IndyCar researching helmet airflow issues

The IndyCar Series has commenced a technical study to understand how and why its new second-generation aeroscreen is causing a reduction of airflow into the ducting that feeds into the drivers’ helmets.

Starting last weekend in Long Beach, the series introduced its new aeroscreen which features new openings near the top of the screen which feeds more air onto their chests.

Drivers ranging from Will Power to Pietro Fittipaldi to Romain Grosjean to Graham Rahal have expressed their concerns over the change, which has led to limited amounts of air reaching their helmets and a loss of adequately cooling their heads through the side-mounted duct and hose.

“I could already feel it at Long Beach,” Power told RACER. “Your head is getting really hot.”

Although no changes or solutions are anticipated by Sunday’s Barber Motorsports Park contest, RACER has learned the series is running computational fluid dynamics studies to determine the root cause of the change and how it might be fixed at the earliest possible date.