Adjustable rear wing - Drag Reduction

System (DRS)
http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/drs_wing_rear_movable.html
New FIA "moveable bodywork" technical regulations for 2011 have allowed
adjustment of the rear wing from the cockpit at any time in practice and qualifying,
but only when a driver is less than one second behind another car at a predetermined point on the track during a race. Braking deactivates the device. The
intention is to decrease dragfor the chasing car and improve the chances of
overtaking. The only time it cannot be used under any circumstances is two laps
after the start or safety car restart and in wet conditions.
Although 2010's Championship proved to be one of the more thrilling with four
drivers in the hunt for the World title heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi, it
finished like a boring procession. Contenders Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber,
who were first and second in the title race, chose the wrong strategy and found
themselves stuck behind Renault's Vitaly Petrov with no way to overtake. It was a
boring end to a spectacular season.
After the FIA World Motor Sport Council announced a new package of aerodynamic
rules for 2011, the powers-that-be are hoping for more overtaking after driveradjustable front wing of 2010 is gone ( a concept that never really delivered what
was expected of it), replaced by a driver-adjustable - but FIA regulated - rear wing
and bringing back KERS. The moveable front flap was brought in to try and assist
withovertaking too, but in practice it didnt really make a difference. Instead it was
used as a device to optimize car balance as the tires degraded and the fuel load
reduced. Thats why the teams voted to remove adjustable front wings and try a new
initiative with the rear wings with the intention of generating better overtaking
opportunities.

To reiterate, the rule is as follows:

The driver may only activate the adjustable bodywork in the race when he has been
notified via the control electronics that it is enabled. It will only be enabled if the
driver is less than one second behind another at any of the pre-determined positions
around each circuit. The system will be disabled by driver manually, or the first time
the driver uses the brakes after the system has been activated.
Here, I will explain what a driver-adjustable rear wing is, how it works, and how it
will be used.

As for the mechanics of moveable wings, the adjustments that can be made are
related to the two elements of the rear wing: the main plane and the flap which gap
is adjusted in more favorable (downforce wise) way closed for most of the lap,
providing the car with the full downforce efficiency. While the main plane remains
fixed, the rules allow a driver to press a button on his steering wheel and some kind
of actuator will lift the front, leading edge of the flap. The flap will be able to pivot
around a point near the trailing edge (20 millimeters of it), away and upward from
the main plane up to a maximum distance of 50mm into a more horizontal position,
and open up the slot gap. This creates a situation where the two elements of the
wing stop acting in harmony and the airflow around the wing separates from the
surface of the wing decreasing its effectiveness and improving the straight-line speed
of the car. This condition of separated flow is called a stall and it is accompanied by
a large drop in both downforce and drag on the car. The overall effect on straight-line
speed is a bit like an F-duct, but much more powerful. As it is a downforce shedding
device, it acts against what most engineers are seeking, which is more downforce.
Planed speed advantage with wing deployed will be 10-15 kmh.

Adjustable wing in closed,

non-active position, with
air streams ideally
connected with wing
contours and without any
turbulences

Adjustable rear wing in

active - deployed - position.
Stall condition appeared.
Airflow around the wing
separates from the surface
of the wing decreasing its
effectiveness, reducing
downforce and drag in the
same time.

The wings functionality is controlled by a proximity system using electronic loops

around the circuit, which allow the system to be armed on each car. It is up to the
FIA to decide where those loops should go around a track and they will control its
use. FIAis taking the view that they will announce where it can be used as they go
along on a race by race basis. The advantage of doing it this way is that they can
make adjustments race by race if the concept isnt working or if its far too easy to
pass, in other words make the "overtaking zones" longer or shorter depending on
how its going. They can also adjust the time interval between the cars to make it
work better. Once a car crosses the first loop the system is either armed or it is not,
depend whether the car is within passing range. The driver is notified by a light in
the steering wheel and he will move the wing using a control button on the steering
wheel. System can't be activated without the throttle 100 per cent open. The driver
can manually return the wing to its normal level or hitting the brakes will achieve the
same result. The default setting is for the system to be disabled, but after two laps
of the Grand Prix, the system becomes potentially enabled, assuming the cars meet
the criteria defined.
Thats mean that drivers can use the system at any time in practice and qualifying
(read red area down), but in the race there are restrictions. It cannot be used in the
opening two laps, and then will only be made available to the driver at set zones on
the circuit if he is less than one second behind the car ahead. These zones are
marked out with white lines, and the one-second gap is calculated at
the corner before the designated straight, which will see drivers adjusting their rear
wing, in a tightly controlled set of circumstances while close racing.

