The ugliest Formula cars in history: terrible!

The photos of the ugliest Formula 1 cars in history

super ailerons

1 / 35

In the 1960s, oversized spoilers became common. As in this McLaren M7C in Monaco with the front and rear wings at a remarkable height. And no, the car didn’t fly.

Photo by: LAT Images

Only the high rear spoiler

2 / 35

Another version of the McLaren M7C Ford, without the raised front wing.

Photo by: LAT Images

Huge and strange front spoiler

3 / 35

Engineers from the March F1 team placed a huge front wing over the nose, giving the car dubbed the 711 an unappealing design. However, the car was fast and Ronnie Peterson finished second in the 1971 Drivers’ World Championship.

Photo by: Lucien Harmegnies

Take a good look at the March 711

4 / 35

It looks like a bar and Ronnie Peterson, the pilot, a bartender.

Photo by: Lucien Harmegnies

a huge hump

5 / 35

The Ligier of the first part of 1976 was a “monster”. The team put a massive engine cover on their car before scrapping it for a more conventional design. At least the sponsors liked having so much space to advertise!

Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images

double spoiler

6 / 35

Lotus has been known for always pushing the aerodynamic limits, and the 1974 car (the Lotus 76) was no exception. The successor to the successful Lotus 72 featured a double rear wing and was expected to be a major upgrade. However, they eventually realized they had regressed and scrapped it after seven races. It was not the only example…

Photo by: Dave Dyer

Double rear spoiler part 2

7 / 35

Ferrari must have thought a double wing was better, too, and in 1982 at Long Beach, Gilles Villeneuve sported this design so…well, this design on the Ferrari 126C2. As well as being ugly, the spoiler was declared illegal and Villeneuve lost his third place finish.

Photo by: LAT Images

A ban that liked

8 / 35

For lovers of aesthetics and Ferrari, that disqualification was not all bad. A normal spoiler returned to the Ferrari 126C2, like the one in the photo worn by Didier Pironi.

Photo by: LAT Images

monstrous rear spoiler

9 / 35

March again: in 1975 the team tried it with this monstrous rear wing on the 751. Obviously the part didn’t work as expected, although unbelievably the car won the shortened Austrian Grand Prix that year.

Photo by: LAT Images

The good thing about that March 751 Ford…

10 / 35

…it was that in profile or from the front it wasn’t so ugly…

Photo by: LAT Images

X-Wings

11 / 35

Ferrari wasn’t the first team to use ‘X-Wings’, but it was probably the most famous. The radical concept was introduced at the 1998 Argentine Grand Prix but was quickly banned by the FIA on safety grounds. In the second race, in San Marino (photo) even Schumacher and Irvine were on the podium.

Photo by: LAT Images

the six wheeler

12 / 35

The Tyrrell P34 is widely remembered for being the F1 six-wheeler. With four small tires at the front and two full-size tires at the rear, it won the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix with Jody Scheckter at the wheel. Various teams tried to copy the concept, though with little success.

Photo by: LAT Images

diversity of opinions

13 / 35

The car was so peculiar that it has continued to be present at numerous demos and shows. At Motorsport.com we are not sure that it was ugly. What do you think about it?

Photo by: LAT Images

another monster

14 / 35

And then there is the Eiffelland Type 21. The basis of this car is a March 721, which was designed with a single rear-view mirror in the middle in front of the driver. More than a competition car, it looks like the Frankenstein variant in Formula 1.

Photo by: Jeff Bloxham/Motorsport Images

bad omen

15 / 35

During the season, the car underwent several revisions, but did not improve. The team disappeared from F1 after just one season, without making much of an impression. (The photo belongs to the 2017 Goodwood Festival)

Photo by: Jeff Bloxham/Motorsport Images

vacuum cleaner nose

16 / 35

The nose is an element that has marked the appearance of the F1 throughout its history. The first Arrows team car (FA1) featured a large air intake, giving it a vacuum cleaner look. It was 1978.

Photo by: LAT Images

A good result, but…

17 / 35

See Ricciardo Patrese’s Arrows FA1 Ford in the middle of the pack? He managed to be second in that race, in Sweden. But of course she wouldn’t win a beauty contest.

Photo by: LAT Images

A nose of “staircase”, literal

18 / 35

A year later, the Ensign N179 appeared. The front end looked like a ladder, although the concept didn’t work out, and the ladder wasn’t used in every race. The car participated in eleven grands prix and failed seven times in qualifying.

