Ross Brawn says F1 cars from 2021 need to look sensational, like 'video games'

[NathanOlder]

Adrian Newey says something along the lines of "if it's beautiful it will be fast" so if Newey thinks good looking cars are fast, why cant the rules be written to ensure good looking cars

[krisfx]

Adrian Newey says something along the lines of "if it's beautiful it will be fast" so if Newey thinks good looking cars are fast, why cant the rules be written to ensure good looking cars

Hmm, in his book it was loosely along those lines, but does he not say that beautiful cars can be slow? I don't know if you know many engineers, but the thought process of "it looks aesthetically pleasing" is usually right in the back of the mind, especially in racing. Function > form. The recent trend towards wanting "style" is bizarre at best.

[AJI]

... The recent trend towards wanting "style" is bizarre at best.

Do you mean 'recent trend' as in, 'since the beginning of F1'? or, 'since the invention of the automobile'? or, 'since the beginning of human consciousness'?

[jjn9128]

Adrian Newey says something along the lines of "if it's beautiful it will be fast" so if Newey thinks good looking cars are fast, why cant the rules be written to ensure good looking cars

I think you have that the wrong way around, wasn't it "if it's fast it will be beautiful"? If anything 2017 has shown trying to write the rules to force a particular aesthetic will never work. In any case what constitutes a beautiful car for one is an ugly car for another. Cars I like include the MP4-2, BT52, FW14B, 414t2, 102, CG901... I'm not sure any of them qualify as beautiful though...

A possible way to control aesthetics I can think of would be if there was a standard FIA tub that all teams had to run - they have freedom over the front wing, nose and anything that bolts onto the monocoque. We basically have that now, there's not much freedom in the monocoque design between the front bulkhead and seat. It could be spec'd for a 185cm, 80kg driver with space for ballast around the drivers COM. But I don't think it would be a popular move with fans or teams.

[krisfx]

... The recent trend towards wanting "style" is bizarre at best.

Do you mean 'recent trend' as in, 'since the beginning of F1'? or, 'since the invention of the automobile'? or, 'since the beginning of human consciousness'?

In racing, which I would have thought was obvious, considering this is a site based on racing. I'm not sure when race car designers started with a sheet of paper and an aim of making the car look stylish and as someone said above, this year proved that writing regulations for aesthetics just doesn't work.

I think since 2014, we've had constant whining about the design aesthetics of the cars (Shark fins, noses, T wings to name a few), while completely ignoring the fact that they are a technical masterpiece, designed to make the most of a set of regulations.

[Tim.Wright]

... The recent trend towards wanting "style" is bizarre at best.

Do you mean 'recent trend' as in, 'since the beginning of F1'? or, 'since the invention of the automobile'? or, 'since the beginning of human consciousness'?

In racing, which I would have thought was obvious, considering this is a site based on racing. I'm not sure when race car designers started with a sheet of paper and an aim of making the car look stylish and as someone said above, this year proved that writing regulations for aesthetics just doesn't work.

Considering that open wheels + wings is a purely arbitrary and aesthetic component of the rules then it's been a good 67 years that aesthetics have been a primary driver of the ruleset.

[Just_a_fan]

Do you mean 'recent trend' as in, 'since the beginning of F1'? or, 'since the invention of the automobile'? or, 'since the beginning of human consciousness'?

In racing, which I would have thought was obvious, considering this is a site based on racing. I'm not sure when race car designers started with a sheet of paper and an aim of making the car look stylish and as someone said above, this year proved that writing regulations for aesthetics just doesn't work.

Considering that open wheels + wings is a purely arbitrary and aesthetic component of the rules then it's been a good 67 years that aesthetics have been a primary driver of the ruleset.

Open wheels and wings were both adopted for performance reasons, not aesthetic reasons. That they might be considered "essential" components today is a different issue.

[Sevach]

But videogames are 95% real life cars.

[AJI]

...I think since 2014, we've had constant whining about the design aesthetics of the cars...

This argument has been going on 'since forever', was my point. It is in no way recent nor is it bizarre, and like it or not it will continue to go on forever...

[ringo]

Not sure why some believe this "functional design" thing. The regulation boxes are based on someone's (or a group's) idea of aesthetics. The regulators already had in mind how the cars will look when they made the rules.
So it's actually the other way around, the cars are made to be as functional as possible from some guy's idea of what is aesthetic.
So i don't mind what Brawn says. If the rule makers want the new cars to look like a Tie Fighter, then the engineers will simply have to make that design as functional as possible. So i'm all for cars that look like video games.
The engineers will simply make the aero work from what they are given.

[KeiKo403]

I'm sure that FOM want F1 to be successful. They won't want to come up with a set of regulations that aren't going to allow good racing.

If they're smart they'll:
1. Come up with a design which allows for racing
2. Apply different ways of adding speed and measure the effects of the racing capability
3. Find a way to make it visually appealing and measure the effects on the speed/racing

DISCLAIMER - I'm sure it's not that simple IRL but the basic concept should be like that.

If we want a visually stunning looking car then that needs to come down to more than just the aero/engineers in the teams too. Just look at the bland Liveries that have been churned out over recent years, Sauber, McLaren, Marussia, HAAS, the list goes on and on really. I'll look at a Sean Bull design and go "WOW, that Alfa Romeo Sauber looks beautiful, can't wait to see that on track"

[McMrocks]

But videogames are 95% real life cars.

True, I would appreciate if the cars could look like the cars in that F1 2005 Racing game.

[KeiKo403]

But videogames are 95% real life cars.

True, I would appreciate if the cars could look like the cars in that F1 2005 Racing game.

They do if you watch low quality live streams on youtube, and squint really hard, and pretend the racing is good.

[strad]

But videogames are 95% real life cars.

They are cartoons.
Very well done cartoons but hardly real cars.

[Big Tea]

There is also a huge difference in what one person to the next sees as a 'sexy' design.
Usually, someone who races,or watches racing with the actuality of of it in mind imagines something completely different to some one who paints a stripe and puts a big bore exhaust with wide 20inch wheels.
There seems to be more of the latter using social media and having a big influence