Rivals at Red Bull Racing are trying to unravel the secret behind the effectiveness of the DRS system on the RB19. According to rumors, Ferrari achieved the first successes.
According to RacingNews365, it’s not that easy to understand how the original DRS system works, as its effectiveness depends on several related factors. And this is not only pure aerodynamics, but also in the complex the dynamics of the behavior of the car on the track at different speeds, mainly associated with the operation of the rear suspension.
If we talk about the aerodynamic component, it is clear that the troublesome DRS system does not work on its own, but works together with the diffuser, and this is a fundamentally important point. As far as the specialists of the teams competing with Red Bull have managed to find out, when the car moves in a straight line at the highest possible speeds, the diffuser is, as it were, turned off, i.e. its effectiveness is reduced and the threshold for this effect varies depending on the level of downforce the aerodynamic kit as a whole is set to.
The higher the pressure level, the lower the threshold. For example, when a particular circuit requires maximum downforce, the diffuser “stops” at about 140 mph, and where a small amount of pressure is sufficient, this threshold rises to 160 mph.
According to rumors circulating in the paddock at the Miami Grand Prix, the DRS system, invented by Red Bull engineers, works effectively in conjunction with a diffuser with a central channel shaped like an onion. Therefore, diffusers appeared on Ferrari cars already in Miami, where the center section had exactly this shape.
When the DRS is activated, the speed of the car increases, a moment of forces is created, the vector of which is directed perpendicular to the damping elements of the rear suspension. This pushes the rear of the machine harder against the ground.
When the clearance decreases to a certain minimum limit, due to this shape of the diffuser, the pressure in this area decreases, respectively, the pressure decreases, as does the resistance level.
Thus, a complex effect is achieved, associated with a decrease in air resistance both in the upper part of the car and in resistance to the air flow passing under the bottom, which the creators of single-seat cars could not achieve before.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
