THE incredible speeds at which a Formula 1 (F1) car makes it round any track shows what a finely-tuned machine it is and its technological superiority over the typical road car.
There are many factors that give it such supreme performance levels but one of the most notable aspects is its aerodynamic design.
This generates a massive amount of downforce, which enables it to stick to the road as it navigates the many tight corners on the racetrack.
So is it true that a F1 car can theoretically generate enough downforce for it to stick to the ceiling if driven upside down?
Verdict:
TRUE
Mike Elliott the former chief technical officer for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team said this is possible but it would be too risky to attempt the stunt.
"You have to work out how much downforce you need to work the car against its weight.
"Then you need to work out how much extra downforce you need to apply for the wheels to have traction to overcome the drag.
"Roughly speaking, I think you need about 150kmh to travel on the ceiling in terms of downforce and then we would need to work on the drag.
"However this is risky as you do not want to suddenly run out of power or find that you did not pick up enough fuel when the car is upside down or if the gearbox or engine did not lubricate properly," he said.
He said a much higher downforce than normally used would be needed to overcome the mass of the car and at the same time provide enough grip to the tyres so that the car can maintain a constant speed.
"We are talking about a force of two to three times the mass of the car, which is still physically possible to achieve with the enormous speeds of today's F1 cars.
"Another consideration is the internal combustion engine, which is not designed to run upside down.
"They rely on gravity and changing that orientation could result in oil leakage into the combustion chamber, potentially damaging the engine.
"While this can be fixed, the main concern is the safety of the driver and we doubt anyone would want to risk it," he said.
Reference
1. https://youtu.be/iUu7d8AnZ_Y?si=IYriNII24RI2_Dz7
