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Before fans got to hear the sound of the highly contentious V6 engines at the beginning of the year, a debate was already raging about the arguably hideous nose-cone designs.
With the McLaren MP4-29 the first reveal to usher in the season, fans were already likening the long, protruding nose-cone to that of an anteater.
Less than 24 hours later, Ferrari revealed its F14T design for the season, and though not featuring any protruding parts, did have a front wing that inclined downwards from the chassis bulkhead.
This also drew some criticism from fans, drawing comparisons to the wide mouth of a vacuum cleaner.
Discussions were made by the FIA Motorsport Council as early as June in Austria to satisfy a desire for the return of elegant designs, with 2015 nose cones requiring “improved safety and to provide more aesthetically pleasing structures.”
It was only on November 28, however, that we finally got sight of preliminary designs via an official video posted on the FIA website.
The video rules out the Mercedes W05 nose cone for next year due to its height, as well as the Lotus E22 tusks and McLaren MP4-29 anteater nose.
Instead, the narrator goes on to claim “only Ferrari shares a similar shape and dimensions to those required next year.”
Fans waiting to find out exactly what teams will create to conform to these regulations can look no further than the Lotus Formula One team, who have already used a prototype nose during US GP practice.
The design indeed looks almost identical to the Ferrari F14T, featuring a steep decline between the bulkhead and front wing.
Some fans may be feeling nostalgic, as lower noses harken back to Formula One in the 90s, when nose designs were part of the front wing instead of being slightly elevated by front wing pylons.
However, safety concerns remain over lowered nose solutions. During the Bahrain GP, Pastor Maldonado’s Lotus flipping Esteban Gutierrez’s Sauber has often been credited to lower front end designs.
It must be said no front wing design could have prevented significant contact during that incident given the circumstances, and 2013 designs would likely have spun the car, if not also flipping it.
What are your thoughts? Is the Ferrari car the right template for next year’s nose cones, or should another design serve as the prime example?
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