Could Ferrari's F1 concept become reality?

How to make Formula 1 more exciting is high up the agenda for the FIA and teams, and as well as headline-grabbing initiatives such as the push for 1000bhp engines, there is a major focus on car aesthetics.

Ferrari has thrust that debate into the public domain by releasing a 'concept' drawing of a proposal for a future F1 car.

It's a 'stylised' car that is still loosely based around the current rules, and aims to show how a dramatic visual reinvention could be achieved without as radical a rules overhaul as might be expected.

At its core this car shares much of the same aero and structure of the current F1 designs. The front and rear wings, diffuser, and slim central survival cell are all essentially the same.

Current rules limit how varied car designs can be in Formula 1 © XPB

But then around these core parts are superfluous bodywork elements and larger wheels to make the car look more exciting. Arguably some of the additions could be considered safety-related too, including the fender-like panels around the wheels - something purists have expressed vocal opposition to whenever they've been mooted for F1.

Much of the shaping that makes the Ferrari concept car look so good serves no aero function, and might even detract from it.

So how do you form rules that require such aesthetics? To do so would require a fundamental restructure of the technical regulations and of aero development in F1.

Currently the regulations are based around a series of dimensional boxes into which bodywork can and cannot be placed, and even within these regulatory boxes there are additional rules to prevent overly complex shapes being created.

As a result the cars all follow a similar template with aero devices crammed into these boxes to maximise their potential, creating lots of square-edged shapes to form the wings and monocoque.

The cars are designed by engineers not stylists, with large teams working to the maximum permitted under the windtunnel and CFD restrictions.

However, the FIA does not homologate, nor limit the number of, updates allowed during the year, nor does it test the cars to see the levels of downforce being produced.

As a result there is little visually exciting about an F1 car, nor any association between it and a road car manufacturer's own products. The formula has become so aero dependant because there is a relative lack of restrictions on development in this area, whereas the other key performance factors of weight, suspension, electronics, tyres and engines are far more tightly controlled.

Freeing up the aero rules creates a conundrum for the sport's regulators: how do you word a rule that a car must look exciting?

How do you stop the huge teams of aero designers taking a newly freed-up area of bodywork and exploiting it for more downforce or less drag, potentially at the expense of the aesthetics the rules were designed to improve?

Given free reign over the shape and position of aero devices, the teams - under the FIA's current unlimited aero-development philosophy - would simply make the bodywork the best shape to create downforce and cut drag, hugely increasing cornering and straightline speeds to the detriment of safety.

The cars would not end up being any better looking, as they would be designed for functionality not style. An aero arms race would kick off with teams investing huge sums to make the most of the steep development curve and gains in laptime, introducing bodywork updates at every race. This is clearly a situation the FIA wants to avoid.

Equally, leaving the design of the car to a stylist would mean the added bodywork - shaped for looks, not performance - resulted in slower laptimes due to the loss in aero performance.

It would also add weight, while cooling and safety could be compromised as well.

Could F1 standardise wings to free up other areas of bodywork © XPB

Some road cars are able to achieve this balance of looks and performance but their manufacturers have a motivation to balance style and substance to achieve sales. In such a competitive sport as F1, speed is the only motivation.

One solution could be to create very different technical regulations isolating the functional aero surfaces of the cars (the wings and diffuser) while freeing up the rest of the bodywork.

With tightly controlled (or even standardised) functional aero parts, the cars' performance can be capped.

Then the rest of the bodywork - which can be more heavily stylised - could be homologated and tested by the FIA in a windtunnel or using CFD to ensure it isn't unduly adding performance to the car. Being homologated, the parts could be restricted for the whole season or limited to a few updates per year.

Perhaps a sweetener to the cap on aero performance could be the introduction of active aero, with wings and cooling altering between the straights and corners.

This would also add to the current efficiency drive in F1, as downforce isn't required on the straights and the drag it brings costs in fuel consumption.

Such a move would massively alter the aero-dominated and dull-looking formula we have now. Of course it won't suit every team's strengths and agendas, but a step change is the only way such a radical and equitable rethinking of aesthetics could be introduced.

The potential exists for much more visually exciting cars, but it's not clear if the sport is ready to accept the huge change it would require.