Are F1's Phallic Nosecones Dangerous As Well As Ugly?

Image source: Caterham F1 Team

Good news everyone. F1's ugly nose designs look set to disappear for the 2015 season, according to the sport's race director Charlie Whiting.

2014's regulation changes saw the nose tip drop from 550mm to 185mm to prevent cars from launching off the back of a rival’s machinery. With designers looking to get as much airflow as possible under the chassis, we have seen some extremely odd and unusual interpretations of the new rules that differ from what the sport's governing body, the FIA, expected.

Image source: Red Bull/Getty Images

Whiting, the man in charge of pressing the big red button to start the race (amongst many other things), recently said:

"A lot of teams have come up with a solution which is not quite what we intended. OK it has not worked exactly as we had hoped it might, but it will be a significant improvement over last year and it will be addressed for next year."

However, it isn't just the look of the nosecones that could prompt changes to be made. During the 2014 curtain-raiser in Australia, we saw a worrying first corner accident that highlighted a major problem with the new noses - something that design genius Adrian Newey had raised over the winter.

Image source: AP

Kamui Kobayashi suffered a rear brake problem at turn one on the first lap of the race. He was left with nowhere to go and crashed into Felipe Massa's Williams. The nose of his Caterham CT05 made contact with the right-rear wheel of Massa's FW36, scooping the Williams up onto Kobayashi's nosecone momentarily.

Image source: Caterham F1 Team

Fortunately the accident occurred just after the start, so the low speeds meant Massa's car soon dropped off Kobayashi's nose and slid into the gravel. However, the consequences could have been far worse if the cars were travelling at faster speeds, with Kobayashi's exposed helmet the next point of impact for the scooped up car. It's certainly a concern for future races.