Why do sports cars want low weight but high down force? It seems contradictory
In: Engineering
Downforce caused by aerodynamics is a function of your speed. The faster you go, the more downforce the car experiences. That means at low speeds your car has a lot less downforce – which is fine, you’re not going fast enough to need it.
On the other hand, weight is a function of mass and doesn’t change. The car weighs the same regardless of how fast it’s going*.
So when the car is going 200mph and you need that downforce to get more traction for the turn, you’re not worried so much about accelerating because you’re already going 200mph. Maintaining speed is a lot less costly in energy than accelerating. But when you’re coming out of pit road and need to go fast, having a light car means you can get going very quickly.
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