Kewee
Race Winner
So many seem obsessed with Ferrari's stepped nose it's worth pointing out its three main purposes. This applies to all F1 cars and I'm referring to the entire forward section of the car, from the front of the cockpit through to the front wing and I'm stating the obvious here.
1: It's a place to bolt on the front suspension
2: It provides a place for the driver to put his legs so he can drive it
3: Most importantly it provides a place to fit the front wing.
The front wing is the single most important aero component and with the current freeze on engine development its importance can't be overstated. It controls the airflow over and around the entire car, including the volume of air that reaches the rear wing, which is why many of the upgrades we see during the season are front wing related and are often track specific depending on the level of downforce required.
The last thing a designer wants, is for the forward section of the monocoque, including the nose, to disturb the airflow coming off the front wing. You only have to look back to 2007, the last year before they simplified the aero regulations. Despite the sidepod's growing a multitude of appendages, the entire forward section was clean and smooth. Flat sides, lower nose than now, and slightly convex whereas now they're slightly concave, but then, as they are now, clean and smooth. You can be sure Ferrari will have done extensive wind tunnel testing to make sure the angle where the nose steps down contributes to the airflow over the car, rather than disturbing it.
The Ferrari and McLaren are so different in every area McLaren have obviously taken a different path to solve the same problems. Lets hope they're both right, and considering they're likely to be Red Bulls main challengers it will be fascinating to see what Red Bull come up with.
Personally I think the Ferrari, from the cockpit back is beautifully uncluttered. The step down on the nose is different which is why everyones reacting to it. Whether you think it's ugly or not will be quickly forgotten once the season is underway, especially if your a Ferrari fan and their car is quick.
1: It's a place to bolt on the front suspension
2: It provides a place for the driver to put his legs so he can drive it
3: Most importantly it provides a place to fit the front wing.
The front wing is the single most important aero component and with the current freeze on engine development its importance can't be overstated. It controls the airflow over and around the entire car, including the volume of air that reaches the rear wing, which is why many of the upgrades we see during the season are front wing related and are often track specific depending on the level of downforce required.
The last thing a designer wants, is for the forward section of the monocoque, including the nose, to disturb the airflow coming off the front wing. You only have to look back to 2007, the last year before they simplified the aero regulations. Despite the sidepod's growing a multitude of appendages, the entire forward section was clean and smooth. Flat sides, lower nose than now, and slightly convex whereas now they're slightly concave, but then, as they are now, clean and smooth. You can be sure Ferrari will have done extensive wind tunnel testing to make sure the angle where the nose steps down contributes to the airflow over the car, rather than disturbing it.
The Ferrari and McLaren are so different in every area McLaren have obviously taken a different path to solve the same problems. Lets hope they're both right, and considering they're likely to be Red Bulls main challengers it will be fascinating to see what Red Bull come up with.
Personally I think the Ferrari, from the cockpit back is beautifully uncluttered. The step down on the nose is different which is why everyones reacting to it. Whether you think it's ugly or not will be quickly forgotten once the season is underway, especially if your a Ferrari fan and their car is quick.
