New aerodynamic regulations for 2017 were fully intended to create a more aggressive and attractive looking formula for spectators.
Overall the changes have been positive, the lower rear wing, the wider cars, the wider tyres all make the new Formula One cars rather pleasing on the eye, with the exception of the return of the shark fin and worse, the additional coathanger wings!
The shark fin is designed to help channel air flow to the rear wing, something that overall offers marginal gains to the teams.
No one likes them, but as ever, Formula One teams cannot simply agree to outlaw them as each team looks after its own competitive advantage.
?Part of the sales pitch for these new rules was nicer-looking cars, We?ve only half achieved that, haven?t we, because we?ve got all these oddities ? shark fins and t-wings and more bits surrounding the turning vanes than I?ve seen for a long time. F1?s new managing director Ross Brawn told motorsport.com.
?That?s OK, that?s understandable with a new set of rules, but the next iteration has got to make sure that we don?t ? even if it?s only for aesthetics.
Brawn’s calls come after Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner also called for a shark fin ban.
‘I think the cars look fantastic, the only thing that lets them down is the shark fins, It’s something we raised at the Formula 1 Strategy [Group] meeting last year to ask that all teams remove them because it is a pretty marginal performance gain they offer. Horner told Sky Sports.
‘In the interests of aesthetics, it was requested they be removed. That went to the F1 Commission and unfortunately it was immediately rejected by the majority of teams.’
‘Hopefully it’s something that can be addressed for next year because the cars look great, it’s just a shame this shark fin has crept in through another loophole in the regulations,’ Horner added.
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