Vapour trails

[wedge]

Crikey! Must've been the mid-late 90s since I vapour trails off the rear wings from F1 cars.

[RJL25]

its mainly the humid conditions which caused that, its not all that unusual... you see it every year off a V8 supercar rear wing at Bathurst down conrod!

[ioan]

I think it happened a few times during wet races in the last years too.

[big_sw2000]

I certaily noticed it more yesterday, than last year. Put it down to the high rear wing, like in the late 80s.
It looked good, brought back memories.

[Ranger]

It looked sweet, definitely due to the high wing.

[emporer_k]

It's been a while since I last remember seeing them. Does anybody have any pics because they did look good.

[shazbot]

It's more to do with the high humidity than anything else. They are caused by high speed vortices that are shed by the rear wing. The vortex has a low core pressure which cools the air and so condensation occurs (in the right circumstances) and it's this water vapour that you see. A great form of flow visualisation.

[71minus2]

i agree, the best rear wing vapour trail i've in F1 seen the early 90's!

[call_me_andrew]

I think I've seen vapor trails off the rear wings during practise at Indy.

[gloomyDAY]

Post pictures or it never happened. :)

[Giuseppe F1]

Post pictures or it never happened. :)

Ill go back through my DVD recording and try and post a screenshot.

There was a point in the race where a camera angle had Kubica's BMW driving head on into the camera view and the vapour trails were VERY apparent

[wedge]

I think it happened a few times during wet races in the last years too.

No there weren't otherwise I would've remembered posting something on the matter last year!

Just goes to show the regs are working somewhat. Last years cars were much more aero efficient. The rear wing planes were more curvy and intricately shaped whereas now they have gone back to basics to regain more downforce and consequently drag.

[tintop]

Vapor-like trails seen in recent rain races were more a channeling of spray into the wing induced vortices, than the creation of condensation within the vortices due to the induced low pressure of the wing surface (what we saw last weekend). The low aspect ratio wings (shorter) with significantly increased angles of attack are generating these vapor trails (and more drag).