The main purpose of the sidepods is to facilitate airflow to the radiator, which would improve cooling to the engine units. However, they can also be utilised to optimise the airflow around the car, and channel the airflow to the diffuser, producing additional downforce.

Ground effect sidepod design

In the past, ground effect designs have been used in sidepod assemblies, to produce additional downforce. A notable car that used this concept to great effect was the Lotus 79

The Venturi Effect

The Venturi Effect is an application of Bernoulli’s principle, which essentially states that when the airflow is constricted, the velocity increases, and the pressure of the air decreases.

How does this affect the production of downforce?

By generating such a region of low pressure underneath the Formula One car, the car is ‘sucked’ to the ground as the higher pressure air would force the car down.

References

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/technical/2018/8/tech-tuesday-retro-lotus-79.html