The front wing is the first part of the car that comes into contact with the air, and is thus responsible for directing the airflow around the car. This means that the aerodynamics of the rest of the car depends on how the front wing is designed to manipulate the incoming airflow.

Aerodynamics of a F1 car (https://www.totalsimulation.co.uk/secrets-formula-1-front-wing/)

The front wing of a Formula 1 car is responsible for 3 major roles:

1. Directing airflow away from the front tyres
2. Directing airflow above the body
3. Generating vortices

Directing air away from tyres

The large and rapidly spinning tyres usually have uneven surfaces, which means that airflow hitting the tyres become turbulent and unpredictable, which makes it difficult to manipulate the air to generate the maximum possible downforce.

Directing airflow above the body

A large part of a Formula 1 car’s downforce comes from the pressure difference between the top and bottom of the car, and directing airflow from the bottom of the car reduces the pressure underneath the car to create higher downforce.

Generating vortices

The shape of the front wing allows it to generate one vortex on either side of the front wing, known as the Y250 vortex. These Y250 vortices then interact with the bargeboards and generate more vortices, some of which move below the body of the car. The vortices below the body of the car direct more air away from the bottom of the car, further decreasing the pressure below the car and increasing the downforce.