who watches f1 for how attractive the cars look? what has kept f1 cars looking good for f1 fans for the last 15 years is the mental aspect of viewing the cars as the fastest race cars in the world. they will get over this new change just like they did after they changed to a narrow track in 1998 and when they changed to higher and narrower rear wings a few years ago. during both those years, i also read the same dumb comments like 'i nearly vommited" etc. (if anyone actually nearly vommited - i dont believe you, you are full of @#$%&)/
from a distance, you can usually only tell the cars apart by the liveries, that is more important to the overall look then a stepped nose, that is such a small item.
i hate the mainstream british f1 sites like planet-f1.com who immediately set in motion this love-hate atmosphere about the noses. they instantly called the mclaren "beautiful", and instantly called the ferrari "ugly", and in just about every article, including in headings they mention 'the ugly stepped nose". news sites like this control popular culture and popular thought. but when you compare the mclaren to so many actually good looking f1 cars in the past, the mclarens proportions are so fat and ugly - but these websites base their oppinion purely on the fact that mclaren does not have a stepped nose.
also, often people later look back on f1 cars, and relate beauty to achievements. a lot of people believe the ferrari 2000 car is one of the most beautiful ever, my thought is why??
also many people would consider the 2009 mclaren ugly, and the reason is because it underperformed and because it had a long wheel base. this is so stupid to me, the wheel base was a few centimetres longer then other cars, hardly visible, and it looks nearly identical to the supposedely "beautiful" 2012 mclaren.. ooh thats right its only beautiful now because it has no stepped nose.
the british f1 sites will be left in shame if mclaren half way through the year releases a b spec car with a stepped nose, and the car only then proves a winner.
also new indycars look attractive in ther own way, dont be surprised to see f1 go for rear wheel covers like that, to avoid incidents like webber flying over kovoleinen a couple of years ago. infact i am surprised f1 didnt do that first - as f1 is usually the keen to be first in such safety innovations. people will get used to the wheel covers.
from a distance, most open wheelers look the same. i have seen friends and relatives who know nothing about motorsport see an indycar, or an f3 race on tv and think it is f1, because it is open wheel racing.
i for one love technical changes in f1 that alter the cars looks, to me it is what f1 is all about, having the engineers try to build the best vehicle possible given the dimensions they have to work with.
lastly j lo is over rated, and a terrible singer.