The 20 Most Stunning F1 Cars of All Time

Since the inaugural Formula One championship race in 1950, F1 vehicles have continually evolved. From the 50s-60s tubular Alpha Romeros and Lotus to the present Honda RBPTs, here are the 20 best-looking F1 cars ever.

20. Williams FW11 (1986-1987)

Designed by Frank Dernie, the Williams FW11 aimed to challenge McLaren’s MP4/2C car. Besides its advanced aerodynamics, it featured a Honda 1.5-liter V6 turbocharged motor that produced over 1200 bhp at 12,000 rpm in qualifying. With Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell piloting the car to its limits, they made the Williams FW11 a force to be reckoned with.

19. Leyton House CG901 (1990)

The blue and green machine featured an aqua color scheme and anodized gold rims that made it a real beauty. His most striking feature was its aerodynamics. The CG901 was powered by a 496 cc (3.5-liter) Judd EV V8 engine. In the 1990 series, driver Ivan Capelli finished second in round seven. Driver Maurício Gugelmin finished sixth in round eleven.

18. Simtek S941 (1994)

With its cool blue curved front, black sides, and hip MTV logo behind the driver, the Simtek S941 was a looker. Unfortunately, it was a poor performer, retiring 10 of 16 starts by driver David Brabham, who had 10, 11, and two 12th-place finishes. Driver Jean-Marc Gounon managed 9th in round seven but had three retirements in seven races.

17. Maserati 250F (1954-1960)

Featuring a classic tubular body style and bright red finish, this classic F1 racer set standards of high performance. It featured a 2493 cc Maserati A6 straight-six engine delivering 270 HP at 8000 RPM. This vehicle won eight world championships from 1954 to 1957. Six of those were Argentine driver Juan Manuel Fangio and two with British driver Stirling Moss.

16. Arrows A18 (1997)

The Arrows A18 had a beautiful aerodynamic design featuring a white finish with blue trim and a Yamaha OX11A engine. It performed poorly. In the 1997 season, reigning world champion Damon Hill had one DNS and six retirements. His best finishes were second and sixth. Driver Pedro Diniz had eleven retirements and his best finishes were fifth, seventh, and tenth.

15. Renault RE20 (1980-1981)

The gorgeous yellow-gold Renault RE20 featured white trim and perfect aesthetics with its aerodynamic wings. The Renault RE20 captured three victories in 1980, 1 with Jean-Pierre Jabouille and 2 with René Arnoux. But it otherwise performed poorly, retiring 20 out of 37 entries between 1980-1981. Alain Prost finished third in the only race he completed in 1981.

14. Williams FW18 (1996)

The Williams-Renault FW18 is considered one of the most successful F1 car designs ever with its stunning aerodynamics and shape. A lowered driver and center of gravity improved handling. In the 1996 season, driver Damon Hill won the championship, taking eight first-place and two second-place podiums. Driver Jacques Villeneuve had four first-place finishes, five second-place, and two third-place finishes.

13. Mercedes W196 (1954-1955)

The first to be dubbed the “silver arrows,” their debut at the 1954 French Grand Prix introduced the aerodynamic closed-wheel aluminum “Type Monza” streamliner body. Piloted by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, the W196 won 9 of 12 races and entered and captured two world championships. It had a front-mounted I8 six engine delivering 290 km/h.

12. Ferrari 641 (1990)

One of the most eye-catching F1 cars ever, the bright red Ferrari 641 featured black front and rear wings and rims. Its 3.5-liter V12 engine delivered 680 bhp. The Ferrari 641 won the 1990 F1 championships. Alain Prost won 5 races to take the championship, and Nigel Mansell took second, winning one race, and Scuderia Ferrari garnered the constructors’ championship.

11. Jaguar R1 (2000)

The metallic, forest-green Jaguar R1 sported white front and rear wings, with a white and red side stripe and gold anodized rims. Although the Jaguar R1 looked sharp, its performance was unreliable. Jaguar Racing had three drivers for the 2000 season who retired their vehicles twelve times. Driver Eddie Irvine finished 4th and 6th once, and Johnny Herbert finished 7th twice.

10. Sauber C12 (1993)

With its sleek black finish, Sauber C12 designers Leo Ress, Harvey Postlethwaite, and Mario Illien collaborated on one of the most exquisite F1 cars ever. Although branded Sauber, it was built by Ilmor in partnership with Mercedes. In the 1993 season, its two drivers were plagued by performance issues, retiring the vehicle 18 times out of 32 entries.

9. Eagle Mk1 T1G (1966-1969)

With its sleek body style and mag wheels, the Eagle Mk1 T1G was designed by Len Terry for Dan Gurney’s Anglo-American Racers team. After its first four races, the engine was switched to a 3.0L Gurney-Weslake V12. The vehicle suffered constant issues, and its drivers retired it in most races over four seasons.

7. Benetton B189 (1989-1990)

The Benetton B189 sported the red and green colors of its sponsor, 7-Up. It used Ford-Cosworth’s new HBA1 engine with a 75° V8. In the 1989 season, driver Alessandro Nannini didn’t enter until the seventh race. He had a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th place finish while retiring the vehicle five times to place fourth overall that year.

6. Lotus 49 (1967-1970)

A stunning design at the time, the red and white Lotus 49 was the first Formula One car to use aerofoil wings. It used a Cosworth DFV engine that powered most of the Formula One cars through the 70s. It excelled on the track, and through four seasons, the team finished first place (1968, 1970), second-place (1967), and third-place (1969).

5. McLaren MP4/12 (1997)

The McLaren MP4/12 was trimmed in silver and black and is one of the sleekest designs ever. Mercedes-Benz supplied its V10 engines. In the 1997 season, drivers Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard retired their vehicles a combined 14 times. Häkkinen finished first once, Coulthard twice. Team McLaren finished fourth overall for the season.

4. Ferrari 126C (1981-1984)

The Ferrari 126C was a dazzling red with reflective silver front and rear wings. The car used a smaller and narrower V6 engine with forced induction, offering better aerodynamics. Its initial season saw the vehicle retired fifteen times. Ferrari worked out the bugs and placed first in the 1982 and 1983 seasons while finishing second in 1984.

3. Lotus 97T (1985)

The Lotus 97T had a shorter front end than many other F1 cars and a simple design overall. It was black with yellow pin striping and featured front and rear wings. In 1985, Drivers Elio de Angelis and Ayrton Senna delivered a competitive season, and team Lotus finished fourth in the Constructor’s championship.

2. Brabham BT52 (1983)

With its striking design and smooth lines, the Brabham BT52 was powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged engine cranking out a massive 1,280 bhp that was detuned to 850 bhp for races. In the 1983 season, Nelson Piquet had three 1st place finishes, while driver Riccardo Patrese retired his vehicle in 10 of sixteen races. The team still finished third overall.

1. Jordan 191 (1991)

Easily one of the most beautiful F1 cars ever, Gary Anderson’s design features a curved front fin and serpentine lines with its dual-green finish. In the 1991 season, four drivers competed for Team 7UP Jordan, including Michael Schumacher in one race. The vehicle was retired in 12 of 32 starts. The team finished fifth overall.