Are the plastic air guides in front of the air filter important?

After an accident, all the plastic parts behind and above the left headlight on my Bora 4-motion (AJM engine) have crumbled. During the inspection, I noticed that the air intake manifold is directly rubbing against the headlight. The other plastic parts seem to provide some additional shielding for the intake manifold, further isolating it from the engine.
Are there better solutions for obtaining cold air, or is the factory-provided solution the best?

Thank you very much, and best regards.
Stefan.