FÓRMULA-1

2010: How the McLaren F-shaft worked 

The McLaren his new Formula 1 car for the 2010 season In Woking, it was hoped that an innovation would go unnoticed. Unfortunately, secrets in the premier-class paddock are not kept secret for long, and so the new F-shaft quickly became the focus of interest. The rumors with fans, the media and the other teams rolled over immediately.
The F-manhole, simply named after the letter in the sponsor Vodafone logo, which was located directly at the appropriate location on the chassis, was a new and complex way of reducing drag. The project, which ran internally under the name RW80, became an absolute must-have in 2010 before the FIA ​​banned the solution for the following years.
The system consisted of several channels that the driver could control on the straights themselves in order to reduce downforce and drag. The system can be divided into two sections. First, the channels with which the driver could interact and which are marked with (1), (2) and (3) on the title picture. On the other hand, channels (4), (5) and (6), which directed the air flow to the rear of the car.
The first group was used to control the system by covering or uncovering the hole in the cockpit (2). If the hole was open, the inlet (1) sucked air into the cockpit, while the air that came through the airbox flowed through the interface (5) and came out through the lower end of the normal engine cover (7).
However, if the driver covered the hole, the air taken in through the inlet (1) flowed past the chassis and was instead guided through the channel (3). This resulted in the merging with the air that was absorbed by the airbox (4). This was then deflected and directed to the rear wing (6). There the air came out again at an additional outlet.
McLaren revised the system several times during the season to get even more performance. The hole in the cockpit was initially at knee level. The channels were later relocated so that the driver could use his elbow to close it. The inlet design was also changed several times during the year.
Because the different routes in the calendar made different demands on downforce and the like, McLaren also used different versions of the system. In Monaco, where maximum downforce is necessary, the team opted for additional inlets and outlets. In Monza, where there is as little air resistance as possible, the F-shaft was completely missing.
McLaren revised the entire rear for Japan. The channels now led directly through the main plate of the rear wing and no longer through the upper flap. Therefore the outlet at the rear end of the wing had to be changed. The FIA ​​allowed further development, but there were some dubious solutions over the year.
For example, other teams that copied the system sometimes used versions in which the driver had to take a hand off the steering wheel to cover the hole. The system was subsequently banned for the following year. Instead, the Drag Reduction System (DRS) was introduced for the 2011 season, which is still available on Formula 1 cars to this day. 

Source: © Giorgio Piola