It’s all change for F1 this season! Following the release of the new rules and regulations in January, they have now started to launch the new cars for the 2014 season. The first thing we have noticed is the change in the noses. Since the 2014 technical regulations were announced, interest has been building regarding the look of the noses. The FIA ruled that noses must now fit to a minimum height and cross-section area. We have seen many variations that are trying to combat these rules such as the finger nose which McLaren and Williams have adopted or the double-tusk nose from Lotus’ E22.
Which nose do you think will best perform this season? To coincide with the lowering of the noses, the front suspension has seen a change, as the suspension geometry is now more favourable. McLaren have made the suspension arms parallel to the ground in their new car, presumably because of the lower chassis. However, in our opinion, a pull rod suspension is possibly the best aerodynamically better solution as the arms slope down to the chassis giving a better angle to condition airflow. The lower noses that have been implemented means that it is now easier than it was last year to adopt this suspension set up so hopefully we should see some different designs to combat this. Also introduced in 2014 is the reduced front wing width, which has been changed by 75mm each side. The new change is quite significant as it is an attempt to reduce the number of accidents following the front wing, but will this make a difference to last season? For 2014, the cooling requirements have increased and therefore bigger sidepods inlets or additional cooling solutions have been created. Ferrari has adopted slimmer sidepods than the likes of McLaren however it is unclear whether this move by Ferrari will meet the new cooling objectives and so it will be interesting to see how long this lasts. However, we think that one of the most significant changes for 2014 is the placement of the exhaust outlet. For 2014 the tailpipe must exit behind the diffuser on the car centreline. We think that we will see further development from all teams in this area to get back some of the lost down force from the beam wing. What are your thoughts on the new cars for the 2014 F1 season? Let us know!