An image showcasing a concept car for Formula 1’s 2021 season has been leaked in the run-up to this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The picture was taken by an attendee at a motorsport technology meeting headed by Ross Brawn, Formula 1 Group’s managing director and former team owner.
The seminar was “behind closed doors”, but images of the concept “quickly circulated on social media”, reports Motorsport.com.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Autosport says the concept is part of F1 management’s push to “finalise an overhaul of car rules for 2021 in a bid to make grand prix racing more exciting and more attractive to fans”.
Appearing in Ferrari’s 2018 livery, the car appears to be a “radical” departure from the machine’s competing in this year’s championship, adds The Sun.
The aerodynamic winglets on today’s cars have been scaled down significantly for the concept, while the front wing is significantly narrower and more simple in design.
The concept also features notably larger wheels, bodywork covers over the rear tyres, and a significantly thinner version of the halo - a head protection device that was mandated at the start of the 2018 season.
Although the F1 prototype image is the first of its kind to emerge from the sport’s management, it seems the group may be working on other designs - the picture is captioned “concept 2”, suggesting that more are in the pipeline.
The design hasn’t been well received by many F1 fans on social media, however.
F1 analyst Matthew Somerfield was “totally underwhelmed” by the concept, while another user said the 2000 to 2008 era of cars were more futuristic.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
-
Ferrari Purosangue review: what the car critics sayfeature There is ‘nothing else’ on the market quite like Ferrari’s first four-seat, four-door model
-
Valtteri Bottas interview: F1 star talks cars, cycling and life during lockdown
In Depth Mercedes’s Finnish driver is an ambassador for luxury watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen
-
Ferrari Portofino M: a fresh start for the Prancing Horse
Speed Read The upgraded drop-top GT is sportier than its predecessor, with more power and a new gearbox
-
SF90 Stradale: Ferrari’s stunning new hybrid
Speed Read It’s hardly the greenest car on the road, but it’s still the reddest in tooth and claw
-
Formula 1 Drive to Survive season two review and trailer: Mercedes and Ferrari join an all-star cast
The Week Recommends New season is out on Netflix this Friday - plus we pick out the best sports documentaries to stream right now
-
Le Mans ’66 (Ford v Ferrari) review: high-octane flick races into cinemas
The Week Recommends Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in a gripping motorsport tale
-
Ferrari Roma 2020: official images, plus specs, price and release
In Depth Italian marque takes on Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG with its fifth new model of the year
-
Goodwood Revival 2019 review: racing through the ages
The Week Recommends The annual event is home to ‘the world’s most expensive motor race’ but the off-track action steals the show
