduced is greater than the drag caused by the new device, you are reducing the overall drag.
So I agree with Diesel that it can be there to reduce drag.
Nah Massa does all the real work in that team, which is probably why he decided to take something back and steal Micheal's win at Turkey, always knew he had it in him.
