During my Formula 1 passion period, I sketched some F1 race cars with some new aerodynamic concepts that crossed my mind. Some of them were then transformed to 3D CAD using Solidworks, and one, was built in a 1/10th scale mock up. Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) was chosen since it was easy to shape, glue and lightweight, besides being found easily in the new furniture packages my parents have ordered.

Given the holes and complex interior ducts that transported air from the front of the car to the diffuser, sectioning of the EPP blocks had to be done carefully. The car was composed of around 20 blocks which were cut using a home-made hot wire, to be then shaped with sand-paper and wood glue.

After hours of removing material, fixing broken pieces with tape and cutting cardboard templates, the blocks were ready to be assembled. The wheels were attached to the bodywork via suspension triangles constructed with eating wooden sticks.

Once built, it was time to test the design in our home-made wind tunnel. We placed a scale under the model while a fan blew air on it. Unfortunately the scale did not indicate the amount of downforce naively desired by its designer, but a good-looking model remained to decor the shelf of the room. The R416, the next generation of Formula 1 vehicles