The tweak and amendments to some technical and sporting regulations for year
2013 came on the back of the final 2012 World Motor Sport Council meeting in
Istanbul to ratify some detailed changes to the F1 calendar for 2013 and to the
sporting and technical regulations. The use of DRS will be restricted during practice
and qualifying and drivers will in future only be allowed to use it in the same
designated zones where it will be available in the race. There were some concerns
over safety at some circuits, as cars were close to being out of control at times. This
move will add around half a second on average to qualifying lap times, as the DRS
was a powerful tool. The benefit will only be felt on the straights now. During the
race, all rules concerning DRS are unchanged. Also, new rules ban on DRS airflow
being use to stall the front and rear wings (as explained in my article about Mercedes
DDRS), by wording in rules that ban any openings or channels on the rear wing
endplate.

It has just two settings, ON and OFF effectively, with the ON setting increasing the
gap between the main plane and the flap from 10-15mm to 50mm.
If the system fails, it defaults to the closed, high downforce setting.

Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa admitted the Formula One Teams Associations
plan for an adjustable rear wing next year was at an early stage and could be
dropped if it is deemed unsuccessful. Peter Sauber said the wing was maybe a
good idea for overtaking, but I think we have different opinions from the
technicians.
Several drivers have voiced doubts over the adjustable rear wing. One of the
concerns is that the art of defensive driving will potentially disappear. Of course, if a
driver can just sail past an opponent easily, the skill is taken out of overtaking. The
overtaken driver can just bide his time until the next straight, where he can use
exactly the same method to re-take the position. Cars would change few times a lap,
and it would be, quite frankly, ridiculous. To prevent things like that, teams and the
FIA have tried to design a system that only gives just enough assistance to a trailing
car to make an overtaking maneuver just possible. Nobody wants to have a system
that makes overtaking a formality.

Some drivers voiced concerns what will happened if wing, after deployed in overtake
attempt fail and doesnt return in closed position in front of corner due to
malfunction. In braking zone just before corner, last thing you need is car without
rear downforce. Technical group wanted to prevent this by placing pivot point high,
20 millimeters from the tip of the trailing edge of the flap. In this way, some kind of
actuator will keep wing open, but if actuator is disengaged, aerodynamic forces and
load on the wing upper side will close the wing gap and reestablish full downforce. Of
course, something can go wrong, but same can happen with any part of the car.
The plan has also been criticized by F1 Fans and reaction has been mostly negative.
Many fans feel that the device will be a gimmick, which adds an artificial element to
the racing and several drivers articulated similar fears. I would agree, that the way
the driver can use the device, as it is planned, its a bit artificial, and I personally
dont like it.
On the other hand, it could make for some interesting strategies, as you see
sometimes in NASCAR or Indy cars when they race in the ovals, and to an extend in

Moto GP.
You have to choose, when you want to lead the race, as often the guy who leads into
the last lap/straight is going to loose it, because he is just providing
the slipstream for the guy behind.
There have been many attempts over recent years to improve overtaking in Formula
1 without much success. Will the driver-adjustable rear wings be the silver bullet that
solves the problem? If adjustable front wings didnt help overtaking, why will
adjustable rear wings make any better? Because it all comes down to the different
way that changing the angle of the front and rear wings affects the overall drag of
the car. If you change the angle of the front wing, you change the car balance, but
the overall drag of the car remains about the same and hence straight-line speed is
largely unaffected. However, changing the rear wing angle changes the drag of the
car a lot, and therefore the straight-line speed dramatically, in same way F-duct did.
I think it has been and it will be a fascinating area of work and research not just for
the actual race and the entertainment it has given with easier overtaking which I
think has transformed the nature of Formula 1 races. Technically it is fascinating. It
has added a whole new dimension to the process of selecting the best wing for an
event. It used to be quite a one dimensional task, run a wing, have a little look at
what competitors were doing as well iterate through the weekend to the right wing
level. Now you have an extra dimension which is what is your qualifying pace with
and without DRS, what's your race pace with the DRS, without it, and even with the
complication that if it is raining in qualifying then you cannot use the DRS. Teams
might have to factor that in if it's a weekend with potential rain. Lots of complicated
sums for the guys to do in the office with the computers to work out what's the best
plan.

