Formula 1 teams are concerned that the 2014 technical regulations are forcing them into aesthetically challenged designs with hooked nose sections, as shown in this AUTOSPORT illustration.
The rules for next season require a high chassis of 525mm and a low nose tip at 185mm. But the regulations only demand a relatively small nose tip cross-section, and teams will want to minimize the width of this area to improve airflow under the chassis. That raises the prospect of slender, drooping nose tip extensions to meet minimum rules requirements for this section, protruding from a higher, more bulky, section that will pass crash tests and fit teams' aerodynamic needs.

While not all teams are believed to be heading down this design route, it is understood that several leading outfits believe it is the best solution. Some senior Formula 1 technical personnel have already called for changes to improve aesthetics, but this was not successful due to a lack of agreement on the need to do something. An FIA technical directive has also been issued that rules out an alternative nose solution that was put forward with a request for clarification.

Red Bull design chief Adrian Newey and McLaren sporting director Sam Michael have admitted that the 2014 cars are likely to be "ugly" due to the front impact structure.

"The low nose is not a problem," Michael explained. "The problem is the vagaries in the way you get through the crash test, and the teams will mostly be going down one solution. It is not because of the chassis height."

Adrian Newey, Red Bull's technical director and the most respected designer in Formula One, is worried about the safety of the new low nose which is the most conspicuous feature of this year's radical technological changes.

On the first morning of the opening testing session in southern Spain, which was remarkably quiet as teams came to terms with their complex new engines, Newey said: "The regulation has been introduced following some research by the FIA [the sport's governing body] which suggests that nose height reduces the chance of cars being launched [into the air] like the accident that Mark Webber had when he hit the back of Heikki Kovalainen in Valencia a few years ago. I must admit, I am concerned that the opposite may now happen, that cars now submarine effectively.

"If you hit the back of a car square on then you go underneath and you end up with a rear crash structure in your face, which is a much worse scenario."

Most of the cars introduced in recent days have had low, sloping noses, making them look a little like anteaters, though those unveiled by Mercedes and Red Bull on Tuesday morning were less ugly than most.

Newey added: "There have been some accidents where you think would a low nose possibly have made things much worse? There was the accident a few years ago where Michael Schumacher span at the first corner and somebody mounted him. Would a low nose have made that worse?

"I guess it's like all these things, it might help in some scenarios, it hurts in others. It's one which I must admit, personally I'm not in favour of. For me it's introduced possibly more dangers than it has cured."

Red Bull's team principal Christian Horner, when asked to comment on Newey's observations, added: "Adrian has never been a fan of this nose concept of torpedoing a car underneath another rather than going over the top.

"But that's the duty of the FIA and they're responsible for the safety in the sport. They've done their research and come up with the regulations. I don't think their regulations intended to have noses that we've seen, that aren't beauties, but their priority is for safety. Inevitably there will be concerns and differences of opinions."

The team's four-times world champion, Sebastian Vettel, added: "First of all, there is always a risk when you step into the car and you cannot manage what you do, unless you don't run.

"The nose rule was introduced to stop cars from lifting off behind another car. Hopefully we will not have a situation like that. For some things they might be safe for others, maybe not …"

The 2014 cars come with a whole raft of changes, the most important of which is the power unit, in which the old V8 has been dropped in favour of a new 1.6litre turbo-charged V6. But, in turn, this has resulted in new aero regulations.

Jerez was a very quiet place on Tuesday as even engineers and mechanics were left scratching their heads as they completed system tests to make sure the cars were ready for the track. The four-day testing session will end on Friday and will be completed by two further tests in Bahrain next month.