F1 2022 Guide – It’s aero time!

Introduced into Formula 1 by the brilliant Colin Chapman, the aerodynamic phenomenon of ground effect was banned in 1983 for safety reasons. It returns in 2022 in order to make cars less dependent on their wings to stick to the track, especially in close combat, and thus aim for a better show.

Published on 22/02/2022 à 16:00

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Don't they say that the best jams are made in old pots? An adage, that Formula 1 is preparing to make its own to bring about its great revolution. To design its car of the future, it has in fact reused a good old grandfather's recipe by taking up a concept introduced in the 70s. This new technical and regulatory era marks the return of ground effect, initiated... in 1977 by Colin Chapman and Lotus. Its definition originally appeared in the 1920s, when it was discovered in the field of aviation by Carl Wieselsberger. Ground effect is then described as a modification of the aerodynamic field of an aircraft essentially affecting the characteristics of the wing during the landing phase. It generally results in an increase in lift, caused by the proximity of a flat surface like an air cushion. But in Formula 1, what exactly is ground effect?

If the question arises, it is because intrinsically, it does not mean much. “In fact, all cars are ground effect, and always have been, prévient d’emblée Jean-Claude Migeot, célèbre aérodynamicien en chef connu pour avoir relevé le nez de la