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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has admitted that the team attempted to block the introduction of 'shark fins' in 2017. With the new regulations in place for this season, most teams have fitted them to their cars, and Mercedes will decide whether or not to use it after pre-season testing.
The 'shark fin' is there to divert the air onto the rear wing, which this year is much lower than last year. Horner however, is not a fan of them.
“I think the cars look fantastic,” he said. “The only thing which lets them down is the shark fins, proportionally.”
“It’s something that we raised at a Formula One Strategy Group meeting last year to ask the teams to remove them to reinstate the because it’s obviously pretty marginal on performance gain that they offer. In the interests of aesthetics it was asked that they be removed.”
“That went to the Formula One Commission and unfortunately was immediately rejected by the majority of teams.”
Horner hopes that they will be looked at for 2018, and wants them to be eradicated from the rules, as he feels they make the cars look ugly.
“Hopefully it’s something that can be addressed for next year,” he said. “Because the cars look great, it’s just a shame that this shark fin has crept in through another loophole in the regulations.”
“If you ask our aerodynamicists they’d like to retain it,” he admitted. “But I think from an aesthetic point of view the cars would look more attractive without it.”
Fergal Walsh
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Replies (4)
Login to replyf1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
Horner is so full of s**t, only considering how the cars look. Not thinking about the other implications it would have
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
I cant blame them, Im not too fond of the shark fins either. The only sort of cool one ATM is Haas'.
dr002
Posts: 141
I'm TOTALLY on board with Horner on this one
mclarenfan1968
Posts: 1,027
Horner claimed just a while back the RBR13 is the most prettiest car they have designed yet. Few days later RBR13 launches with shark fin. lel? Contradiction of the funniest type.
"pretty marginal on performance gain that they offer."
Load of horseshit. Anyone with background into CFD theory will know there is a huge use for directing laminar flow in such a manner for whatever end purpose that flow serves, in this case rear wing.
Aesthetics, sure it definitely looks hideous but horner has always been one for supporting whatever gave them an aero advantage. Given how boring of an evolution the RBR13 looks like, there might be aerodynamic deficiencies Horner is upset about at his own camp. This is probably more a reflection of their competitive state vs the others.