Mark Hughes explains the thinking that could be behind F1's new nose designs

At the time of writing, nine of the 11 teams have revealed their 2014 F1 cars - enough to see broad brush similarities and differences in the chosen layouts and concepts. Until more detail is forthcoming about these new models, we can only make generalised observations.

If this is indeed the case, then with the longer wheelbase the airflow from the regulation narrow front wing - which now has to struggle much more to find a way around the wheels - has more possibility of re-attaching itself to the surface of the sidepods in a smoother fashion after it has found its way around the wheels (because there is a greater length in which to have the airflow turn back in towards the car). Furthermore, because those pods are skinnier, there is not so much blockage - and more of that airflow should be able to find its way over the rear aero-profiled brake ducts and over the top of the diffuser, thereby creating more rear downforce. So it may just be that the dolphin nose/long wheelbase combo allows you to have your aero cake and eat it; the nose itself creates more front downforce while the loss of rear downforce from the nose's blockage is compensated by better flow to the rear from the longer wheelbase. The downside of the longer wheelbase car would be that of weight - in a formula where everyone is really struggling to get down to the minimum weight limit. It's only a theory at this early stage. But clearly something is driving the different interpretations to the new regulations.