It's all about airflow.
A modern F1 car relies on undisturbed air both to
create the downforce needed to maintain grip through corners, and keep
its tires, brakes, and engine cool. On the straights, drafting behind
the car in front to divert air away from a car's aerodynamic pieces is
better, because that creates less drag, allowing it to go faster. It's
when you get behind a car in the corners do things start going badly.
Since that air is being diverted away from the car,
it's not creating enough downforce to carry speed through a turn.
Moreover, there's less clean air to cool the brakes, tires, and engine.
That's why drivers have such a hard time passing through high speed
corners, and often leave a few car lengths of space to get a clean
pocket of air.
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