Ground Effect

Since 2022, the majority of a Formula 1 car's downforce has come from shaped tunnels running underneath the floor rather than from wings alone — a return to the "ground effect" principle banned in the 1980s.

The venturi principle

Air accelerating through the narrowing floor tunnels drops in pressure relative to the air above the car, generating suction that pulls the chassis toward the track. The tighter and more consistent that tunnel geometry stays, the more downforce it produces — which is exactly why ride height control matters so much.

Ride-height sensitivity

Run the floor too low and the airflow through the tunnels can stall entirely, causing the sudden, violent loss of downforce known as porpoising. Run it too high and the car simply leaves performance on the table. Modern suspension and floor-stiffness tuning exists largely to keep the car inside that narrow operating window.

Editorial technical explainer, not an official team publication.