Stepped noses on Formula 1 cars will be banned from 2014 onwards following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on Friday.
The unusual look, which drew criticism from a majority of fans, came about last season when the regulations were changed to permit lower noses for safety reasons.
A ‘vanity panel’ was introduced for the current season to cover up the nose, but because it offered no performance benefit, some teams decided not to adopt it.
In response to this, the FIA has approved a technical regulation change for 2014 which will see the height of the chassis lowered to bring it in line with the maximum nose height.
“Measures have been put in place to ensure that the cars do not incorporate a step in the chassis behind the nose,” read a statement.
“These changes will also ensure that a genuine low nose, introduced for safety reasons, is always used.”
OTHER TECHNICAL REGULATION CHANGES FOR 2014
As well as the change to the noses, the WMSC announced further changes to the technical regulations.
The minimum weight limit has been raised by 5kg, as the power unit is now likely to weigh more than originally expected. The weight distribution has also been changed accordingly.
Electronic control of the rear brake circuit is permitted in order to ensure consistent braking whilst energy is being recovered for the new energy recovery system.
In order to ensure that the cockpit rims either side of the driver’s head are stronger, the amount of deflection during the static load tests has been reduced from 20mm to 5mm.
