11 replies to this topic

[Maldwyn]

If the FIA want to reduce downforce why don't they ban barge boards? Apart from anything else they ruin the look of any F1 car.

[david_martin]

That would increase aerodynamic drag for sure, but it probably would not have an enormous effect on the downforce the car generates.

[JaqFan]

Barge boards, if I understand correctly, just taper the airflow to the shape of the chassis in order to minimise drag. Downforce is created by the two wings, of course, and the diffuser.

[Maldwyn]

I'm probably wrong because I have no idea about aerodynamics but I was under the impression that the teams had recovered much of the downforce lost in previous regulation changes through these barge boards.

[david_martin]

Originally posted by Maldwyn
I'm probably wrong because I have no idea about aerodynamics but I was under the impression that the teams had recovered much of the downforce lost in previous regulation changes through these barge boards.

I think that is in a way true, in that barge boards reduce drag and smooth airflow around the rear of the car, which has allowed the teams to start using things like these little canard winglets and higher downforce rear wing elements without an overall increase in drag.

[desmo]

Honestly, they don't make a major difference in the aero peformance. Ralf had one famously fall off while driving and couldn't tell the difference. Since then Williams have run tiny ones in amongst the front suspension bits only. Jordan uses a similar arrangement.

[david_martin]

Originally posted by desmo
Honestly, they don't make a major difference in the aero peformance. Ralf had one famously fall off while driving and couldn't tell the difference..

That was in Melbourne in 1998. Patrick Head made the comments after looking at the time sheets and telemetry. When Ralf was told this he replied something like 'it is OK for Patrick to say that, he was not trying to drive the car, it was very hard!!'.

[desmo]

Thanks for clarifying Martin. It seldom pays to rely soley on one's memory. The fact remains that since then the Williams and Jordan teams have gone in a direction away from the use of barge boards. Look at the FW23 and tell me (and Patrick Head) that barge boards are necessarily critical for performance.

[Max Torque]

Desmo, are those strange thingies that are tangled in the front suspension supposed to be barge boards?

I was under the impression that they are something else (some aerodynamic substitiute) and that 'bargeboard' is the name of that triangular shape immediately in front of the sidepods only. So, I always thought that Jordan and Williams don't use bargeboards at all in recent years...

Am I wrong?

[Ali_G]

Well from what I can see the barge boards are for 2 things. To smooth the airflow of the front tyres and to push air around the sidepods.

If you notice the car which have the boxiest sidepods have the largest bargeboards.


Desmo: Could barge boards also be there to help with the venturi effect with the splitter. I remember Ferrari used to run Barge Boards which stopped air from going under the sidpods and then forced them to go around the sidepods.

This could be helping the splitter as it would be lessening the amount of air under the car and helping the downforce.

Niall

NB: More and more tech stuff seems to be appearing in this forum. Wouldn't these types of thread be better off in the tech forum.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Isnt the purpose of a barge board to create a naca duct out of the sidepod intake?

[Ali_G]

Ya but from what I can see it has a few more purposes aswell.

Niall