Photo by: David Phipps

The alternative, also curious

19 / 35

The Ensign N179 Ford that didn’t have stairs didn’t look much better, either. It was the one in the photo, in the hands of Patrick Gaillard.

Photo by: LAT Images

But what is that spoiler?

20 / 35

The Arrows team fitted an additional high wing to the top of the nose for the 2002 Monaco Grand Prix. Fortunately, the FIA banned it almost immediately.

Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images

The spoiler on the nose of the A22

21 / 35

The driver sporting the hideous nose wing in the photo is Jos Verstappen. What would Max think if they made him wear something like that?

Photo by: XPB Images

dumbo wings

22 / 35

Honda’s last F1 car (2008) was not only slow, but also ugly. The ‘Dumbo wings’ on the RA108 drew much negative feedback for their unsightly static.

Photo by: Charles Coates/Motorsport Images

Dumbo gave reward

23 / 35

That punishment for Button was compensated with the World Cup that he would win in 2009.

Photo by: XPB Images

stepped nose

24 / 35

Following a rule change for the 2012 season, most teams adopted an unattractive stepped nose design.

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images

more stairs

25 / 35

This was Lotus’ design in the 2012 season. Thankfully a new rule in 2013 allowed teams to change those noses. Though that only made things worse…

Photo by: XPB Images

“coati” nose

26 / 35

In 2014, the teams compete against each other to see who has the ugliest nose, with Caterham being the worst. The CT05 is not only slow, but also has the ugliest nose in recent Formula 1 history. At the end of the year, Caterham went bankrupt…coincidence?

Photo by: Sam Bloxham/Motorsport Images

Was Sauber’s solution better?

27 / 35

The 2014 Sauber C33 adopted this measure. More or less attractive than the Caterham? Different.

Photo by: XPB Images

And the Ferrari?

28 / 35

The Ferrari F14-T had this solution in 2014, a kind of vacuum cleaner.

Photo by: XPB Images

Shark fins

29 / 35

The “shark fin” engine cover has made several appearances in modern F1. In 2010 they had their peak, although everyone liked that they disappeared…

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro/Motorsport Images

Shark fins in 2017

30 / 35

In 2017 they returned to the fray, and the teams took risks looking for the most effective designs. The one in the photo is the Force India solution in the VJM10 of the Singapore GP. F1 decided to ban them for 2018… although it is not clear that they will do so.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

walrus nose

31 / 35

In an attempt to end Ferrari’s dominance, Williams set up the “walrus” version in the FW26, though it didn’t help much. The design was not very effective and Williams had to go back to a more normal nose.

Photo by: Steve Etherington/Motorsport Images

WilliamsF1 BMW FW26 front view

32 / 35

Here the walrus aspect is better appreciated, with its two “horns” (pillars) joining the nose and the aileron.

Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images

T-Wings

33 / 35

The 2017 cars feature T-Wings, T-shaped spoilers at the rear of the car. While it does produce additional downforce, fans have not liked it at all and they will be banned in 2018.

Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images

The teams have sought different measures

34 / 35

How about this McLaren MCL32 “coat rack”?

Photo by: LAT Images

And Force India, as almost always, the most peculiar

35 / 35

This triple solution was presented by Force India in the VJM10 of the Monaco GP. And once you have seen all the cars, which do you think is the ugliest?

Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images

1. In the 1960s, oversized spoilers became common. As in this McLaren M7C in Monaco with the front and rear wings at a remarkable height. And no, the car didn’t fly.
2. Another version of the McLaren M7C Ford, without the raised front wing.
3. Engineers from the March F1 team placed a huge front wing over the nose, giving the car dubbed the 711 an unappealing design. However, the car was fast and Ronnie Peterson finished second in the 1971 Drivers’ World Championship.
4. Another photo of the March 711. It looks like a bar and Ronnie Peterson, the pilot, a waiter.
5. The Ligier of the first part of 1976 was a “monster”. The team put a massive engine cover on their car before scrapping it for a more conventional design. At least the sponsors liked having so much space to advertise!
6. Lotus has been known for always pushing the aerodynamic limits, and the 1974 car (the Lotus 76) was no exception. The successor to the successful Lotus 72 featured a double rear wing and was expected to be a major upgrade. However, they eventually realized they had regressed and scrapped it after seven races. It was not the only example…
7. Ferrari must have thought a double wing was better, too, and in 1982 at Long Beach, Gilles Villeneuve sported this design so…well, this design on the Ferrari 126C2. As well as being ugly, the spoiler was declared illegal and Villeneuve lost his third place finish.
8. For lovers of aesthetics and Ferrari, that disqualification was not all bad. A normal spoiler returned to the Ferrari 126C2, like the one in the photo worn by Didier Pironi.
9. March again: in 1975 the team tried it with this monstrous rear wing on the 751. Obviously the part didn’t work as expected, although unbelievably the car won the shortened Austrian Grand Prix that year.
10. The good thing about that March 751 Ford was that from the side or from the front it wasn’t so ugly.
11. Ferrari wasn’t the first team to use ‘X-Wings’, but it was probably the most famous. The radical concept was introduced at the 1998 Argentine Grand Prix but was quickly banned by the FIA on safety grounds. In the second race, in San Marino (photo) even Schumacher and Irvine were on the podium.
12. The Tyrrell P34 is widely remembered for being the F1 six-wheeler. With four small tires at the front and two full-size tires at the rear, it won the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix with Jody Scheckter at the wheel. Various teams tried to copy the concept, though with little success.
13. The car was so peculiar that it has continued to be present at numerous demos and shows. At Motorsport.com we are not sure that it was ugly. What do you think about it?
14. And then there is the Eiffelland Type 21. The basis of this car is a March 721, which was designed with a single rear-view mirror in the middle in front of the driver. More than a competition car, it looks like the Frankenstein variant in Formula 1.
15. During the season, the car underwent several revisions, but did not improve. The team disappeared from F1 after just one season, without making much of an impression. (The photo belongs to the 2017 Goodwood Festival)
16. The nose is an element that has marked the appearance of the F1 throughout its history. The first Arrows team car (FA1) featured a large air intake, giving it a vacuum cleaner look. It was 1978.
17. See Ricciardo Patrese’s Arrows FA1 Ford in the middle of the pack? He managed to be second in that race, in Sweden. But of course she wouldn’t win a beauty contest.
18. A year later, the Ensign N179 appeared. The front end looked like a ladder, although the concept didn’t work out, and the ladder wasn’t used in every race. The car participated in eleven grands prix and failed seven times in qualifying.
19. The Ensign N179 Ford that didn’t have stairs didn’t look much better, either. It was the one in the photo, in the hands of Patrick Gaillard.
20. The Arrows team fitted an additional high wing to the top of the nose for the 2002 Monaco Grand Prix. Fortunately, the FIA banned it almost immediately.
21. The driver sporting the hideous nose wing in the photo is Jos Verstappen. What would Max think if they made him wear something like that?
22. Honda’s last F1 car (2008) was not only slow, but also ugly. The ‘Dumbo wings’ on the RA108 drew much negative feedback for their unsightly static.
23. That punishment for Button was compensated with the World Cup that he would win in 2009.
24. Following a rule change for the 2012 season, most teams adopted an unattractive stepped nose design.
25. This was Lotus’ design in the 2012 season. Thankfully a new rule in 2013 allowed teams to change those noses. Though that only made things worse…
26. In 2014, the teams compete against each other to see who has the ugliest nose, with Caterham being the worst. The CT05 is not only slow, but also has the ugliest nose in recent Formula 1 history. At the end of the year, Caterham went bankrupt…coincidence?
27. The 2014 Sauber C33 adopted this measure. More or less attractive than the Caterham? Different.
28. The Ferrari F14-T had this solution in 2014, a kind of vacuum cleaner.
29. The “shark fin” engine cover has made several appearances in modern F1. In 2010 they had their peak, although everyone liked that they disappeared…
30. In 2017 they returned to the fray, and the teams took risks looking for the most effective designs. The one in the photo is the Force India solution in the VJM10 of the Singapore GP. F1 decided to ban them for 2018… although it is not clear that they will do so.
31. In an attempt to end Ferrari’s dominance, Williams set up the “walrus” version in the FW26, though it didn’t help much. The design was not very effective and Williams had to go back to a more normal nose.
32. Here the walrus aspect is better appreciated, with its two “horns” (pillars) joining the nose and the aileron.
33. The 2017 cars feature T-Wings, T-shaped spoilers at the rear of the car. While it does produce additional downforce, fans have not liked it at all and they will be banned in 2018.
34. How about this ‘coat rack’ of the McLaren MCL32?
35. This triple solution was presented by Force India in the VJM10 of the Monaco GP. And once you have seen all the cars, which do you think is the ugliest?