Floor Edge Wing

A Floor Edge Wing is an aerodynamic component attached to the outer edges of a race car's floor that generates downforce and controls airflow underneath the vehicle to improve grip and cornering speed.

Think of a Floor Edge Wing as a specialized fence that runs along the side of a race car's underbody. Just like how you might use weather stripping to keep cold air from sneaking under a door, these wings prevent unwanted air from disrupting the carefully managed airflow beneath the car. This matters because the air moving under a race car is doing important work to keep the vehicle stuck to the track.

The primary job of floor edge wings is creating downforce, which is the invisible force that pushes a race car down onto the track surface. More downforce means more grip, similar to how pressing down harder on a sponge makes it stick better to a countertop. With better grip, drivers can take corners faster without sliding off the track, which translates directly into quicker lap times and better race performance.

Floor edge wings achieve this downforce by speeding up the air flowing underneath the car. When air moves faster, it creates lower pressure, and this low-pressure zone essentially sucks the car toward the ground. The wings help maintain this effect by acting as barriers that seal off the sides of the floor from outside air that could interfere with this process.

These components also create spinning columns of air called vortices along the car's sides. While that might sound complicated, these vortices serve a simple purpose: they act like invisible shields that keep disruptive air from the front tires away from the underfloor area. When front tires spin, they kick up turbulent, messy air that could ruin the smooth airflow under the car, so the floor edge wings redirect this air outward and away.

In modern Formula 1 racing, floor edge wings are heavily regulated. Racing authorities impose strict rules about how big they can be, what shape they can take, and exactly where teams can place them on the car. Teams must work creatively within these limitations, often designing curved or channel-like shapes along the floor's edge to squeeze out every bit of performance advantage possible.

One challenge with floor edge wings is their sensitivity to ride height, which is how high the car sits above the track surface. Even tiny changes of a few millimeters can dramatically affect how well these wings work. This means teams must carefully tune their suspension systems to maintain the optimal height, especially as fuel burns off during a race and the car becomes lighter.

The suspension tuning required to maximize floor edge wing performance is remarkably complex. Engineers must balance keeping the car low enough to maximize downforce while preventing it from bottoming out on bumps or during hard braking. Getting this balance right can unlock significant performance gains, but getting it wrong can cost valuable seconds per lap.