Principles of Race Car Design

The principle of race car design is similar to the one that flies the airplane. The only difference is that in case of airplane wing or airfoil is shaped upward whereas in case of race car the wings are mounted upside down. The difference in the direction of the wings is because the airplane needs a lift and a race car needs a downforce. In any case, both work on the principle of aerodynamics, a refined form of science that studies the affect of air on a moving object.

Earlier aerodynamics was only restricted to race cars like those in F1 cars but these days’ high-end luxury cars like BMW and Audi are also adorned with aerodynamic design specifications in order to improve performance and mileage.

The two basic principles of car aerodynamics are drag and downforce. These define the speed, control, and even mileage of any car.