Formula 1 director of motorsports Ross Brawn says that the next generation of F1 car has got to deliver closer, more exciting on-track racing.
But he also wants to make sure that the sport looks every bit as good as possible in the process, too.
“When we started looking at the 2021 car, the primary objective was to enable the cars to race well together,” Brawn told the official Formula 1 website this week.
"The cars we have now are very bad in following each other," he admitted. “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."
But while that may have been the main objective at the start, competitiveness is not Brawn's only requirement for the new cars.
"Another of the primary objectives was to make great looking cars," he agreed. "We want cars that look better than what you see in a video game - cars that kids want to have up on their walls.
"At each stage, as we have been evolving the car, we’ve had someone we are working with create a graphic representation artist to give us a feel of what the car could look like.
“That is not to control the development, because it’s critical this development achieves its objectives," he insisted. "But why shouldn’t we have great looking cars as we’re evolving the cars?
"We want a car that is inspiring. F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and the car should look sensational."
The current version of F1 cars has been criticised for the 'ugly' halo cockpit protection device. Brawn says that in future, the halo would be more integrated which would ensure that it is more aesthetically pleasing than today.
The mock-ups released by Formula 1's commercial rights holders in association with the FIA also show how future car designers will be able to give their entries a more aggressive look.
Brawn hopes that the possibilities will appeal to prospective new teams, manufacturers and individuals keen to take advantage of what can be done.
“We want to create an environment where there is a queue of people wanting to join F1,” he said. "F1 is a great opportunity to promote technology.
"We’re short of engineers of the future. If F1 creates the passion for young people to get involved on engineering, in science topics, and technology, that’s a fantastic way of doing it."
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