Aerodynamics of a Cornering Formula Student Car

Abstract We perform numerical simulations to analyze the aerodynamics of a formula student car during cornering. Two different cornering conditions are considered, corresponding to two different corner radii, Rc: Rc=9.125 m and Rc=22 m. We show that the presence, on the car, of large surface elements — like endplates and sharkfin — is crucial to increase side aerodynamic forces. The larger the side aerodynamic forces, the smaller the side forces on the tires, and therefore the smaller the tire wear (better tire management) or, alternatively, the larger the cornering speed (i.e., better performances, keeping the tire wear constant). In addition, we also show that, for the cornering conditions considered here, the overall downforce reduces to −25% while the overall drag coefficient increases to +10%. We provide explanations of the modified performances of the car during cornering via a detailed analysis of the flow field structure.