Leading from the Front: Kate Goldup and the Art of F1 Aerodynamics

Formula One’s adoption of aerofoils in the late 1960s started a revolution in car design. Angled the opposite way to wings on an aircraft, those on the front and rear of an F1 car are fundamental in producing downforce and generating performance. But there is a fine line in the trade-off between creating enough forces to provide grip in the corners, while reducing drag on the straights. Understanding this complex world of airflow belongs to the aerodynamicists at BWT Alpine Formula One Team - and among them is Kate Goldup.

After studying aerospace engineering at university, Kate applied for an internship at Enstone in 2018 and decided to focus her career in the aero department. “The fact that F1 is a sport with a competitive edge really appealed to me,” explains Kate. “I loved the fast-paced nature of the work and although I knew how tough it would be to get a placement, when I did I was sold. I wasn’t doing anything else.”

Today, Kate sits within the aero development group at Enstone and is one of the Lead Aerodynamicists. Kate is responsible for the front of the car which includes the front wing and nose as well as the external front corner development for the 2026 launch car.

“On a day-to-day basis my role is to help define the shapes at the front of the car that are going to give us more aerodynamic performance,” says Kate. “We spend a lot of time reviewing the flow field, deciding what we want to do, then drawing the shapes that we think are going to achieve these aims. Ultimately, this work is helping make the car go faster.”

Within her group are a mix of aerodynamicists who split their resources between the front wing and external front corner development. They simulate their work in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and when they are happy, they send this data to the wind tunnel, to verify what is expected from the simulation. Ultimately that data is reviewed and - if successful - the surfaces are sent to the design team, built and added to the car.

“What we’re doing all day, every day, is collaborating and problem solving,” says Kate. “I can’t design one part of the car in isolation, so we’re constantly in touch with everyone working across the whole car to make sure everything works as a package. For example, if we’re working on the front end and just doing our own thing, it might be limiting the potential for downstream development on the rest of the chassis.”

Kate’s work highlights the importance of communication, teamwork and a meticulous approach and work ethic to ensure that gains being sought in one area extend across the entire project. That’s especially important right now, as a brand-new regulation set for 2026 has given the team a new set of targets and design priorities to focus on. The race to be at the sharp end next year has already started.