Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimman
This has been demonstrated quite dramatically a few times on LeMans' Mulsanne straight. At least Porsche and Mercedes (don't know if others) got their closed roof prototypes airborne there when the speed and bumpy surface pitched their noses up just a tiny bit too much. The Porsche does an actual flip. Mercedes a bit more.
So even the high downforce cars are pretty much wings if you take them away from the ground. |
I think the reason those cars went airborne so easily was because they have some kind of stupid mandate on the underbody, something like it has to be flat all the way to the diffuser? I seem to recall these LeMans cars having some giant flat splitter, and they're obviously very low to the ground, so a small angle of attack, and you can run into a lot of trouble.
I would guess that F1 cars don't go airborne since 1. giant wing in front 2. their high noses have a smooth curve channeling air to the underbody.