As we look forward to this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, we examine an issue that could impact the rest of the season and something particularly relevant for a column called Slipstream Saturdays: following in dirty air.
While rain in Melbourne confused the aerodynamic picture, the two Chinese races and last week’s processional laps around Suzuka appeared to show the return of an old and unwelcome issue. Drivers have again been managing their distance to the car in front, or complaining of excessive tire wear when they get too close, a problem the current regulations were meant to address.
LAP 42/53
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 6, 2025
This race is far from over! 🙌
Piastri is on the charge behind Norris, with both McLarens setting their sights on Verstappen 👀#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/9jvhaW3axb
The Role of Downforce
Most of us aren’t aerodynamicists. We just see a race where there isn’t much overtaking and start throwing stuff at the TV. For the record, I actually enjoyed the tension during the Japanese Grand Prix.
However, it’s worth knowing what’s happening and why following in dirty air can become difficult. We promise we won’t get too technical, and understanding a little about how the cars work can actually make the sport more interesting and enjoyable.
In simple terms, Formula 1 cars use the same principles as airplane wings: they create pressure that pushes an object in a certain direction. However, while airplane wings ideally keep us away from the ground, F1 cars work in the opposite direction, pushing them onto the track and allowing corners to be taken at ridiculously fast speeds. In a nutshell, that’s what we call downforce.
See? That wasn’t so painful, was it?
Understanding the Problem of Dirty Air
When we talk about wings, we’re not just referring to the things at the front and the back. Almost every surface on an F1 car is some type of wing, including the powerful underfloor.
These wings work best when they have nice, clean air flowing over them. When they don’t, they stop producing as much downforce, and that’s when problems can arise. The effect of dirty air can be different from one team to another, but we don’t need to go down that rabbit hole.
In general terms, the reduced downforce stops a car from sticking to the track as well, causing it to slide. Even a tiny bit of sliding can cause tires to degrade, so drivers will either lose performance or be forced to stay at a safe distance. That’s all bad for racing.
Wait, Haven’t We Been Here Before?
The previous generation of F1 cars had super complex aerodynamic parts on the upper surfaces, so they created a lot of dirty air and also suffered from it. The racing in 2019 and 2020 was especially bad, causing the FIA to make changes for the final season. That gave us the incredible battle of 2021. No, we’re not going to mention Abu Dhabi yet again.
The current set of regulations introduced several concepts aimed at making it easier for cars to follow closely, and therefore improve the racing. Firstly, designers put the focus on the underfloor and banned all those little wings that previously dominated the upper surfaces.
This type of design is called ground effect, and it hasn’t been prevalent in F1 since the 1980s. That’s why design guru Adrian Newey was able to give Red Bull an edge over everyone else. He was around in the 1980s when most others weren’t.
The second strategy was to make cars throw the air upward, instead of sideways, therefore reducing the amount of dirty air for following cars. The sculpted, organic-looking rear wings are a key part of this philosophy.
What’s Gone Wrong?
F1 is at the cutting edge of aerodynamic design, and each team spends millions on computational systems and state-of-the-art wind tunnels, as well as to attract top talent. As a result, the cars’ downforce is constantly improving, which also makes them increasingly sensitive.
Following the Japanese Grand Prix, McLaren team boss Andreas Stella acknowledged this, stating: “Even if this generation of car was conceived to actually improve following, there’s been so much aerodynamic development that they have become so much of an aerodynamic machine. [So], as soon as you follow, you lose the performance.”
World Champion Max Verstappen had a similar opinion. “The cars are improving every single year,” he reflected. “With more downforce, probably you’ll see it’s just that bit harder to follow.
The current regulations give the FIA broad sweeping powers to make changes, even in the middle of the season, if they feel following is again getting too difficult. However, while this year saw a crackdown on flexible wings, they’ve let some other developments continue, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear.
One notable area is the edge of the front wings, where teams have introduced gaps to encourage the air to flow outwards once again. Another is the rear wings, which were supposed to be continuous, unbroken surfaces that flowed from the top to the side sections. If you look at the current rear wings, you’ll see that the rear edges of the top section are now disconnected from the sides, creating turbulence for the car behind.
people don’t realize how much downforce f1 car produce. It can easily has a few 100kg acting on that rear wing and it’s impossible for thin carbon fiber parts not to flex. That’s why they allow a certain amount of flex and every team are tested regularly pic.twitter.com/bSr9rnzLY1
— vinceo☆พรซอ⁸¹|プリンス (@Parinceo) March 19, 2025
Are More Boring Races Coming?
While the races in China and Japan gave some worrying signs, it’s still too early to know if following will have an impact on the season. The Suzuka track was partly to blame for what unfolded last weekend and China did provide lots of action, albeit not at the very front. Melbourne, of course, was a nail-biter, which is why many of us love to see a forecast of rain.
The Bahrain track has overtaking opportunities into turn 1 and turn 4, where the two DRS zones end, giving us a chance to see the current state of play. We’ll be on the lookout for cars managing their distance, or drivers complaining that they can’t get close.
Looking further ahead, the 2026 regulations include slightly smaller, more agile cars, and some significant changes to the aerodynamic package. We assume that the FIA has rolled recent learnings into these rules, but with new engines also being introduced, there will be many factors at play.
Peter Molloy began following Formula 1 during the 1985 Australian Grand Prix. He cheered for a certain Ayrton Senna, who was driving the same black and gold colors as a toy F1 car that Pete had been given. Pete continued to be a fan of Senna throughout his childhood. Fast forward many moons, and Peter now combines significant journalistic experience with decades of watching F1 to cover the latest on-track and off-track action.