Gary Anderson: Flexible front wings explained
AUTOSPORT technical guru and former F1 designer Gary Anderson analyses the most controversial element of Red Bull's car
Flexible front wings; the one single thing that most F1 teams think is key to Red Bull's current aerodynamic advantage. But there's a little bit more to it than that.
The science
The key to creating overall car downforce is to manage the way air separates around the front wing. This component is the first to influence the air flow and if this is badly managed, the rest of the car will suffer. This becomes easier the closer the wing runs to the track surface as it is basically running in what is called 'ground effect.'
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