[EscaCsamas]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/83340

[TeLMgNva]

Odd looking beast. Reminds me a little of a williams - circa 1990. I hope it doesn't catch on, as it not exactly pleasing to the eye.

I wonder what the reasoning behind the redesign? Something to do with airflow to their new f duct do-hicky?

[exchpaypalgold]

Not the most beautiful thing ever but it's always good to see someone trying something different

[EscaCsamas]

Surely the airbox is a homolgated part of the chassis/monocoque as it forms part of the rool-hoop crash structure, no? and so cannot be changed so radically as this?

[exchpaypalgold]

I don't think the roll hoop itself has changed though, not sure but the "old" Mercedes airbox looked like it was split in two as this roll hoop would do, so that's probably why they can do it.

In any case this homologation thing needs to go away, it's as bad as the engine freeze.

[SantaClaus]

I don't think the roll hoop itself has changed though, not sure but the "old" Mercedes airbox looked like it was split in two as this roll hoop would do, so that's probably why they can do it.

Exactly, in the original design they had already taken the step of separating the roll structure from the airbox, to enable them to make changes like this.

[ElenaEvgeevnaa]

ooh, slightly ugly design but rather innovative-it will be interesting to see how this gets on.

aah, this is what F1 is about.

[Xtatotvk]

In any case this homologation thing needs to go away, it's as bad as the engine freeze.

Indeed, it's rather hard to argue that it should stay when one of the 'poorest' teams has been allowed to completely redesign their chassis to fit in a large fuel tank, and Renault and Ferrari have been able to change their engines again.

[Ruiptuptubre]

Just looking at it, it seems its lower than usual, wont the Drivers helmet interfere with the air flow?

[Arkadiyas]

Vive la différence

[MineOffedOvex]

Looks like some sort of robot sitting in the back seat.

[Mypepraipse]

After this they will present the new slimmer helmets and they will modify the driver's heads to fit in. Than maybe they'll add some little wings to them and the f duct will be incorporated to the helmets somehow. The drivers will use their tongues to make it work.

[Nmoitmzr]

I welcome any form of innovation in F1 so lets see how it gets on in Barcelona. If the larger air intakes above the drivers head alllow greater cooling, we may even see Ferrari adopting it..

[exchpaypalgold]

I think the one positive of the rule changes of the past two years (since I don't give a stuff about cost saving and not really fussed about overtaking) is the fact that all the cars now do kind of look different, it's not as good as the 70s when you had all sorts of shapes, but if you painted all the cars white and had to try tell them apart you could do it much easier than you could in say, 2008.

[DoctorIrokezov]

looks like an 1970s mclaren m26 to me, like it

[sadgpokx]

Great to see a radical innovation. Never thought we would see such a change in the area of airbox, but there you go!

[AlekseyZubkov]

I´m sorry for Nico.

[investmentonlinev2006x]

Looks like some sort of robot sitting in the back seat.

YEA THE TAD ROBOT

[fedelwfget]

Brundle made a good point about this "blade" rollbar - if a car went upside down on gravel or soft grass, it would be far more likely to embed than the conventional style...

[VonErmad4]

Brundle made a good point about this "blade" rollbar - if a car went upside down on gravel or soft grass, it would be far more likely to embed than the conventional style...

What's important when it goes upside down is that that the roll bar protects the driver and there is no doubt it does.