Formula 1 cars hurtling down with sparks flying underneath is always a fantastic sight, but why do F1 cars light up and is that a bad thing?
Why do F1 cars sparkle?
Formula 1 cars have what is called a shelf under the car running from the rear of the car right in front of the front wheels. The FIA introduced plank in an attempt to reduce underbody aerodynamics and prevent the car from bottoming out on the straights.
While you’d expect it to be made of carbon fiber or some other highly specialized material, it’s actually made of a wood material called Jabroc. This one is made from beech wood, constructed using a composite process, with veneer and resin used in each layer.
The sparks from the F1 cars come from sliding titanium blocks set into the dashboard. The glides prevent damage to the shelf and protrude a maximum of 3mm from the shelf. When the car descends, the crash bars hit the ground first, causing a shower of sparks behind the car.
Originally used in the 80s and 90s, titanium pads were reintroduced to Formula 1 in 2015.
Will sparks damage the car?
Car sparks are intended to prevent damage to the car, rather than being a sign of damage.
The car shelves are to ensure teams are running at the correct ride height and to prevent teams from using ‘ground effect’ aerodynamics, aerodynamics that first emerged in the 1960s and suck the car in the ground.
The sliding blocks help reduce the amount of damage to the boards, which is strictly measured and complies with the rules of F1. Excessive shelf damage will result in rejection.
Jarno Trulli was disqualified from his fourth-place finish at the 2001 United States Grand Prix due to excessive footpeg wear, but his Jordan team successfully appealed the result.
Why is this happening live?
F1 cars run at a certain height off the ground and then are pushed onto the track by aerodynamics, creating downforce. The aerodynamic surfaces of the car are designed so that the air flowing over the car pushes it down, creating traction and lowering the car’s ground clearance.
Downforce weighs more on the car in a straight line because the amount of drag generated by aerodynamics increases with speed. This helps cars corner faster, reducing lap times.
While this helps with lateral movement when cornering, there is no lateral movement on a straightaway. This means that aerodynamics force the car’s ride height to be lower, bringing it closer to the ground and therefore more likely to make contact with the track when drivers hit potholes, which in turn increases spark. It is also more common at the start of the race, as the cars have up to 110kg of fuel and are much heavier than at the end of the race.
You will also occasionally see sparks when a car drives over a curb, as the curb is usually higher than the runway and can hit skid barriers.
