Why F1 designers can't be brave
Ex-McLaren Formula 1 engineer Mark Williams explains why the current racers tend to look so similar
Engineering
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As each new season arrives, many bemoan the fact that Formula 1 cars look the same, only distinguishable by their liveries. Is it because of the extremely prescriptive regulations, or is there more to it? The former has clearly been responsible for a general coalescence of aerodynamic trends but I believe the real reasons go deeper. In my opinion, F1 has an added dimension - risk management.
When I started in F1, sponsorship was dominated by tobacco advertising and the value of that increased as other avenues of exposure were removed one by one. Teams were awash with cash and it was ploughed into product.
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