If things were banned based on aesthetics...

[James1978]

The Ferrari of 1994, however, was a work of beauty.

It was definitely beautiful at the start of the year, but by the end of it with chopped-off sidepods and the great big hole hacked out of the back of the airbox it looked totally ruined (the holes in the side of the airbox were OK but I think they were forced to change it a few races later).

Sorry!

[dr-baker]

The Ferrari of 1994, however, was a work of beauty.

It was definitely beautiful at the start of the year, but by the end of it with chopped-off sidepods and the great big hole hacked out of the back of the airbox it looked totally ruined (the holes in the side of the airbox were OK but I think they were forced to change it a few races later).

Sorry!

I find it easier to remember beauty than ugliness...

[AdrianSutil]

The Ferrari of 1994, however, was a work of beauty.

It was definitely beautiful at the start of the year, but by the end of it with chopped-off sidepods and the great big hole hacked out of the back of the airbox it looked totally ruined (the holes in the side of the airbox were OK but I think they were forced to change it a few races later).

Sorry!

I find it easier to remember beauty than ugliness...

I think the 1990 Ferrari with Mansell driving it looked amazing. It was that long nose section and the bright red that done it for me.

[ibsey]

The 1995 Ferrari with Alesi in the cockpit is where its at!

[Cynon]

If I had my way, all the cars would either look like the Brawn BGP001, or from 1994-2000.

As long as not all cars have the same livery. The Brawn GP livery (despite that I usually hate white cars) was special because it was radically different.

I think the 1990 Ferrari with Mansell driving it looked amazing. It was that long nose section and the bright red that done it for me.

I thought the cars from 1989-1990 looked suspiciously like an IndyCar would have... and until 2003 I thought IndyCars/Champ Cars looked better... even those horrendous IRL cars from 1997 looked pretty nice. Imagine F1 with those things... same engines too...

[WeirdKerr]

PAH! id forgotten about how ugly that renault was....

[dinizintheoven]

How have we managed to get through this much of the thread and not mention the gigantic, elephantine rear wings that sprouted from just about every car on the grid in 1984? The Ferrari 126C4 is a particularly nasty example:



...and it's not just the rear wing that's wrong, either, I'd dispute the sidepods and the front wing as well. Why is it, that every so often, Ferrari design a car that's an absolute gargoyle? Think also of the 312T4/5 (1979-80), the F1/88A (this clunker from 1988, which never saw the light of day in a race - fortunately), the high-nosed F310 (1996) - though the original low-nose version wasn't much better, and of course, the F2012...

[Ataxia]

How have we managed to get through this much of the thread and not mention the gigantic, elephantine rear wings that sprouted from just about every car on the grid in 1984? The Ferrari 126C4 is a particularly nasty example:



...and it's not just the rear wing that's wrong, either, I'd dispute the sidepods and the front wing as well. Why is it, that every so often, Ferrari design a car that's an absolute gargoyle? Think also of the 312T4/5 (1979-80), the F1/88A (this clunker from 1988, which never saw the light of day in a race - fortunately), the high-nosed F310 (1996) - though the original low-nose version wasn't much better, and of course, the F2012...

At least it isn't this...2 rear wings.

[East Londoner]

At least it isn't this...2 rear wings.

Bloody hell, is that the modified Formula 2 car that Spirit used? It's ghastly!

[midgrid]

Mike Wilds had the best facial hair of any F1 driver. You can't go wrong with the Jesus look.


My nomination is Toleman's decision to mount the radiators in the front wing (plus a bonus double rear wing!).

[Wizzie]

This:

[dr-baker]

This:

I am sorely tempted to go to Le Mans this year just to see this...

[East Londoner]

Oh my HWNSNBM! They've actually made a Deltawing? Will we expect to see these take flight down the Mulsanne Straight, or crawling through gravel traps, with a turning circle about the same of that of the London Underground's Circle line...

[AndreaModa]

Oh my HWNSNBM! They've actually made a Deltawing? Will we expect to see these take flight down the Mulsanne Straight, or crawling through gravel traps, with a turning circle about the same of that of the London Underground's Circle line...

Although technically the Circle line doesn't go in a circle anymore now it's been extended to Hammersmith

/transport geek

[nome66]

This:

I am sorely tempted to go to Le Mans this year just to see this...

the seats at Mulsanne corner will sell like hot cakes this year!
heheheh there is no wing for downforce, which is ironic lol sorry i had to

[DOSBoot]

Grooved Tires. I always thought they looked ugly on F1 cars.

[dr-baker]

Grooved Tires. I always thought they looked ugly on F1 cars.

True.

[Cynon]

This:

I'd like that car a lot if it was a single-seater, or at least looked more like the version they submitted to the IRL (which had an airplane-like shark fin).

For all the NASCAR fans here, I'd say the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow project, which turned the cars from looking pretty neat looking into the bricks on wheels that you see today. Not to mention those stupid shark fins on the left side of the car!

Also, for the NASCAR fans here, I'd like to ban Chip Ganassi Racing because the cars driven by Jamie McMurray (something tells me he might have been good in F1...) and Juan Pablo Montoya have horrendous liveries and need to be redesigned promptly.

[Wizzie]

The impression I get is that the Duck noses are about to be banned based on aesthetics...

[East Londoner]

The impression I get is that the Duck noses are about to be banned based on aesthetics...

I hope they bring back the early 1990s style of low noses, with no gap between the nose and wing. Either that, or the design on the 1998 McLaren...

[FMecha]

This:

Too dangerous in my opinion, so seconded.

[tzerof1]

This:

I wonder if Nissan's drivers have a "you fully understand it's a mobile death trap/chicane" clause in their contracts
Hopefully they'll at least have a better livery by the time it reaches Le Mans, even if it only slightly reduces its unflattering appearance.

