Car
Why is the Coke bottle shape so important in Formula 1 aerodynamics?
by Samarth Kanal
5min read
Just as the Coca-Cola bottle is an enduring design, the Coke bottle figure is omnipresent in motorsport. But why is this particular shape so crucial to unlocking performance in Formula 1 and other motorsport?
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You might have noticed this shape in the profile of fighter jets and commercial aeroplanes, F1 racing cars and even road cars.
The Coke bottle is a shape that is ubiquitous across various machines that have been crafted through the study of aerodynamics or hydrodynamics.
Our 3D render showing how the rear of an F1 car is tapered at the rear, directing airflow inwards and away from the rear wheels
When was the Coke bottle shape first used in motorsport?
The Coke bottle itself was designed after a competition held by Coca-Cola to create a new, recognisable shape for its products in 1915.
In the early 20th Century, glass bottles had straight sides - but Coca-Cola introduced a trademarked tapered bottom to its bottles.
NASA began to experiment with the Coke bottle shape in aircraft as it chased supersonic speeds after World War Two. The profile - introduced by NASA engineer Dick Whitcomb - helped aircraft bypass shockwaves that caused detrimental drag past Mach 1.2, which is 20% faster than the speed of sound.
The Coke bottle shape does not have the same effects on cars or boats as neither travel fast enough to produce such powerful shockwaves. However, the profile has been used in road car design since the 1960s for aesthetic reasons.
Formula 1 cars were flat and straight during the ground-effect era to enhance downforce created by the floor
In the late 1970s, with the ground-effect era in full flow, F1 cars were flat and wide machines; it was imperative to enhance underfloor downforce. F1 car profiles began to change once the ground effect era had ended, in the mid-1980s.
Designers Alan Jenkins and John Barnard are widely credited for introducing the Coke bottle profile to F1 cars with the 1983 McLaren MP4/1.
The MP4/1 and its successor, the MP4/2, were gently tapered towards the rear, but this profile became more and more exaggerated over time.
Now, the Coke bottle shape is a mainstay of F1 design and single-seater racing car design.
The 1983 McLaren MP4/1 with its pioneering Coke bottle profile
Why is the Coke bottle shape advantageous?
As mentioned, this profile does not provide an inherent advantage to airflow - but it enables F1 car designers to unlock crucial performance enhancements at the rear of the car.
The Coke bottle shape reduces overall drag by pulling air inwards, away from the rear wheels.
In modern F1, that air is then directed towards the suspension wishbones between the rear wheels and bodywork and also towards the rear wing. This creates a zone of low pressure airflow at the rear of the car, enhancing local downforce and grip.
Furthermore, the tapered rear bodywork means more airflow can be directed from the engine louvres to the rear wing - so the rear wing can produce even more downforce.
A closeup look at the 2025 McLaren MCL39 with the rear bodywork sharply tapered to direct airflow to the suspension wishbones, rear wing, and beamwings
This benefits cooling by pulling more hot air out of the engine cover, while directing more cold air to the rear brake ducts at the bottom of the car. It’s a three-dimensional effect that brings myriad benefits around the rear bodywork.
The Coke bottle began as a way to take rear tyres out of the equation when designing an F1 car; the drag produced by the wheels was no longer as much of an issue.
In modern F1 and single-seater racing, this shape is indispensable in the chase for performance as it makes the rear of the car an even more powerful area for generating downforce, grip and ultimately pace.
