Formula 1-fi (Read the First Post!)

[Muinarc]

I like the lower nose height aesthetically, especially from the profile of the new cars. I do find it odd that they have shaped it like that though, especially if Lotus' version is legal, as that kind of cheats the rule and gives you an effective "old style" high nose height so you can get more air under the tea tray. 

 

[oqvist]

Has there been any pictures on what Ferrari and Red Bull is up to?

 

[Exediron]

  Has there been any pictures on what Ferrari and Red Bull is up to?

 
Not Red Bull - they're only going to reveal it at Jerez - but Ferrari did theirs today:
 

 

 
The F14 T has apparently gone a whole different route, basically doing by far the closest to what the regulations seem to have in mind. But the biggest problem for me is the name - not because I mind it (although I voted F166 Turbo, it would have been my second choice), but because of the number of people who will inevitably come along and say 'F14 T - Fiat! Haw haw!' and think they're incredibly clever for 'seeing' it.

 

[2015071]

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
Notice the nose of the Lotus.  Different lengths.
 
'Lotus's twin tusk arrangement eschews this philosophy and stretches the wording of the rules to the limit.
In order to meet the single lower nose tip regulation, the two tusks are of unequal length, so the longer one forms the mandatory nose tip, while the other is short enough to avoid being considered part of the nose tip by the regulations.  This leaves each tusk to act as a crash structure, the front wing mounting pylon and then, as they slim narrow the rear of the car, also become turning vanes.  This means the unavoidable obstruction of the mandatory nose tip is made into a multi-purpose device.  The design may present slightly more total cross sectional area to the airflow, but places the obstruction in the most beneficial location.'

 
 

UUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

 

[Exediron]

Maybe it's my loyalties showing through, but personally I think the McLaren nose is by far the best looking so far; the little bit at the end doesn't cancel out the generally much more aesthetically pleasing shape of the whole.

 

[oqvist]

I would agree about the McLaren but boy the nose. This make the williams look best but I am sure it will be the slowest

 

[wuwhere]

They should paint that protrusion black so that its inconspicuous.

 

[Audio-Omega]

Check out the video at Ferrari.com

 

[Eee Pee]

Couple more of the new Fiat... 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 
Personally, I like these new cars.  And find the Ferrari fantastic looking.
 
 
 

 

[proton007]

Whats with the nose? Everyone seems to have a different design. AFAIK the only regulation is to have them no higher than 185mm from the ground.
 
The way I see it, either all the cars will have wild differences in their behavior, or they'll all be the same. Hoping for the former.

 

[Planar_head]

The nose regulations also state that there must be a certain cross sectional area for the nose crash structure. This is why the nose shapes are so different.
 
Personally, I'm glad that there are such significant outward differences in the car's designs this time around, compared to previous years. It proves that F1 is in fact not a spec series (as some would like to believe).
We will find out which nose is best either after the year's first test or at the first race of the season, where I expect that some teams will have revised noses on their cars.
 
See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJIGPQKtcXA#t=127

 

[oqvist]

  The nose regulations also state that there must be a certain cross sectional area for the nose crash structure. This is why the nose shapes are so different.
 
Personally, I'm glad that there are such significant outward differences in the car's designs this time around, compared to previous years. It proves that F1 is in fact not a spec series (as some would like to believe).
We will find out which nose is best either after the year's first test or at the first race of the season, where I expect that some teams will have revised noses on their cars.
 
See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJIGPQKtcXA#t=127

Is there anybody that believe F1 is a spec series. It´s as far as you can ever get to a spec series that is why it´s so incredibly expensive which has always shown on the cars.

 

[Planar_head]

  Is there anybody that believe F1 is a spec series. It´s as far as you can ever get to a spec series that is why it´s so incredibly expensive which has always shown on the cars.

But could you really say that last year? If you took a Joe off the street and debranded all of the cars on the grid and asked them what the differences are at a glance, would they be able to tell them apart? Probably not.
 
Think about it: they used a V8 that had no development since 2008, and the only huge differences were in the nose area (step or no step) or how they were blowing the exhaust for the diffuser. Sauber had some minor differences in the openings in the sidepods; and there were other little details that defined each car from each other.
 
What I'm saying is that at a glance, F1 appears to be a spec series, though everyone who posts in this thread knows otherwise. With the different solutions that the teams are coming up with at the front and the back of the car, I expect that every car will be readily identifiable based on the design of the car, unlike current year's past. It remains to be seen if these designs will persist to the end of the season, since each design must be proven if they are to stick around.

 

[customcoco]

I don't want to play the smart@ass, but then how do you explain the gigantic gap between the best and the worst performing teams?
 
Then again, if you took an average joe off the street there's a pretty high probability that he'd tell that all headphones sound the same.
 
I get your point, but (to the average joe) every major series of racing cars appears to be a spec series. Innovative engineers find innovative solutions and then everyone follows them. It's been the same since the very outset of F1 Grand Prix (weird 6 wheeled cars besides...).

 

[Eee Pee]

See this thing?
 
 

 
 
 

  The incredibly small engine weighs only 40 kilograms (88 pounds) but produces an astonishing 400 horsepower. The base engine is only 500 mm tall x 400 mm long x 200 mm wide (19.68" x 15.74" x 7.78"). While the engine is technically too heavy to take as carry-on luggage on a plane, it would easily fit inside the luggage guides seen at major airports around the world.

Revving to 7,500 rpm, the Nissan DIG-T R produces 380 Nm of torque. At a ratio of 10 horsepower per kilogram, the new engine actually has a better power-to-weight ratio than the new engines to be used in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship this year.

 
 
http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/releases/nissan-unveils-revolutionary-engine-to-complement-electric-zeod-rc-powerplant