While there is no doubt an aesthetically pleasing Formula 1 car is what both the engineers and designers strive for, good looks are only an afterthought when you consider the fact that F1 cars are designed to be fast first and foremost. That being said, here is our list of ten of the ugliest designs ever to grace an F1 grid.
Ferrari F12
The past decade has not been a vintage year with respect to aesthetics in Formula 1. The lawnmower design of the cars, small rear wings, and massive front wings didn't help matters at all. Added to that unpleasant mix was the need to lower the car's noses from 2012, this led to some truly horrific designs with Ferrari's step-nosed F12 being one of the standouts. The car would be further up the list if it was not a Ferrari.
Williams FW 26
The famous walrus nose made its debut in 2005 at a time when Williams were struggling to match the all-dominant Ferrari team of the early 00s. In an attempt to find a bit performance the team introduced a "walrus" style nose, which in all honesty made the car unsightly. The team were forced to abandon the concept when their design failed to provide the necessary gain in performance either.
March 711
For the most part March's 711 looked like a normal F1 car with a striking red livery. However, in a bid to find an extra bit of downforce, the team mounted an, for lack of a better word, ironing board to the front of the car. Much like the aforementioned Williams, the 711 would fail to deliver on the result front meaning the team would consciously field an ugly for no reason.
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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
Eifelland Type 21
While the Eiffelland team only entered eight races in Formula 1 their E21 car was an assault on the visual senses. Can someone explain how their driver wasn't distracted by the massive protrusion in front of them?
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See the unique #Eifelland Type 21 sporting the Luigi Colani bodywork in Hall 2 at #RaceRetro this month! https://t.co/hmRGTLGB0t pic.twitter.com/tlLzpg5jev — Race Retro (@RaceRetro_) February 9, 2017
Honda RA108
Honda's last year as a manufacturer was a bad one. Their 2008 car was so bad that they gave up midway into the season in order to focus on what would become the title winning Brawn Grand Prix car. With what could only be described as a "dumbo nose" the RA108 was a ghastly piece of work helped in no part by their livery.
Ensign N179
The car was in essence a moving cheese grater. The design of the radiators wasn't even all that helpful as the car consistently struggled with heating issues. What Ensign were thinking is left to anyone'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
Nicknamed the "teapot" Ligier's first attempt at designing a Formula 1 car led to them creating the monstrosity known as the JS5. Though the car performed admirably, considering the team were brand new to the F1 grid in 1976, the enormous airbox makes the JS5 the fourth ugliest car on this list.
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Jacques Laffite - 1976 - Ligier JS5 #oldschoolf1 pic.twitter.com/oLLeNPwsrC — Luca (@Digione_79) September 9, 2016
March 751
March engineering are the only team to feature on this list twice. The 751 is also the only car on the list to make it on because of an ugly rear rather than an ugly front end. The car looks like it was inspired by an American pickup truck with its elongated rear end "forklift" rear wing.
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f1 backmarkers March 751 f1 Retro T-Shirt #marchracingf1 #retrof1tshirts pic.twitter.com/cNCbEOC5X1 — f1 backmarkers (@f1_backmarkers) May 19, 2016
Caterham CT5
Another car that was a victim of circumstance more than anything else, the car's nose justifies its inclusion on this list. The image will explain our reasoning better than words can.
Lotus E22
Looking like a cross between the Caterham CT5 and the Williams FW26, the Lotus E22 tops our list simply because it combines the ugliest elements of two cars from two different eras. The Lotus name has been synonymous in Formula 1 for their design prowess and beauty. The E22 was neither quick nor beautiful and for the combination of those three reasons makes our list as the ugliest car in the history of Formula 1.
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