r/F1Technical • u/Complete-Ad5058 • Feb 24 '23

Safety Benefit?

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How can these microscopic struts be of any benefit? Is there such a thing as microscopic fluid dynamics?

Why would it even matter to mess with the flow of air that is only to cool the driver anyway?

Is it no aerodynamic and instead perhaps a mini grill in the very actual sense, some small ‘grill’ to catch flies and bugs so they don’t get sucked into the drivers helmet and distract them? That’s legit the only thing I can think of. But at these speeds it would just act like a guillotine not a barrier? Is 2 half of a fly less distracting than 1 bigger hitting you?

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211

u/cafk Renowned Engineers Feb 24 '23

They're just an air intake to cool the driver, the primary benefit of them is structural, which is why you don't see them on most (if not all) this year's cars.

29

u/Complete-Ad5058 Feb 24 '23

Why are structures struts needed on such a tiny hole?

7

u/jimbobjames Feb 24 '23

To stop it ingesting tyre mables or other rubbish deep into the nose and blocking it.