MOTORSPORT: The future shape of F1

Formula 1’s sporting director Ross Brawn has released images of the 2021 cars he envisages after a first image leaked out last week.

F1 has been working with the governing Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and teams to create cars that deliver better racing.
There are various concepts and Brawn says the designs will continue to evolve over the next year.

High on Brawn’s agenda is a solution to allow cars to follow each other more easily, which in turn should increase the opportunities to overtake.

But he also wants cars that look good, that youngsters would want to have posters of on their bedroom walls.

“The primary objective is to enable the cars to race well together,” Brawn says.

“The cars we have now are very bad in following each other.

“Once the cars get within a few car lengths of each other, they lose 50 per cent of their downforce. That’s a substantial amount of performance lost. So we set about understanding why that was and how we can improve it. I’m pleased to say we’re at about 80 per cent.

“As time has gone on, another of the primary objectives was to make great looking cars. We want cars that look better than what you see in a video game, cars that kids want to have up on their walls.

“We want a car that is inspiring. F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and the car should look sensational.”