Aerodynamic Design and Simulation of a Racing Car with Regard to the Front Wing

One of the key elements in the aerodynamic balance of a race car is the front wing, which is responsible for generating downforce to enhance grip. This article aims to investigate the change in downforce on a Formula Student racecar with a newly mounted front wing and aerodynamic elements at different angles of attack by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). In addition, the effect of the front wing on the position of the center of pressure was also investigated, which highly influences the steering stability of the car. The study proved that by applying the front wing, together with additional aerodynamic elements, the downforce increases by 38%, while the center of pressure moves closer to the front axes by approximately 30% (compared to when there is no wing on the car), which results in an understeered but stable controllability.