Speaker
Andrea Penza
Senior CFD Tools & Methods Engineer at Red Bull Racing Formula One Team

Abstract
A Formula One team is nowadays a very complex industry made by tens of departments and working groups operating with tight deadlines and aggressive schedules due to race calendar. Aerodynamic development is still one of the main performance differentiator factors in Formula One, where a fine tuning of CFD, WT tunnel tests and Track experiments are deployed to ensure the car is efficient on all track layouts and in every racing conditions.
While Wind Tunnel has been the main tool for aerodynamic development for many years, now thanks to always increasing computing capabilities and shorter turnaround times, CFD is establishing its essential influence during the design process and it's even more trusted and used even if strictly limited by FIA Sporting Regulation.

The high level of technology made available in the last couple of decades has transformed Formula One, where the research for performance gains is both in fine margins, as well as in quick reactions. This latter aspect relies heavily on Computation Fluid Dynamics, which plays a key role during weekend on track, and in-factory development. Within the Aerodynamics department, the CFD Tools & Method group has the target to keep improving the reliability and the accuracy of the CFD process in order to help the Team to take better and quicker decisions at any time of the racing season, and to understand deeper the physics around the car.

30.11.2023