The latest version of the Formula 1 car set to debut in the 2021 season has undergone testing in Sauber’s wind tunnel, allowing for a rare glimpse into the future of the sport.

Unlike F1 teams who are usually mostly concerned with the forces acting upon the car and how to maximise performance, the FIA conducts tests to examine the turbulent air coming off the back of the cars. This is to determine how well cars can follow each other on the track and encourage more exciting overtaking action in future seasons.

Engineers and aerodynamicists use CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) to design and develop the shape of the car using advanced software, before testing a 50% scale car in the wind tunnel to corroborate their work in real life.

Picture: Formula 1

They will then input the data from the wind tunnel back into the CFD systems to calculate how an overtaking or closely following car might react aerodynamically to this turbulence.

It’s a fascinating look at what goes into making F1 the exciting motorsport followed by millions around the world. Click here to watch Formula 1’s video of the wind tunnel testing.

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