FORCE INDIA SLOTS BACK IN LINE WITH ITS RIVALS
Two weeks after trialling a new floor design on the VJM09 in the Barcelona post-race test, Force India eventually ditched the installation, introduced by McLaren last year, to revert to a conventional solution used by most other teams. Basically, a series of slots feature in the floor area located just ahead of the rear wheels. On the VJM09, there are 16 identical apertures, including the one closest to the tyre. This final slit is usually longer and shaped like an ‘L’, except on the Red Bull.
The rationale behind this ‘slot’ design remains to channel the high-pressure airflow coming from above the floor towards the zone located between the tyre and the diffuser. Thus, the Force India engineers look to bring more energy to the air flowing along the diffuser’s edges and push away the turbulence generated by the rotating rear wheels.