[AndreaModa]

The thing is, is that if they put a stonking great wing on the back, it'd just look like an LMP1 with a narrow front end! It's not that revolutionary at all really.

[stupot94]

I never really liked the shark fin/F-duct covers. Ruined the appearence of what an F1 car is supposed to look like

[Sunshine_Baby_[IT]]

EJ shirts along with Alain Prost's nose

You forgot Chandhok's eyebrow.

[dinizintheoven]

I never really liked the shark fin/F-duct covers. Ruined the appearence of what an F1 car is supposed to look like

I wonder if there was anyone who said something similar when the overhead airboxes started to sprout again in 1987?

[tzerof1]

EJ shirts along with Alain Prost's nose

You forgot Chandhok's eyebrow.

On that note, perhaps Liuzzi's wild hairstyles should be included as well

[tzerof1]

I never really liked the shark fin/F-duct covers. Ruined the appearence of what an F1 car is supposed to look like

I wonder if there was anyone who said something similar when the overhead airboxes started to sprout again in 1987?

Probably. There are always those who are resistant to changes in the status quo.

[dr-baker]

I never really liked the shark fin/F-duct covers. Ruined the appearence of what an F1 car is supposed to look like

I wonder if there was anyone who said something similar when the overhead airboxes started to sprout again in 1987?

Probably. There are always those who are resistant to changes in the status quo.

That is true. I still think F1 cars should look look like how they did in the 1992-1994 period (when I first got into F1). Low-slung, sleek, elegant, with some beautiful liveries - Canon and Rothman Williams, Ferrari, MTV Simtek, Marlboro McLaren, etc.

[tzerof1]

I still think F1 cars should look look like how they did in the 1992-1994 period (when I first got into F1). Low-slung, sleek, elegant, with some beautiful liveries - Canon and Rothman Williams, Ferrari, MTV Simtek, Marlboro McLaren, etc.

For sure. Now that I get to thinking about it, there wasn't a single car on the 1994 grid that you could walk up to and call it ugly outright. Except maybe the Larousse when it was running the Kronenbourg livery...

[Nuppiz]

That is true. I still think F1 cars should look look like how they did in the 1992-1994 period (when I first got into F1). Low-slung, sleek, elegant, with some beautiful liveries - Canon and Rothman Williams, Ferrari, MTV Simtek, Marlboro McLaren, etc.

Speaking of Rothmans liveries, anyone else noticed the very Rothmans-esque detail on the current Williams' engine cover?

[AdrianSutil]

Even the Pacific livery look decent. Not often something with a lot of grey can be called 'decent'.

[dr-baker]

That is true. I still think F1 cars should look look like how they did in the 1992-1994 period (when I first got into F1). Low-slung, sleek, elegant, with some beautiful liveries - Canon and Rothman Williams, Ferrari, MTV Simtek, Marlboro McLaren, etc.

Speaking of Rothmans liveries, anyone else noticed the very Rothmans-esque detail on the current Williams' engine cover?

Even last year's Williams were slightly reminscient of that, weren't they?

[Walsh_e]

I'd of banned this just for the rear wing


Then again most cars in '83 could have been banned based on aesthetics!

In 1997 I'd of banned any car that wasn't this:

[tzerof1]

Then again most cars in '83 could have been banned based on aesthetics!

In 1997 I'd of banned any car that wasn't this:

Very true. As for your 1997 suggestion, that would have evened up MasterCard Lola's odds quite a bit! Providing it could make a full race distance

[ibsey]

I never really liked the shark fin/F-duct covers. Ruined the appearence of what an F1 car is supposed to look like

I wonder if there was anyone who said something similar when the overhead airboxes started to sprout again in 1987?

Simliarily anyone mentioned the airboxes of the mid 1970’s?

The 1976 Ligier was a personal highlight. Here's a picture;

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=1976+l ... 29,r:1,s:0

That was obviously designed by someone who had taken more than their fair share of acid.

Also when front & rear wings together with the big stalks were 1st introduced to F1 cars in the late 1960’s early 1970’s, how awful did they look?

[ibsey]

EJ shirts along with Alain Prost's nose

You forgot Chandhok's eyebrow.

…& Bernie Eccestone’s face.

How a man who looks as he does, had a daughter who looks as Tamara does is beyond me?

Unless of course the milkman got friendly with the mother when Bernie was at work

[stupot94]

How about the strange Monaco wings that sprouted on the Jordan and Arrows at the 2001 Monaco Grand Prix. Dont like the Jordans, however the Arrows wing is alright

[tzerof1]

I never really liked the shark fin/F-duct covers. Ruined the appearence of what an F1 car is supposed to look like

I wonder if there was anyone who said something similar when the overhead airboxes started to sprout again in 1987?

Simliarily anyone mentioned the airboxes of the mid 1970’s?

The 1976 Ligier was a personal highlight. Here's a picture;

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=1976+l ... 29,r:1,s:0

That was obviously designed by someone who had taken more than their fair share of acid.

Also when front & rear wings together with the big stalks were 1st introduced to F1 cars in the late 1960’s early 1970’s, how awful did they look?

That is one trippy looking airbox. Although I do have to say the Ligier one was at least somewhat sleeker looking than many of the other ones. And for the record the car was designed by Gerard Ducarouge and Michael Beaujon. Whether they imbibed in the use of drugs is not known, but it was the 70's so anything could be possible

[tzerof1]

EJ shirts along with Alain Prost's nose

You forgot Chandhok's eyebrow.

…& Bernie Eccestone’s face.

How a man who looks as he does, had a daughter who looks as Tamara does is beyond me?

Unless of course the milkman got friendly with the mother when Bernie was at work

Whatever the true reason is, let's hope it's nowhere near as scandalous as ANTSMSW5PG