Formula one racing car question.

[mezeb40]

I have read that an f1 racing cars fairings produce 2 tonnes of downward force to keep the car stuck to the track. The car weighs 500 kilos so if the track were to be somehow turned upside down while the car was at speed would it fall ?

 

[BigStelly]

Well being that it produces 2tons in the direction downwards... or in the direction of the track, if i understand what you are saying correctly then it would not fall because it produces kind of the opposite of lift, and turning the car's body over in effect would produce lift thereby pushing it to the ceiling or track so to speak. the reason for the 2 tonnes of downward force is probably to compensate for lift that might be created by the car, so it might just be a force offset by something else.


My guess might just be g but you would need to know the lift produced by the car in order to solve for this problem specifically.

 

[brewnog]

It'd have to be going at at least 100 miles per hour, although this obviously depends on quite a lot of things.

Another F1 fact, - the coefficient of drag on an F1 car is much, much higher than that of an ordinary road going car.

 

[mezeb40]

hmmm, i was thinking that when the car is right side up gravity as well as the reverse lift holds the car down.But when its upside down would the downwards force(now upwards) be enough to overcome the gravitational force making the car fall..

 

[Mk]

The Saleen S7, when above 121 miles per hour, it can theoretically drive upsidedown, from all the inverted downforce it creates.

 

[brewnog]

The negative lift pushing an F1 car down to the ground can reach three times the force of the actual weight of the car, so yes.

 

[DaveC426913]

I have heard this too, that they could drive upsidedown. The force will push the car against the road. The force is much greater than the weight of the car.

Of course, the moment you approach a turn and have to slow down...

 

[mezeb40]

ok,thanks for your replies..

 

[Nenad]

A Ferrari F50 was the first road car to attain this. It needs to be going at 200Mi/hour to do this.

 

[PBRMEASAP]

The Saleen S7, when above 121 miles per hour, it can theoretically drive upsidedown, from all the inverted downforce it creates.

Wow. That is awsome. I wonder if they tested it out with a driver?