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F1
These are the weirdest car designs ever to grace Formula One
Car designs change all the time in motorsports, but not like they used to. Here are some of the strangest cars ever to grace an F1 circuit, featuring Tyrrell, Lotus, Brabham and Ensign.
The exacting specifications of Formula One mean teams tinker obsessively and often imperceptibly to gain the slightest competitive advantage. But before the modern-day rules governing F1 there were game-breaking experiments almost every year. Here are some of the weirdest from the Wild West era of Formula One design.
01
Tyrrell P34 (1976)
Tyrrell P34
© Oli Pendrey
The outlandish P34 holds two unique distinctions. First, it was the only six-wheeled car ever to race in F1. Secondly, it was the inspiration for the car from credits of the 1970s Pink Panther cartoon.
The design was intended to give the narrow wheels the same traction as wider tyres, but with half the air resistance. Because the P34 was the only car with those rims, manufacturers Goodyear didn't find much of an incentive to fund improvements to a design they would only sell 18 of in a good week.
As a result, the car quickly became obsolete, and it was retired the following year. Other teams tested six-wheel designs, with four wheels at the back, such as the Williams FW07D in 1981. But in 1982, anticipating an impending wheel-number arms race, F1 specified that cars have a maximum of four wheels.
02
Tyrrell 025 (1997)
Tyrrell 025
© Oli Pendrey
On the average circuit, Tyrrell's new model was a regular F1 car. But on twisty circuits such as Monaco, which required extra downforce, the 025 was fitted with additional diagonally-mounted wings on either side of the cockpit.
These struts are now remembered less for their effectiveness than for the distinctive look that earned the car its nickname of "the X-Wing". Despite the derision from fans, other constructors took notes and began researching their own takes on the concept.
But by the end of season, the technology was ultimately banned by the F1 authorities, citing safety concerns. Most likely because of fears that teams would take the logical next step by outfitting these wings with quadruple ion cannons.
03
Ensign N179 (1979)
Ensign N179
© Oli Pendrey
Ensign Racing's first foray into dynamic experimentation was known as the "Cheese Grater" long before the similarly-titled London skyscraper made it cool.
The scoop-like nose of the car housed three huge, front-mounted radiators arranged in a shallow staircase arrangement. The unusual design was great news for the chassis' aerodynamics, but not so much its aesthetics. Indeed, the N179 is often referred to as "the ugliest F1 car of all time".
In our opinion, it actually looks incredibly cool, like the type of motor the existentialist anti-hero of a dystopian anime movie would drive in illegal death races.
04
Brabham BT46 'fan car' (1978)
Brabham BT46, aka the 'fan car'
© Oli Pendrey
Taking inspiration from the relatively rule-free Can-Am championship, Brabham, then owned by Bernie Ecclestone, developed a rear-mounted fan, which – to use the technical term – sucked out all of the air from under the car.
To get around the ban on "moveable aerodynamic devices", the fan was supposedly introduced to improve cooling. The fact that it happened to provide the car with crazy amounts of downforce without sacrificing straight line speed was, of course, simply a side effect.
The technology lasted precisely one race, when driver Niki Lauda won the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix by over 30 seconds. The fan was swiftly outlawed, partly because its grip on the road put drivers through potentially dangerous loads of lateral force.
Lauda himself complained that the car was physically exhausting to drive, and the experience felt like "driving on rails".
05
Lotus 88 (1981)
Lotus 88
© Oli Pendrey
A masterpiece of creative thinking, the Lotus 88 boasted a floating twin chassis, with the cockpit and suspension in one, and the bodywork mounted on the other. This gave the car enhanced traction without the need for fancy wings.
However, the design was sadly never tested in battle. Other teams in the championship successfully protested that the exterior chassis was effectively one giant moveable aerodynamic device.
It's a real shame. Quite aside from its potentially game-changing effect on racing design, the sleek, wing-free profile was a serious looker. Lotus were racing in black that year, so the 88 would have looked like an autobahn-edition Batmobile. If you removed the ads for JPS cigarettes and Courage ale, that is.
06
Ligier JS5 (1976)
Ligier JS5
© Oli Pendrey
The 1970s were a famously permissive decade and even the FIA caught the mood, opening a Pandora's Box – or was it an Ark of the Covenant? – of car-chitecture in response to the increasing influence of aerodynamic design.
One of the very first fruits of the then-emerging science of wind tunnel tests were high airboxes. In performance terms, a higher airbox equalled higher air pressure, delivering more power to the car.
These designs reached their typically '70s height of excess with the JS5, which looked like a lamprey impersonating a Smurf's hat. This led to a rule change at the end of the season, although on grounds of safety rather than good taste. The intake protruded way over the roll structure, meaning that in the event of a flip, the driver would be showered with shrapnel.
07
Arrows A22 (2001)
Arrows A22
© Oli Pendrey
Introduced for the 2001 Monaco Grand Prix, the A22 was a bold, if misguided, attempt to rehabilitate a previous bad idea. The Arrows design team toyed with an elevated front spoiler, inspired by the 1968 Brabham B26. Although its original inspiration may more likely have been World War One biplane, the Sopwith Camel.
The adjustable technology was more sophisticated than it looks, but it still suffered from one of the major performance issues that prevented previous concepts, such as McLaren's M7C (aka, "the Guillotine"), from making it to the grid.
As you may have deduced, a giant wing right in the driver's eyeline may be something of an impairment to a driver's vision. Although Arrows' version was noticeably more compact than previous incarnations, the authorities ruled it to be every bit as stupid, and prevented it from racing competitively.
