Some call them bargeboards, for others they are boomerangs, in any case, it is an aerodynamic element that was first used last year in Mercedes and is increasingly becoming an indispensable tool for all teams in the F1 caravan.
Pri McLarn they used it at the beginning of the season, Alfa Romeo in Red Bull they used their versions for the first time on GP of France, at Williams they first used the enhancement in Silverston, Haas in Toro Rosso v Hockenheim, and the company was on Hungarian GP joined by Ferrari.
Why is this small piece of carbon fiber so important?
In fact, it is a kind of paradox - barge board is actually designed to (unlike what everyone in F1 aspires to) create with the flow of air through it slight buoyancy, similar to aircraft wings. Buoyancy is also created around other components of the car, especially on the top and sides, where it is neutralized by the rear wing and chassis, but still a great challenge for aerodynamic engineers who are constantly trying to eliminate buoyancy as much as possible.
The situation with the transverse stabilizers is a bit different, as in this case the buoyancy creates a high-pressure bubble and air flows out of the ducts at the sides, preventing air coming from the front wheels from accessing the side of the car. Right high pressure area it forces the air from under the wheels to the side, thereby significantly helping to reduce the buoyancy that would otherwise occur when air travels right along the sides of the car. This barrier is more pronounced, there are fewer buoyancy problems and more thrust - especially at lower speeds.
They play an important role in the air distributor boomerangs also in the flow of air under the nose of the car and past the suspension elements to the chassis. In this case, too, the high-pressure bubble directs the air flow towards the center of the car and downwards, thus improving the flow below the car itself.
In any case, the use of these aerodynamic elements requires a lot of adjustment so that the improved airflow actually helps to improve the vacuum and eliminate buoyancy.
