Formula 1: 7 big changes made for the 2022 season

Formula 1 new technical regulations: No. 7 – Wheel deflectors

One of the exciting new elements from a visual perspective on the 2022 Formula 1 car (of course, excluding wheel covers) are the deflectors above the front wheels. These will be potentially the most crucial aerodynamic element in recovering the lost downforce.

At Formula 1 speeds, the wake of the front wheels has a significant impact on the aerodynamics of the remainder of the car. This has made the control and redirecting of airflow from behind the front wheels one of the most important portions of Formula 1 aerodynamics in the modern era.

When placing a single wheel in isolation for aerodynamic measurements, there is a split in airflow around the top and bottom of the wheel, creating a vacuum of counter-rotating vortices directly behind the front wheel. This not only creates drag but can theoretically have a noticeable impact on tire wear over the course of a stint.

The new wheel deflectors will be essential to redirect airflow from the top of the tire to the bottom of the car, and they could also theoretically redirect air into said vacuum in order to manipulate and “break” the trailing vacuum of low-pressure air in order to alter car characteristics.