A bit more about logic of overtaking

A common complaint of many F1 fans is the perceived lack of overtaking in the

sport, especially compared to other forms of racing such as touring cars. The main
reason for this deficiency is the advanced aerodynamics of an F1 car (or any so
called "downforce car") in that, when one car closely follows another, it has to re-use
the air of the car in front. For good overall grip you need good aerodynamic
grip and mechanical grip. This so-called dirty air has already been displaced and

manipulated by the leading car and, when receiving it second-hand, the car
following cannot take full advantage of it. As a result, the car behind experiences
decreased aerodynamic grip when cornering, and struggles to keep close enough to
its rival to mount a successful challenge for the position. He needs to relay almost
entirely on car mechanical grip, and thats not enough. Where overtaking does take
place, it is usually when one driver has a straight-line speed advantage over the car
in front and using slip-streaming in same moment, where the driver behind
eliminates some of the drag on the front of his car by closely following another. With
less drag, the chasing driver can build up speed behind his rival and then, when he
pulls out alongside, although both drivers are now subjected to the same amount of
drag force, the slip-streamer has more momentum, and can power past his rival. At
tracks with long straights, such as Malaysia, China and Monza, those drivers with
most powerful engines found it reasonably easy to get past their rivals. With more
horsepower available to them and, with extra help from a slip-stream, they would
have their nose ahead at the end of the straight, and could take the position into the
corner. This is why KERS, introduced in 2009, helped with overtaking.

Another thing is a frequent, but not all known problem in modern Formula 1. A driver
gets close enough to the car in front to slipstream him down the straight, but just
before hes built enough speed to pass, he hears the sound of a V8 engine bouncing
off its rev limiter at 18,000 rpm.
Its one of the main reasons overtaking in Formula 1 is such a rarity. To squeeze
every last tenth out of the car, technicians pick gear ratios so that cars hit the rev
limit in top gear at the fastest point on the track, normally close to the end of longest
straight, few hundred meters before braking point. The result is that, while
slipstreaming reduces a cars drag and increasing its top speed to allow overtaking,
in practice the cars speeds are limited by gear ratios chosen for different
circumstances. If longer gear ratios were used, giving the cars enough headroom to
slipstream, it would impair their performance in clean air.
The FIAs latest solution to the overtaking issue is to introduce an adjustable rear
wing, capable of shedding drag while in the tow of another car to make passing
easier. Already, there are some concern that, because a cars top speed is decided
when its gear ratios are chosen, the loss of drag from the adjustable rear wing will
have a negligible impact on overtaking.
A closer look at how the FIA have chosen to implement the adjustable wing reveals
this doesnt need to be a problem. They can change deployment zone in race to race
basis, and learn in progress. Concerns over how the rear wing will impact on gear
ratios seem to stem from the assumption that the FIA will choose the straight where

the cars reach their highest speeds as the deployment zone.

The FIA has an inglorious history of shooting itself in the foot, but choosing the
longest straights for the rear wing deployment would be stupid even by its
standards. Consider this: at a particular circuit, cars reach their top speed of 300kph
at the end of straight A. With the rear wing activated, the theoretical drag-limited
top speed rises to 315kph, but because of the gear ratios picked before the race, the
car starts bouncing off the limiter at 300kph.
At straight B on the same circuit, the cars reach 280kph before they hit the brakes.
If the rear wing were activated on straight B, the cars would now reach 295kph at
the end of the straight. More than enough to pass cars with the wing activated,
without threatening the rev limiter. If the FIA wishes to avoid a headache for teams,
and a potential embarrassment for itself, it will place the deployment zone away from
the fastest point on the track, be that on the second-longest straight or otherwise. Of
course, these concerns could well turn out to be academic, as unrestricted use of the
wing in qualifying means teams may well choose gear ratios which allow them to hit
top speed with the rear-wing activated on the longest straight (315kph, to use the
example above). But if teams compromise their Saturday performance by choosing
shorter gear ratios, it could pay dividends on race day, when activation of the rearwing is restricted.
There is one more thing to consider. DRS will not work with same efficiency on every
circuit. On circuits with high or medium download setup DRS will be more effective
than on low or ultra low download circuits. In Monza for example the cars run very
little wing anyway. So when you flatten the upper wing element it actually makes
very little difference, because there's hardly any wing back there anyway, and DRS
will be of limited help to overtake.

