The first glimpse of what will probably be the new face of F1 race cars leaked into the media yesterday after some subscribers to British F1 Racing magazine got their issues in the mail a little early.

The February edition was intended to debut the new Caterham F1 car, dubbed the CT01, but it didn’t take long for the photo to leak after people got their copies.

This is Caterham’s first solo entry into F1 racing. For the past two years they ran under the Lotus name, but that isn’t what all the fuss is about. Instead the internet is abuzz with speculation that the hideously shaped nose prominently displayed in the photo will be a widespread feature in 2012 F1 cars thanks to new regulations concerning the nose area.

The Caterham team quickly realized that their images had been pilled across the web and promptly released a cleaner looking photo which you see below. They tweeted their plans to release more pictures today, which are available in the gallery below.

Along with the new pictures, the team tweeted a link to the full interview which answered our questions about the ugly new nose design. Mike Gascoyne, chief technical officer for Caterham F1, confirmed that the new “stepped” nose exists to comply with new standards limiting nose height.

Otherwise the CT01 retained its former Renault Sport F1 engine and Red Bull Technology gearbox. Gascoyne also said the move to ban blown diffusers helped them catch up to other teams designs.

Tell us what you think of the car in the comments section below.

GALLERY: Caterham F1 CT01

[Source: AutoSport]

What’s the one car Michael Schumacher cannot pass? The official Formula One Safety Car, of course! That’s the riddle Mercedes-Benz’ Dr. Dieter Zetsche asked before introducing the SLS AMG F1 Safety Car at the Geneva Auto Show.

The SLS AMG Safety Car then drove to the stage and its gullwing doors opened up to reveal the driver, Michael Schumacher and his passenger, Grand Prix teammate Nico Rosberg.

The SLS AMG at every round of the 2010 F1 season, ready to deploy whenever accidents or bad weather make it too dangerous to race.

The official safety car needs to be fast enough to lead the F1 grid at a high enough speed to prevent the race cars’ tires and brakes from cooling down or their engines from overheating. With a 6.3L v8 engine claiming 571 hp and 479.4 ft-lb. of torque, the SLS AMG should be up to the task.

As impressive as the standard-production SLS AMG is, the Safety Car receives a number of updates to fit its role. Apart from the F1 logos and integrated television camera, the Safety Car is distinguishable by its carbon-fiber mirrors and a new carbon-fiber hood. The rear aerofoil pops up when the car reaches 93 mph, and together with the rear diffuser, provides added downforce.

Inside, the Safety Car is equipped with monitors and a radio system to help driver Bernd Maylander and co-driver Pete Tibbetts see and hear what’s going on in the race. A second interior mirror is installed so Tibbetts can keep an eye on the F1 cars following the Safety Car. The central display on the instrument cluster and on the glove compartment provide the same marshalling signals the F1 drivers see in their cockpits.

The SLS AMG Safety Car will be joined by another Mercedes-Benz at F1 races. The C63 AMG Estate returns in 2010 as the official F1 Medical Car, ready to respond to race emergencies.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Formula One Safety Car