This is about the dumbest rear wing I ever saw on a race car.
It is socially irresponsible on the basis of excess fuel consumption alone.

Down force  to drag ratio, in this application, is mostly
a function of the span loading. That is why sail planes have long wings. Cl squared over Pi times the aspect ratio! The aspect ratio here is about one!

Let assume the Cl is 2. the induced drag factor is
then four divided by Pi or about 1.25! In other words  for every
pound of down force there is about 1.25 pounds of DRAG!!!!!

This will do nothing to reduce the turbulence behind the car. It will probably increase it. The Formula 1 aerodynamicist are now complaining they can not get enough down force on the nose because the front wing is affected by the tires and the body. Face facts FIA. allow wide high mounted wings both front and rear.

I don't know what, if anything, the FIA is thinking.
Don't they have anybody on their staff that can explain
this to them? Not all people watching Formula 1 are stupid.

Check out the old suspension  mounted high wing  movies on www.rotaryeng.net <http://www.rotaryeng.net>. Scrol down to the bottom of the first page.


Paul Lamar

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            NOVEMBER 21, 2008


  Overtaking is easier!

The new Formula 1 cars of 2009 may look a bit odd at the moment and the
front wings may be ugly, but the first impressions from the drivers are
that the new aerodynamic rules that have been devised by the Overtaking
Working Group will make it easy for them to race. BMW Sauber test driver
Christian Klien says that it is now easier to get closer to the car in
front because of the reduction in turbulence created by the smaller rear
wings. In addition the wider front wings mean that the front end of the
following car is more stable and so a driver has more confidence that he
can make a move.

BMW is now planning to "race" two of its modified cars at the next test
in Jerez to see whether the theory has become a reality...

Klien says that the looks of the cars is really not important.

"Beauty and elegance are pretty important for a road car," he says. "In
racing, only speed counts."

Pete Lyons.


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I have no doubt it is easier to pass. Do we want a just a driver circus or real auto racing where the design of the car matters? Is the efficient design of a race car important in the context of fuel burn? You betcha. Let the drivers compete in a down hill ski race.

However the down force to drag ratio of this rear wing may be so bad that some track's lap times will be lower without this wing if the FIA allows the teams to run without it. Of course they would still have some down force on the rear from the belly pan diffuser.

The questions are; did the FIA look at other alternatives? Is the turbulence less than a high mounted, full car width wing, with the same down force and with a better down force to drag ratio?  I don't think so.

John Iley told me they were NOT getting enough down force on the current front
wing. Why not go back to a small high mounted front wing as well. We used one on
Ron Grable's ASD American Mk1-Chevrolet V8 #4 Williams Racing (US) at the 1969 Mid Ohio Formual A race where Ron qualified second to Sam Posey. The drag may be less than the current front wing.

Ron, If you don't mind could you comment on this race and how the high front
mounted wing worked out? Also if you have an pictures of this car showing
the front wing I would love to have them.

Give the engineers a bit more creative freedom and you will see plenty of passing. You will see that anyway this year with KERS. If truly free some KERS schemes will be better than others.

Also there is something I don't understand. Why does the Formula 1 community need the FIA anyway?

Paul Lamar