Surer joins calls for ban to shark fins and extra wings

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Former Formula 1 driver turned pundit Marc Surer has added his voice to those calling for the FIA to intervene on 'ugly' shark fins in 2017.

The new bodywork components extending from the back of the engine cover toward the rear wing help with aerodynamic flow. Surer said that their purpose was to "calm the air in front of the rear wing."

The so-called 'shark fins' originally emerged several years ago. They were banned apparently on aesthetic grounds, but have been made legal again under 2017's new regulations.

However many in the paddock don't like the look of them on the cars. They want to see the rules changed again in time for the first race of the season.

"Mercedes and some others have even built a second wing in front of the rear wing, but it's terribly ugly and should be banned," Surer told German broadcaster Sky Sports.

The Swiss driver raced in Formula 1 between 1979 and 1986, including four seasons with Arrows and one with Brabham. He now works as a television commentator for Sky covering Grand Prix events.

Surer is not alone in his view. Red Bull boss Christian Horner has already said he wants to see the new fins banned.

Horner effort to ban shark fins unsuccessful

"I think the cars look fantastic," he said during pre-season testing. "The only thing that lets them down is the shark fins.

"If you look at the bigger picture and the aesthetics of Formula 1, it would be right to try to get rid of them."

And Formula 1's new sporting director Ross Brawn has also said that the shark fins should be rethought.

"As always with new regulations there's a few little hiccups. We've got the unpopular shark fins on the back, and I think in time we need to address those."

However it seems too late to get the rules changed in time for Melbourne. Teams are addressing the aesthetics issue though interim livery designs and paintwork solutions instead.

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.