@kyletut

The F1 "S-duct". See the outlets highlighted in yellow in the first photo? Those are the outlets for the S-duct. The S-duct is a way for F1 engineers to manage dirty or turbulent air at the front of the car. In the second photo, you can see a blue outline. This area of the wing creates significant dirty air flowing downstream, reducing downforce, and slowing the car. Instead of allowing that dirty air to flow the length of the car, engineers invented the S-duct to control the air back up over the nose by releasing it from the outlet shown in the first photo. Using inlets beside, underneath, and behind the front-wing, they can direct air through the nose of the car in an s-shaped pattern. In the third photo, you can see the s-shape and how it manages the dirty air through the nose bodywork. From the right side of the photo, the air enters clean (green) but quickly turns dirty (red). At that point, the S-duct inlet catches the dirty air and directs it up while allowing cleaner air to pass underneath or above. In motorsports, how well the front of the car directs and controls air dictates how the rest of the car can direct and control air. The S-duct is a unique innovation which helps that pursuit, making the car faster through downforce.

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