RUMOR: McLaren-Mercedes likely to apply new nosecone design for the MP4-27 at Barcelona

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If we are to judge the design of F1 single-seaters over the last decade, we can say it has changed dramatically since 2009, when the new technical regulations came into force, also bringing a rather strange styling. With the advent of the 2012, cars were once again drastically changed to order to counteract the lower downforce at the rear - as a consequence, a stepped nose was widely adopted by most of the teams, which help to efficiently channel the air towards the back end and improve stability. Apart from McLaren-Mercedes, that thanks to the unique characteristics of the MP4-27, didn't ought to use this solution, but moved on with a classic design for the nose.

Recently, it was discovered the Woking-based team evaluated the new nosecone at the Mugello tests and it looks the MP4-27 will display the innovation beginning with this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, latest reports indicate. Compared to the old solution used up to Bahrain, the new one brings some benefits in terms of speed of grip, which means faster track times without affecting the architecture of the third section of the car, which FIA has developed a set of strict rules for, as we all know.

Martin Whitmarsh, team principal at McLaren, is also supporting the idea, given his latest statement: “There’s a reasonable chance we’ll see it on Sunday, which will be the first time our drivers experience it. You are managing the airflow enjoyed by the rest of the car. There are a lot of restrictions around the back end of the car, so you generate more improvement by managing the flow that arrives there than by developing the rear itself.”

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