Teams agree on nose jobs for 2013

[John S]

New regs should require modesty panels to cover pig ugly conks.            

Formula 1 teams have agreed an amendment to the 2013 regulations, yet to be finalised, which will see the stepped noses disappear next season.
 
The majority of the cars on the grid, bar McLaren's MP4-27 and Marussia's MR01, feature a stepped nose which came as the result of new regulations for 2012 to reduce the risk of a car launching into the air should the nose make contact with the rear of another car - much like Mark Webber and Heikki Kovalainen at the 2010 European Grand Prix.
 
The new-look received mainly negative feedback from fans who branded the noses 'ugly'. The new regulations give a team the option to cover the step with a 'modesty panel', which simply hides the step according to McLaren's technical director Paddy Lowe.
 
"We have agreed a rule that allows a 'modesty panel', which in effect means you can take the existing cars and existing structures that have a step and put a cover there," said Lowe.
 
"The way it's managed is that the laminate and size of that panel is limited so that you can't create an aero [advantage] out of it and also so that it plays no part in the forward impact."
 
All 12 teams have agreed to the alteration, therefore it's almost guaranteed to be included in the next issue of the technical regulations.

by Ryan Wood TheF1times.com, Today.

[Scott]

Stupid.  They should put them back where they belong - DOWN.

[lkjohnson1950]

Stupid.  They should put them back where they belong - DOWN.

 

[David]

Stupid.  They should put them back where they belong - DOWN.

Agreed 

[Dare]

Maybe for safety I'm wrong but I think the raised
noses give F1 cars a unique look 

[lkjohnson1950]

True, uniquely ugly.

[F1fanaticBD]

Didn't Romain displayed at Spa that this ugly nose can as well launch you in the air, causing horrendous accident? Then why this fuss? Just make is as it was..

[cosworth151]

I was never all that fond of the old droop-snoots. The platypus nose may not be the most beautiful thing in the world, but I still like it better than the old saggy noses.

[Cam]

I can't for the life of me visualise how this is going to work.  The platypus nose came about because the FIA wanted to reduce the height of the nose but the manufacturers didn't want to reduce the height of the front bulkhead.  Ostensibly this was on cost grounds to enable re-use of last years chassis design but in reality it was to minimise degradation to airflow under the front of the car which would have occured if the chasss had been lowered. So the FIA maintained the profile limits up to the bulkhead and then a short distance past that (it obviouslycouldnt be a step change) reduced the profile to the new lower height.  The designs, unsurprisingly, simply max out the envelope specified by the rules. 

So where does this modesty panel fit in, the bulkhead isnt getting any lower so does is just mean they can make the transition to the lower height less extreme without making it a structural component.

[John S]

 
So where does this modesty panel fit in, the bulkhead isnt getting any lower so does is just mean they can make the transition to the lower height less extreme without making it a structural component.

I think that's exactly what they are proposing to do. This cosmetic fix will not be part of the structure that is required to pass the crash test, which surely is what Paddy Lowe is talking about when he refers to front impact. Might end up with a lot of extra Carbon fibre shards from front end shunts due to these modesty panels though, if they are not required to be as strong as the rest of the nose cones.  

 

[lkjohnson1950]

They should look like this:

[Scott]

Absolutely

[Ian]

Totally 1000% agree Lonny, now THAT is an F1 car.

[cosworth151]

Actually, I think they should look like this. 

Since that will never happen again, I'll take what comes.

[lkjohnson1950]

AH! Truly I agree with Cos, but I didn't even dare to hope they would do away with wings.