What Is Drag in F1?

Drag is the aerodynamic resistance that slows a Formula 1 car as it moves through the air. Every surface, wing, and component on the car that pushes against the airflow creates drag. High drag costs straight-line speed, which is why teams running at circuits like Monza use low-downforce aero packages to reduce it as much as possible. The challenge for engineers is always finding the best compromise — downforce requires drag, and reducing drag often reduces downforce too.

Example: On a track like Monza, reducing drag is the absolute priority — even a small reduction can be worth half a second on the straight.