Data issued by MercedesAMG GP on the end of 2011 season

With DRS Formula One has made an effort to increase the possibility for overtaking.
Overtaking - how much, not enough, or too much of the artificial sort - a frequent
topic throughout the 2011 season, since the advent of DRS (the Drag Reduction
System) and Pirelli tires.
But overall levels of overtaking have risen to record levels - there have been nearly
1500 passes during 2011 season. The figures used below are calculated for strategic
purposes by Mercedes team, which are reflected in the categorization, and compiled
from a combination of video, timing data and GPS technology. Here I will not use
data for overtaking trough pit stops, first lap or lapping slowest cars or passing
damaged cars. Only clean racings (battle between two or more cars) are counted.
1.

The combined total of 'Normal' and 'DRS-assisted' moves - the indicator of

what most observers consider to be 'clean' overtaking - is 804 overtakes. This gives
an average of 45 normal and DRS overtakes per race.

2.

From the total of 804 clean overtakes, there have been 441 normal overtakes
and 363 DRS overtakes; 55% were normal and 45% were DRS.

3.

The highest number of clean overtakes were recorded in Turkey (85), Canada
(79) and China (67). The races with the fewest were Monaco (16), Australia (17) and

India (18). Nine races featured fewer than 50 clean overtakes; eight races featured
more than 50. There have been an average of 45 clean overtakes per race - broken
down to 25 normal overtakes and 20 with DRS.
4.

The highest ratio of DRS overtakes to normal, i.e. where the influence of DRS
was greatest, were: Abu Dhabi (89%), Europe (81%), India (78%), Turkey (59%)
and Spain (57%). The lowest ratio of DRS overtakes to normal were: Monaco (13%),
Hungary (20%), Canada (22%), Japan (26%) and Great Britain (27%) - it should be
noted that three of these five races featured wet or mixed conditions, and use of
DRS was restricted for portions of the race in Canada and Great Britain. DRS
overtakes have outnumbered normal moves in eight of 18 races.

5.

In the first nine races of the season, there were on average 21 DRS overtakes
per race - on average, 45% of clean overtakes. The influence of DRS has remained
stable in the second nine races of the year: there were on average 20 DRS overtakes
per race, representing on average 46% of clean overtakes.

6.

The most overtaking in the races after lap one list is headed by Perez and
Buemi, both with 82 overtakes. They are followed by Button (77), Webber (76),
Alguersuari (74) and Michael Schumacher (71). It should be noted that use of DRS is
allowed after second lap.
Of this year's overtaking maneuvers, a lot have been assisted by DRS, but it has also
set up opportunities to pass later in the lap. I think DRS on its own is good but
personally I feel that having KERS and new Pirelli tires are really helped this year. I
think they can really use it to their advantage, to overtake and obviously to try and
block and defend a position. Thats meant that KERS was as important as DRS. There
are some instances when perhaps it made overtaking too easy, but there are always
negatives and positives with something new like this. Positives outweigh the
negatives. DRS and KERS has brought a lot to racing, and you can get closer to the
cars ahead and prepare your next move. System has worked very well and it will get
even better next year now the FIA knows how it works.

Double DRS will be banned for 2013, after Formula 1 teams agreed to a change of
rules that will outlaw the concept for next year.
Mercedes led the way at the start of this season with a radical design that feeds air
via a hole in the rear wing endplate, all the way through the car and out the front
wing - which is then stalled when DRS is activated. This helps provide a straight line
speed boost.
Following discussions at F1 rules think-tank, the Technical Working Group, sources
have revealed that a majority of teams agreed for a change in regulations that will
ensure they cannot incorporate double DRS into their cars for 2013.
Although Mercedes did not support the change in rules, because it had made such a
headstart in the area, it could not stop the ban going through as it only needed a
majority of teams to agree.

It is understood the changes to the rules will be made official by the FIA's World
Motor Sport Council later this year.