The new Mclaren

I'd ignore any detail on the wings. They never reveal much until the first race. The McLaren does look good.

Also saw today Boullier, who did a good job at Lotus last year has left. Rumours are he's off to McLaren 

Hard to tell whether the Lotus has anything inside the 2 forks but yes agree with that comment Ken.

 

EDIT:

I've noticed that upon closer inspection the Lotus noses are of different lengths: in the pic below the nearest one is clearly longer than the other? Must be a reason.

 

For clockwise circuits, bet it'll be the other way for anti-clockwise circuits.

 

Got to say I'm not sure these new noses are any prettier than last years. It's about time a rule was introduced forcing the designers to make cars prettier. Form over function is what's needed.

For clockwise circuits, bet it'll be the other way for anti-clockwise circuits.

 

Got to say I'm not sure these new noses are any prettier than last years. It's about time a rule was introduced forcing the designers to make cars prettier. Form over function is what's needed.

 

I liked The Daily Mash's idea: http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/formula-1-switches-to-clown-cars-2013070174419

For clockwise circuits, bet it'll be the other way for anti-clockwise circuits.

 

Got to say I'm not sure these new noses are any prettier than last years. It's about time a rule was introduced forcing the designers to make cars prettier. Form over function is what's needed.

 

Probably more to do with single cross section in the nose rules. 1 part structural, other part vanity panel. At least that's how I see it from my rough understanding of the rules, rather than clockwise/anti-clockwise.

 

Mclaren and someone else already said that this is just a launch spec wing/nose and it will change by the first race, as always.

 

Top down pic

 

Edited 24 January, 201412 yr by Iann-

 

Top down pic

 

 

The OCD in me absolutely hates that nose.

Know what you mean, but won't need to look at stationary too much soon (hopefully   ).

 

Found this though:

http://somersf1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/lotus-e22-image-analysis.html

 

His blog is usually good for technical insights

Bookmarked that site, thanks! 

The F14T

I have no problems with how any of cars end up looking. Speed is all that matters. It's amazing how many I've seen getting so offended by the looks of a race car,

Sauber C33

Hard to tell whether the Lotus has anything inside the 2 forks but yes agree with that comment Ken.

 

EDIT:

I've noticed that upon closer inspection the Lotus noses are of different lengths: in the pic below the nearest one is clearly longer than the other? Must be a reason.

 

 

 

The rules say there must be only a single point. There was a good explanation on autosport. But the idea is they will act as turning vanes I believe.

xxxx

 

Yes there must be a single point but I suspect that this won't be the "actual" version they will race with.

 

The site Iann- linked above explains some of the detail very well.

 

 

 

 

Know what you mean, but won't need to look at stationary too much soon (hopefully   ).

 

Found this though:

http://somersf1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/lotus-e22-image-analysis.html

 

His blog is usually good for technical insights

On noses - AIUI the cone itself will require new crash tests to restyle, but the working wing surfaces won't. That means that we're sort of stuck with things like the Ferrari aardvark, but the Sauber looks quite elegant.

These stacks of winglets is getting silly now.

First test news - Lewis Hamilton has the fastest (and only) flying lap time, some 18s off last year.

^^ and has now stuffed his Merc into the barriers, perhaps he didn't like the nose? Team are reporting front wing failure as cause of accident.

 

 

 

Flurry of launches ahead of the start of the test, some pics here from: Merc, Red Bull, and Force India

 

 

 

I assume the Red Bull nose is designed to slot in to the front of the Lotus nose by the looks of it 

 

The Force India one looks like it's designed to hook straight onto a tow truck - guess they think reliability's going to be a problem this year.

 

I seemed to remember from my long forgotten days in engineering design that in general, if some thing "looked right" it would generally work and if it "looked wrong" then it wouldn't. Applying those same principles to the latest round of F1 cars, I'd say none of them have much hope!! But then again I'm in no way related to Adrian Newey so I maybe wrong.

Latest thought on nose designs; Farce India seem to be the only team who've used the Nov/Dec preview design from Autosprout.

 

Errrm.....

 

That side shot of the Force India was so promising, now we know why it was a side shot!

Caterham were due to launch their car this morning after Merc and RB but announced they "were having problems bolting it together", here we can see why perhaps:

 

 

Caterham were due to launch their car this morning after Merc and RB but announced they "were having problems bolting it together", here we can see why perhaps:

 

 

Airbus sponsorship, and possibly engine pylons borrowed for the wing support?

So plenty of airborne cars in 2014 then?

Surprise surprise McLaren appoint Boullier:

 

Eric Boullier has joined McLaren as racing director, the team has confirmed.

 

“Eric’s appointment is an integral part of a senior management restructure within McLaren Racing,” said chairman Ron Dennis.

 

McLaren confirmed they also plan to appoint a new chief executive officer of McLaren Racing, who Boullier will report to.

 

“In due course we’ll announce the identity of McLaren Racing’s new chief executive officer” added Dennis.

 

Boullier, who joins the team after spending four years as Lotus’s team principal, said: “I’m both eager and determined to play an active part, working alongside McLaren Racing’s other senior managers and directors, within a new operational structure, to bring about the changes that will deliver success.”

 

“I want to take this opportunity to assure the McLaren Racing workforce that I’m utterly determined to match their famous passion and commitment to win.”

 

No mention was made of the future destination of previous team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

 

So Boullier appears to have trackside responsibility (with Sam Michael) reporting into a new position, reporting into Dennis?

 

Bye bye Whitmarsh then.