Suspension keel

[1] Traditional low nose cone designs (e.g. the McLaren MP4/4) allow the lower suspension arms to be directly attached to the main structural members of the car.

However, since the move to high nose cone designs – which allow better use of airflow underneath the car,[2] and to a lesser extent the front wing – location of these lower arms has proven problematic.

For ideal suspension geometry, and hence maximum mechanical grip, the lower arms should be long and near parallel with the road.

This problem was exacerbated when the FIA introduced rule changes in 2005 that forced teams to mount their front wing in a more elevated position.

However, with continued restrictions to aerodynamic downforce through the use of aerofoil wings, and the lighter V8 engines specified from 2006 onwards causing weight distribution to shift forward, many designers apparently consider this drawback to be less significant than the concomitant increase in venturi downforce generated underneath the car; except for Renault and Red Bull, all of the teams in the 2007 Formula One World Championship used a zero-keel design.

The Ferrari F2005 has a conventional single keel design in the 2000s
Short twin keels in use on the Sauber C22 .
A V-keel in use on the 2006 Red Bull RB2 .
Zero keel design as employed on the BMW Sauber F1.07 . Note the lower suspension arms mounted directly onto the lower edge of the nosecone, and the angle between the arms and road surface necessary for this arrangement.