Glossary / General

ground effect cars

8 Episode Mentions

Too Afraid to Ask

Ground effect cars use special shapes under the car to suck it down onto the road, giving more traction and better cornering. It’s like a suction cup that keeps the car glued to the track.

Technical Definition

Ground effect cars are race vehicles designed to create low aerodynamic pressure beneath the car, increasing downforce without adding drag. This is achieved through shaped underbody panels and venturi tunnels that accelerate airflow, pulling the car closer to the track for better grip.

Hear It Discussed

"As those ground effect cars developed into seasons three and four, and they became more like ground effect cars because they're producing more downforce,"
Bonus episode! Will F1's bold new era fly or fall flat? The Intercooler 32:55

"He was the fact that a, that generation of car that we've had since 2022, the the the ground effect cars we had until the end of last year, he just were unsuitable for the way he drives."
Lewis Hamilton's extraordinary F1 turnaround explained The Race F1 Podcast 02:49

"ground-effect cars the tires are very tricky to understand"
Episode 230: Toto Wolff & Eddy Cue @ Autosport Business Exchange Cars & Culture with Jason Stein 07:19