2015 rule changes - nose designs

Nose designs are arguably the biggest visual change to the cars in 2015, and although the regulations have been significantly tightened in this area there are still variations in the approaches teams have taken.

In a bid to move away from the controversial designs spawned last year, the new rules require a low nose tip with a cross sectional area of at least 9,000mm2. Just 100mm behind the tip the nose must broaden to at least 20,000mm2. Some teams - among them Red Bull and Williams - have kept a stub at the front of their nose, as shown in the top image. Other teams, in contrast, have opted for a longer nose, which protrudes over the front of the wing. Mercedes have taken a different route again, opting for a shorter nose but with a very slight point rather than a stub. As per the regulations, this is much slimmer than their 2014 solution. The main challenge for all teams is to compensate for the big aerodynamic impact of the changes, as the newly mandated nose section creates a blockage, robbing the front of the car of downforce.