The basic appearance of an F1 car is always determined by one thing: aerodynamic efficiency. However, certain (experimental) aerodynamic interventions can make for unusual designs. RacingNews365 lists the ugliest Formula Ducks for you.
Caterham C05
What the engineers at Caterham were thinking when they designed the C05? No idea. Martin Brundle described their nose section as a "brick" and questioned its aerodynamic properties. In any case, it didn't provide a crazy amount of speed advantage, as Caterham finished at the bottom end of the championship in 2014.
Williams FW26
The famous walrus nose made its debut in 2004, when Williams was struggling to compete with the all-conquering Ferrari team of the early '00s. In an effort to find some performance, the team introduced a special front wing. The team was forced to abandon the concept when the peculiar design also failed to produce the necessary performance gains...
March 711
The March 711 largely looked like a normal F1 car with a distinctive red livery. However, in an effort to find some extra downforce, the team mounted something that resembled an ironing board on the front of the car. Like the aforementioned Williams, the 711 would fail in terms of results and the strange component disappeared over time.
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Ronnie Peterson in his March 711 at the 1971 Monaco GP #F1 #F1History pic.twitter.com/qrq6j0zNEw — F1 History (@F1History1) February 2, 2017
Ensign N179
The car was essentially a moving cheese grater. The design of the radiators didn't even really help, as the car constantly struggled with heating problems. What Ensign was thinking is left to everyone's imagination...
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The Ensign N179, which for some reason has a section of ladder strapped to the front! #OldAero pic.twitter.com/SWSfGyiEbz — Retro Racing Company (@RetroRacingCo) November 25, 2014
Ligier JS5
Ligier's first F1 car was nicknamed the "teapot" and resulted in a monstrosity known as the JS5. Unlike many other bolides in this list, the JS5 was quite a solid car. In its debut season, Ligier scored several podium finishes. The French racing stable eventually finished sixth among the constructors.
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Jacques Laffite - 1976 - Ligier JS5 #oldschoolf1 pic.twitter.com/oLLeNPwsrC — Luca (@Digione_79) September 9, 2016
Lotus E22
The Lotus E22 looks like a cross between the Caterham CT5 and the Williams FW26, combining the ugliest elements of two cars from two different eras. The Lotus name is synonymous in F1 with design prowess and beauty. The E22 was neither fast nor beautiful, which is why it is on our list of ugliest cars in F1 history.
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