What Is Downforce In F1?

Downforce is the vertical component of the aerodynamic forces acting on the car. As the car travels through the air, the downforce will push the car down into the ground. In terms of the aerodynamics of the car there are actually three forces: the downforce is the vertical force, the drag is longitudinal, and the side forces are lateral, with three moments operated around these axes.

Downforce is undoubtedly the most important in terms of car performance, as the more we can push the car down into the ground, the faster we go around the corners and the better the car handles. When downforce levels change, drivers can really feel it in the car. Reducing downforce causes the car to slide around more, the rear end is less stable, but you have less drag on the straights. With higher downforce, the car feels much more planted to the ground, but on the straights it can feel like you’ve got a parachute on the back of your car.

To give some perspective on how much downforce these modern F1 cars generate, it’s fairly similar now to the old regulations. At around 150 km/h, the car generates as much downforce as it weighs (the minimum weight of the car is 800kg). By the time you reach the end of the straight where the car is travelling at its maximum speed, it is probably three or four times the weight of the car.

You would assume the faster the corner, the more important downforce is, where the aerodynamic loads are the largest. But because the cars spend so much time in the low and medium speed, that’s where the biggest time loss around the circuit is, so therefore the downforce there is actually the most important. If you can push the car into the ground more through those fiddly, slower-speed sections, the better grip and traction you’ll get on corner entries and exits.

The majority of the downforce generated by the car comes from the floor, but there are also big contributions from the front wing and rear wing. Both of these elements of the car are also easier to adjust in terms of downforce level, because you can change the front wing angle or the depth and angle of the rear wing flap, to provide different downforce levels.
 
However, while those are the obvious aerodynamic elements, the entire car is generating downforce. Every surface and piece that the air touches are generating some form of downforce. The trick for the aerodynamicists is to get them all working in harmony to deliver maximum car performance.

The first step to developing an aerodynamic package is to start thinking about the flow structures, so what flow structures we want to make around the car to either improve performance or target performance to a specific track’s characteristics.
 
Teams would start by using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to try and achieve these flow structures, iterating a few geometries and see what has been successful. Then if they achieve the results they’re looking for in CFD, they will decide what to take for a Wind Tunnel test.
 
On the track, the car moves through the air and goes around the track, but in the Wind Tunnel, this is flipped, so the car is stationary, and the road moves underneath the model to pull the wind over it. This simulates the same relative motion between the car, the road and the air as you see on the track. Given how limited track testing is in modern F1, the Wind Tunnel is a vital tool.
 
However due to F1’s aero restrictions, the amount of CFD and Wind Tunnel time given to each team depends on where they finish in the Championship. Finishing higher up the standings gets you less time for aero testing, compared to those lower down. It’s split into two sections: your position on the 1st January and the 1st July.
 
Once a component has been successfully tested in the Wind Tunnel, it’ll then be down to the manufacturing areas of the team to make the part and deliver it to the track.

One key external influence on the aerodynamic performance of the car is the weather, particularly the wind. Aero is very sensitive so changes in wind direction or speed can impact the way a car handles.
 
If you go into a corner with a headwind, you are approaching the corner slower but have more downforce as the wind is pushing the car more into the ground, so can corner faster. On the flipside, a tailwind will push you towards the corner faster, but have less downforce so the car will feel lighter as there is less wind pushing the car downwards.
 
Another important factor is the altitude, as this impacts the air density and the amount of air particles. In a location like Mexico, the altitude is very high, so there is a low air density, meaning fewer air particles to push the car down to the ground. So in Mexico you can run your maximum downforce wing used in Monaco or Budapest, but it’ll produce downforce levels similar to Monza, and the highest maximum speeds of the season.
 
The car will therefore perform slightly different in Mexico and the drivers will feel this in the cockpit. It’s also a challenge for car cooling because there is less air passing through the radiators and cooling vents, to lower the temperatures of key systems like the Power Unit and brakes. So extra cooling provisions are typically brought to Mexico.

More downforce generally improves an F1 car’s cornering speed and stability, especially through medium- and high-speed turns. When aerodynamic surfaces push the car harder into the track, tyre grip increases, allowing drivers to brake later, accelerate sooner, and carry more speed through corners. This often results in faster lap times, particularly on circuits with complex layouts and multiple directional changes.

However, more downforce also produces more aerodynamic drag. That extra resistance reduces straight-line speed, which can be a disadvantage on tracks with long straights such as Monza or Baku. Teams must find the right balance between cornering performance and straight-line efficiency based on the circuit layout.

In essence, more downforce is not always better: it depends on the track characteristics and the race strategy. Engineers use simulation tools and wind tunnel data to determine the ideal downforce level for each Grand Prix weekend. What works at Singapore won’t work at Spa.

Downforce increases cornering speed but can reduce top speed. By pressing the car into the track, aerodynamic downforce improves tyre contact and grip, allowing drivers to brake later, take tighter lines, and carry more momentum through corners. This improves lap times, especially on technical circuits with many turns.

However, generating downforce comes at the cost of aerodynamic drag. The more downforce a car produces, the more it resists air at high speed, which limits acceleration and maximum speed on straights. This trade-off means teams must optimise setups for each track: high-downforce settings for twisty layouts like Monaco, and low-downforce setups for high-speed tracks like Monza.

In short, downforce increases speed in corners but slows the car on straights. The key to performance is balancing both, adjusting wing angles, floor design, and ride height to maximise total lap efficiency.